What is causing a flash while seeing side to side?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have an odd thing happening in my left eye. I see a flash of light when I look right to left in the left side of my eye. It is a curve from top to bottom. It happens in daylight, nighttime, and even in the dark with my eyes closed. I move my pupil left to right and see a bright arc of light. I cannot make it stay there, it just flashes as I move my eye balls left to right. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

This occurrence of flashes of light can be due to various causes. The first and the most probable cause could be posterior vitreous detachment, this is a benign condition not requiring any treatment. Here, you may experience some floaters but no reduction in vision or nonseeing areas in your visual field. The most important to rule out here would be the second condition, retinal detachment. Here, although you do experience floaters just like in posterior vitreous detachment, the floaters are more numerous and keep increasing with time. You will also have a reduction in vision with nonseeing areas in your visual field. This often needs to be treated surgically. I recommend you to visit an ophthalmologist. In case there is no reduction of vision or increase in floaters, I would not say that it is not urgent.