Hi Michelle:
although I don't have any of those headache/migraine symptoms either, thankfully
I also get flashes in my eye
Nothing like during my iritis attack of 2003, that was a full Pink Floyd laser show, complete with swirling mercury blobs!
Now I get them in my right eye, (not my left, where the iritis is) they started happening a month or so ago. A few times I actually thought they were real, like someone up the street set off a photoflash, or lightning in the sky.
My retinologist is not concerned, said it has no connection to the iritis, but that doesn't seem to add up to me. They started with the original iritis attack in the same eye, and now seven years later, although they are in the opposite eye, they are happening at the same time.
He gave me a paper on it, here is part of it:
"The appearance of flashing lights comes from the traction of the vitreous gel at the time of vitreous separation. Flashes look like twinkles or lightning streaks. You may have experienced the same sensation if you were ever hit in the eye and "saw stars".
"Floaters and flashes are sometimes associated with retinal tears. When the vitreous shrinks, it can pull on the retina and cause a tear. A torn retina is a serious problem. It can lead to a retinal detachment and blindness. If new floaters appear suddenly or you see sudden flashes of light, see an ophthalmologist (Eye M.D.) immediately"
"As one gets older, the vitreous (the clear, gel-like substance that fills the inside of the eye) tends to shrink slightly and take on a more watery consistency. Sometimes as the vitreous shrinks, it exerts enough force on the retina to make it tear."
"Retinal tears can lead to a retinal detachment. Fluid vitreous, passing through the tear, lifts the retinal off the back of the eye like wallpaper peeling off a wall. Laser surgery or cryotherapy (freezing) are often used to seal retinal tears and prevent detachment."
"If the retinal is detached, it must be reattached before sealing the retinal tear. There are three ways to repair retinal detachments. Pneumatic retinopexy involves injecting a special gas bubble into the eye that pushes on the retinal to seal the tear. The scleleral buckle procedure requires the fluid to be drained from under the retinal before a flexible piece of silicone is sewn on the outer eye wall to give support to the tear while it heals. Vitrectomy surgery removes the vitreous gel from the eye, replacing it with a gas bubble, which is slowly replaced by the body's fluids."
So I was like, thanks very much, all very scary, anything I can do to prevent that from happening?
Elmer's Glue, maybe?
still hoping to get some answers!
_________________________
Dow
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