Radha Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 does anyone know why i am getting more flashing lights or floaters in front of eyes and even with eyes closed? it used to happen once in a while but now happening everyday, just comes and goes and then i cannot read or watch t.v. is there any medicine to help this? any input would be appreciated, thanksi have not had any head injury, nothing new has happened, is it just the POTS? thanksRadha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firewatcher Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 Radha,I have NO idea why that happens, but I get it too: for me it's like lightning flashes where there is no window for a spit second and then is gone, but mine is usually in the same places (immediately above my field of vision and above right.) I began ignoring it when I didn't get a migraine afterwards. It's just annoying for me. I've always had floaters too, I thought everyone had those. Sorry I can't help, other than to agree that it stinks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofsara Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 Radha--Sara doesnt have so much of the flashing, floater problem. Hers seems to be that one of her eyes "drifts" off the the side. It has been happening to a lesser degree for several years, but now is more obvious and happens much more often. A doctor she saw while living in California called it nystygmus. I think there are several causes for this. Do you ever have this to happen to you? Just wondering if the two could be connected....... Hope you find some help, I know that flashing is a real bother. I have floaters due to a posterior vitreous detatchment. So I know from personal experience what an aggravation they can be. At first, I kept swatting at a non-existant flying insect !!!! Then I thought I had something on my glasses---- Then I realized it was ME, not something else. Best of luck finding something to help you with your flashing, floater problem. Take care and keep us posted...... Susan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flop Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 As Susan said floaters and flashers can be a sign of a problem within the eye, so I would get things checked out by an ophthalmologist to make sure that you are not having any problems with the retina of your eye. Once serious eye problems are ruled out then you can work out ways of coping with the annoying symptoms. A friend of mine says that wearing sunglasses helps her.Flop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom4cem Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 I find that I notice the floaters more if I am looking at a bright white wall and also if I am having more problems with allergies and sinuses. I wear sunglasses every time I go out, it helps to reduce noticing them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoGiuliana Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 I get these bright spots--not really flashing--at times. I've asked my opthamologist who was (of course) stumped. She couldn't find any physical eye problems.Katherine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 I get the floaters every time i get a bad dizzy period.I get the flashing lights and all sorts of migraine aura type symptoms pretty much all the time. Ive learned to ignore them and I was told the later is relatively common. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radha Posted January 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 i guess i should have said bright spots and not flashing lights, but they are there with eyes closed too and i also have the drifting eye but i have had that since i was a child way before i ever got sick........these sudden lights and floaters dont come with a headache, is this related to POTS? thanks so much to all of you for replying, Radha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cma Posted January 28, 2009 Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 I also get bright light flash once in a while in the outer corners of my eyes. I don't know what is that and if that's POTS related, I've read somewhere that with anxiety it is common to get light flashes. Another weird symptom is that when I gently pull down my lower eye lid it seems that the same outer corner of the eyeball is retaining liquid or something like that. Well at least it doesn't look as smooth, nice and round as my husband's. I know that it probably sounds terrible, but it's just very hard to explain something like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carolyn Morris Posted January 28, 2009 Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 I have gotten floaters since I was a child. The ophthalmologist said that many people have floaters. He explained that the inside of the eye is like a jar of marmalade with pieces floating inside of it. Some people are able to see those pieces. As for the bright spots, I'm unsure that those would be floaters. My son has started to complain about seeing a light. He compares it to seeing the flash in his eye after a picture has been taken. I'm taking him to the ophthalmologist for a "slit lamp test". We have very hypermobile joints in our family and may have connective tissue problems. Thus, we want to make sure that their are no problems with his retina. I have POTS and am starting to go for testing for EDS. My son will have to go for testing also.Bshert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelby Posted January 31, 2009 Report Share Posted January 31, 2009 This is kinda funny for me because I get floaters and flashing lights as well. With the floaters it is sometimes really right there and sometiems I have to look for it, but always can find it. I asked my doc and he said my eyes were under stress because I wear contacts and glasses cause I am a blind chick without them. I guess I believed him, but not sure if he was 100% correct about it. Never looked it up I guess, as long as it eased my mind I was fine. The funny part is that they are so "right there" sometimes that I follow them with my eyes and my mom thought I was having a bad neurologiacl experiance once cause I was sitting mouth open with eyes freaking out going back and forth. So I know how you feel and wonder if this is another thing we are going to just have to live with?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted January 31, 2009 Report Share Posted January 31, 2009 I get flashing lights sometimes but the only time I can see them is if I close my eyes and put my hands over them too (to make it completely dark). Then sometimes I'll see a slow pulsing strobe light... I think in both eyes. It's not very bright which is why I must not notice it otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masumeh Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 something to remember with lights and especially "after images" (which are things you see when you close your eyes after looking at something)...the nerves in the eyes send signals to the brain to produce images you PERCIEVE based on light. It is all light...color is light, differentiation between lines and so forth is different light waves. It's all light...that is the only kind of signal those nerves are capable of sending. Try closing your eyes and pressing on your eyelids...you will perceive light flashes (although your eyes are closed). That is because the pressure stimulates the nerves in the eyes, so they send a signal to the brain that there is a light source. They have no other option, when stimulated. If you stare at anything long enough, you will see an "after image" when you close your eyes. It will be the reverse (in primary colors) of the original image. That's all normal perception. I read that POTS patients get vision oddities, such as tunnel vision and other funny events. We have two problems that probably contribute to this: poor circulation (blood deprivation to brain and eyes), and high adrenalin (that stimulates nerves so our senses--including sight, hearing, touch--are too ready to respond and therefore over-respond). If it happens only when you look at TV or a computer screen (or other light sources), try wearing artificial light protection glasses. It's something most people have in their prescription glasses. You can ask the pharmacy to make you glasses that are non-prescription which have those clear, light-protective lenses. For me, I choose to just limit TV and computer time because it's annoying wearing the glasses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shimoda Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 does anyone know why i am getting more flashing lights or floaters in front of eyes and even with eyes closed? it used to happen once in a while but now happening everyday, just comes and goes and then i cannot read or watch t.v. is there any medicine to help this? any input would be appreciated, thanksi have not had any head injury, nothing new has happened, is it just the POTS? thanksRadhaExactly the same. I feel I'm going blind it's gotten so bad at this point. It's grown into a huge problem for me, and as far as I know theres no treatment. All I know is it isn't eye related, I've been checked by opthamalogists up and down.It's either neurological, or is a lack of proper blood flow to the eye. My guess is neurological. (Which means that antidepressants are really the only thing with a chance of fixing it - but I've been on like every antidepressant known to man - none help.)So basically - we're screwed on this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 Norepinephrine and epinephrine are elevated in most POTS patients - both vasoconstrict the arteries in the eyes causing tunnel vision. Elevated sympathetic activity has been implicated in migraines - and I have flashes around the edges of my vision at night, see halos around lights, had higher than normal eye pressure, and every time i get dizzy and my eyes are starved of blood flow I develop tonnes of floaters that gradually go away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firewatcher Posted February 3, 2009 Report Share Posted February 3, 2009 Norepinephrine and epinephrine are elevated in most POTS patients - both vasoconstrict the arteries in the eyes causing tunnel vision. Elevated sympathetic activity has been implicated in migraines - and I have flashes around the edges of my vision at night, see halos around lights, had higher than normal eye pressure, and every time i get dizzy and my eyes are starved of blood flow I develop tonnes of floaters that gradually go away.Do you find that HIGH blood pressure actually causes your grey-outs/tunnel vision? I only grey-out doing things that raise my BP: hands above head, squatting, stairs, straining, valsalva, etc... Do we constrict THAT hard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted February 4, 2009 Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 unfortunately I dont have a BP thing to check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radha Posted February 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2009 the artificial light protection lens sound like something that might help since watching t.v. and the computer screen do make the flashing lights and like looking at a light bulb get worse , can you buy these lens by themselves since i already wear glasses and cannot afford to buy whole new pair of glasses, thanks for your advice,Radha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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