I have been seeing dots of light in the corner of my left eye for months. What is it?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am a 20-year-old female, and I have been seeing dots of light in the corner of my left eye for months. It is usually two dots starting in the middle going in opposite directions around the side of the corner of my eye. It lasts for a few seconds and causes no pain. I have been to the opticians, and they could find nothing wrong with my eyes. I have recently been having the same thing happen in my right eye. It has happened in my right eye maybe three times now. I cannot be certain, but I think it may have happened in my right eye a few months earlier, but I could be misremembering. I am worried that it is a brain tumor or something, as I am not sure why it started happening in my other eye as well. I am on Escitalopram and Bisoprolol for anxiety.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Thanks for writing in. Do you wear prescription spectacles? And if so, how much is the power? What you are describing sounds like what is called floaters. It is a common occurrence and more notable when you are viewing it in a bright background. Usually, they are seen as black dots. Occasionally they may be perceived as white dots. The eyeball consists of a central gel that contains a mix of water and fibrous elements. With age, these elements might lose their consistency and are perceived as dots or lines, more so in eyes with myopia or shortsightedness. One or two dots is nothing to be alarmed about, as most of us have those. You need to ignore them as they will not go away. If you experience a shower of white dots or flashes of light or even a curtain-like shadow, that would indicate a retina problem. Brain tumors will not be associated with what you are describing, so do not worry about that. You might want to make an appointment with an ophthalmologist if you are that much concerned. They will dilate your pupils and have a look at the back part of the eye. I do not think an optician is qualified enough for that purpose as their job is to prescribe spectacles only. But from what you described, you can rest assured it is nothing to worry about. I hope this helps. Please feel free to reply, and I will get back to you as soon as I am able to.