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What Causes Flashes And Floaters Across The Line Of Vision?
Posted on
Tue, 18 Aug 2015
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Tue, 18 Aug 2015
Answered on
Tue, 8 Sep 2015
Last reviewed on
Question : I was doing housework and when I bent over the bed several times and stood up, I noticed that every time I looked around I could see a sort of flash that looks like the silhouette of a vein around my field of vision in my left eye, though it's not visible in darkness. That was about two hours ago, I went for a walk thinking that might help, and took some vitamin C thinking that would help too from some articles I've read, but it's still there. What do you think?
Just to let you know it's now 8 hrs later and the thin veinous flashing shape that appeared around my field of vision is now about half a semicircle and much thinner than before.
Just to let you know it's now 8 hrs later and the thin veinous flashing shape that appeared around my field of vision is now about half a semicircle and much thinner than before.
Brief Answer:
These symptoms indicate flashes and floaters and require evaluation.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to Health care Magic.
I am Dr. Dadapeer K, an Ophthamologist and I answer health problems related to eye.
I reviewed your history.
The symptoms mentioned by you indicate flashes of light and floaters.
These symptoms usually occur in the problems involving the posterior segment of the eye. The common causes are involvement of the vitreous a gel like structure which lies in the posterior segment of the eye behind the lens.
The most common causes for these symptoms are age related degenerations involving the vitreous like vitreous degenerations, vitreous detachment....
Most of the times these are harmless and no further evaluation or treatment is required and they decrease gradually over 4-6 weeks.
However sometimes they may be associated with retinal problems like peripheral retinal tears and the presence of these requires treatment by laser to prevent further complications.
Hence I advice you to consult your ophthalmologist for examination to confirm the diagnosis and to rule out other causes for these symptoms.
Your ophthalmologist will perform a simple office test called as indirect ophthalmoscopy after dilating the pupils and this test is sufficient for confirmation of diagnosis and to rule out retinal causes.
Hope this answers your question and the information is helpful to you.
Thank you
These symptoms indicate flashes and floaters and require evaluation.
Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to Health care Magic.
I am Dr. Dadapeer K, an Ophthamologist and I answer health problems related to eye.
I reviewed your history.
The symptoms mentioned by you indicate flashes of light and floaters.
These symptoms usually occur in the problems involving the posterior segment of the eye. The common causes are involvement of the vitreous a gel like structure which lies in the posterior segment of the eye behind the lens.
The most common causes for these symptoms are age related degenerations involving the vitreous like vitreous degenerations, vitreous detachment....
Most of the times these are harmless and no further evaluation or treatment is required and they decrease gradually over 4-6 weeks.
However sometimes they may be associated with retinal problems like peripheral retinal tears and the presence of these requires treatment by laser to prevent further complications.
Hence I advice you to consult your ophthalmologist for examination to confirm the diagnosis and to rule out other causes for these symptoms.
Your ophthalmologist will perform a simple office test called as indirect ophthalmoscopy after dilating the pupils and this test is sufficient for confirmation of diagnosis and to rule out retinal causes.
Hope this answers your question and the information is helpful to you.
Thank you
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Answered by
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