me again - eye flashes

[Rachel W]

Hi,

I have messaged a few times lately for a few small things. I started worrying about floaters and lo and behold a few weeks later I get more. These are a little bigger and darker than the little clear circles I have had before.

I have been reading on the computer a lot and my eyes feel very uncomfortable (the dull ache behind the eyes and slower focusing). This had been going on for a while and is still around because I have assignments to do so not being on the computer for a week is not possible.

The floaters I have are larger (long strands with the odd small dark splotch) so I think that is why they are most annoying and at first I thought they were in one eye but they are in both (is this more reassuring?). I think I have had similar ones before, but not for long and I always thought that they were dust on the eye.

the issue is I read about flashes and now I am noticing the very odd flash, pinprick in size. If I wasn't thinking about it I probably wouldn't notice them. I only really noticed one or two instances last night when I was reading and a few today. I may have had these before but never worried about it.

Does anyone think that I could be getting a tear in my retina, or could eye-strain and stress cause these?

Thanks. I am really worried.

Rachel :unsure:

[countrygirl]

I have had tiny pin prick flashes occasionally all my life and they tend to come in episodes for a week or so then go away - becasue I have severe short sightedness and other eye problems I have had loads of tests and am monitered by top retinal surgeon at least once a year so am speaking from the horses mouth.

I was told by surgeon that these pin pricks and also sometime my pinpricks stay around for a few days flashing gently:) are caused by a slight increase in occular pressure - not enough to mean anything as in high blood pressure or glaucoma. Again the emphasis is on severity if you get large flashing lights that don't go away get it checked.

I have had retinal problems as in tears and bleeds and with the tear I got severe flash right round eye everytime I moved it - exceptionally noticeable when it was dark - it healed itself by the way with no aftereffects. In the retinal bleed I got a perfectly round shaped spot in my vision that did not move and everytime I blinked it flashed different colours and again healed on its own.

another sign of retinal problems can be a curtain of blindness in an eye as well but these are sudden severe symptoms - I know I have been there and you cannot miss these nasty symptoms.

If you are worried then get a regular eye test at an optician it is best helath check you can have and not only for your eyes!

[Rachel W]

I have some distorted vision which I noticed after a rather nasty car accident in 2004. I thought that it was because in the doctor's office an eye test is done where you have to cover one eye and then the other, and i just thought that it was from that. It was only in 2008 when I had a proper check-up that I realised it was not that and then when i got home i found an amsler grid and saw that I had distorted central vision in my right eye. i panicked of course and rushed myself to the hospital where I had a retina scan and photographs. They said at that point that I had 100% healthy retinas. Hopefully that is a good sign.