What Causes Flashes of Light in the Eye?

Questions such as what causes flashes of light in the eye and how they clear are asked by people who meet the problem frequently. Flashes or bursts of light in the eye can be seen through a great many causes, and they are met most often in older people. The sign can point to a number of different conditions, and it varies from patient to patient in the shape, colour and duration of the light. The eye consists of many layers. The greater part of it is filled with a gel-like fluid called the vitreous. Flashes of light occur when this fluid moves suddenly or pulls away from the structures it is attached to. That pulling creates flashes and reflections in the eye. It happens suddenly and can occur in one eye or in both. Although it is sometimes harmless, it can also point to serious situations such as a retinal tear. People who experience flashes of light in the eye should always see an ophthalmologist. Sudden flashes of light, a marked increase in floaters or a curtain coming down over the field of vision can be signs of a retinal tear; in that case see an ophthalmologist without delay.

Causes of Flashes of Light in the Eye

The causes of flashes of light in the eye can lie within the eye or outside it. Flashes generally form through movement of the gel-like structure called the vitreous. When the eye moves, or when there is movement within the vitreous, a flash of light occurs. Among the causes are a retinal tear and deformation of the vitreous. If the vitreous separates from the retina it is attached to, this causes flashes of light in the eye. Situations such as retinal haemorrhage also lead to it. Of the causes outside the eye, migraine is the most common; less often, certain medicines and conditions affecting the brain and the visual pathways can also produce flashes. Flashes may be the sign of something harmless or the first sign of a serious problem, and only an eye examination can tell which. Flashes can also follow a blow to the eye or the head; as an injury can cause a retinal tear, an examination is needed in this case too.

Symptoms of Flashes of Light in the Eye

Flashes of light in the eye show themselves in many ways. The problem can arise from conditions such as deformation of the vitreous and a retinal tear. Seeing a doctor matters in establishing the exact cause of flashes that occur constantly. The symptoms are:

• Bursts of light in the eye when looking directly at bright surfaces or at a light
• A sudden and temporary sense of a flash
• Flashes increasing as the eye or the head is moved
• Flashes at the centre or at the edges of the field of vision
• Seeing spots or lines drifting within the eye

Treatment of Flashes of Light in the Eye

Treatment for flashes of light in the eye varies from person to person with the condition behind it. There is no medicine that stops flashes of light; treatment depends on the cause:

• Vitreous detachment: usually needs no treatment and is monitored with check-ups at set intervals.
• Retinal tear: the area around the tear is sealed with laser to help prevent a detachment.
• Retinal detachment: treated with surgery.
• Flashes linked to migraine: the migraine itself is treated.

Flashes of light and retinal tears can also appear in people with high myopia, and flashes occur in the eye as a result. Flashes linked to migraine are usually brief and pass on their own; even so, flashes appearing for the first time should always be checked by an ophthalmologist.

What Do Flashes of Light Depend On?

Questions such as what flashes of light in the eye depend on and why they form are the subjects people meeting this situation ask about most. Forming through stimulation of the retina and experienced because of a retinal tear, the situation can even lead to sight loss where it is left untreated. Situations of this kind can occur as tissue separating from the retina pulls away, and as it separates suddenly during eye movement. Flashes arising from causes outside the eye, such as migraine, can appear somewhat differently. Both the form of the light and its duration can differ. Flashes linked to migraine appear as follows:

• During a migraine attack, flashes generally forming in a single area can last around half an hour.
• In flashes linked to migraine, zigzag shapes generally form. In some situations flashes resembling fireworks appear.

Some of the eye conditions that cause flashes of light are:

• Vitreous detachment
• Retinal tears
• Retinal haemorrhage

Each of these conditions has a treatment, and a specialist should always be consulted. The doctor first carries out a detailed eye examination in order to understand the cause of the flashes, and the treatment is determined according to the results. Where there is a retinal tear, laser treatment is generally applied.

How Are Flashes of Light Treated?

Treatment for flashes of light in the eye varies from person to person. In a vitreous detachment monitoring is usually enough, whereas a retinal tear needs laser treatment and a retinal detachment needs surgery. Identifying the situation causing the flashes affects treatment considerably. Whether flashes have a harmless cause or point to a problem that needs treatment can only be established by an eye examination. Situations such as a retinal tear cause flashes in the eye, and if the condition is left untreated more permanent problems can follow. The symptoms should therefore not be taken lightly and an ophthalmologist should be seen regularly. What is Diabetic Retinopathy?