Why is there episodic blindness after looking at bright light?

Question

Hi doctor,

I think I may have had episodic blindness when I was on my phone for a while. I have had my right eye looking at the very bright screen. When I put the phone away, I felt like I could not see out of my right eye. Everything was very dark out of that eye and it took a couple of minutes for my vision to return to normal. I also have a slight headache that hurts a little more on the right side. Should I go to the ER? I am 22 years old and I have been a smoker for five years.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern.

The kind of symptoms that you are explaining is a normal phenomenon after you look into a bright light. This happens because the pigments in photoreceptors get stimulated on exposure to very bright light and get damaged and it takes some time to replenish the pigments. This is a normal phenomenon occurring to prevent damage of retina from a very bright light. Regarding your pain you should consult with an ophthalmologist to get a detailed slit lamp examination and you should also get your retina checked under 90D to rule out any changes due to smoking.

Why is there episodic blindness after looking at bright light?

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