What does it mean if I see flashes of light?

In this video, ophthalmologist and Sharecare Advisory Board member David Demartini, MD, describes the causes and solutions for flashes of light in vision.

Transcript

00:00

Some people can have what we call ocular migraine, where they see these little flashes of lights

00:06

or sometimes scintillations, or it looks like heat in their visual field. [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:18

If you see flashes of light in your eye, the usual reason is something is stimulating the retina.

00:25

Flashes usually mean that the vitreous gel is moving around inside the eye. And it tugs on the retina.

00:31

And the retina says, I see light. I see light. That's the greatest majority of people that see that.

00:38

Most of the time, it does not mean that anything needs to be done. We always like to have these patients come in.

00:45

We dilate their pupils. And we look at their retinas. And make sure that there's no holes or there's no tears starting in the retina.

00:52

And so we can reassure them. Most people, after they've had their exam and they find out that the retina is OK,

01:00

within a few months, the tugging stops, or it moves, and they don't notice the flashes of light

01:06

afterwards. The flashes are also a common phenomenon after even routine eye surgery.

01:13

We take out a thick cataract lens and replace it with a very thin implant lens.

01:19

So there's now more space inside the eye. That allows the vitreous to move around much easier than it did before.

01:27

And when the vitreous starts moving around, then it will tug on the retina. And that's where the little lights usually come from.

01:35

Again, after an examination of these people, usually, if the retina is fine, these little flashes of light

01:42

will quit within a few months. There's one other situation where people may see lights.

01:48

Usually, it's bilateral. And that's with migraine headaches. Some people can have what we call ocular migraine, where

01:57

they see these little flashes of lights or sometimes scintillations, or it looks like heat in their visual field.

02:05

And they may go on for half an hour or even an hour. And it will go away. And it's really not an eye problem.

02:12

It's back in the brain, where the eye works in the back of the brain. And that's where this is coming from.

02:19

Again, we don't treat that, because it usually doesn't mean that there's any problem going to develop from that.