I've been experiencing something weird for quite some time now. It used to happen at rare intervals when I was younger, but now it's been happening to me on almost a nightly basis and I'm wondering what the hell could be causing it...
I lay down and close my eyes to go to sleep... and even though my eyes are CLOSED... I'll see weird flashes of white light... almost as if someone is flashing a bright light right into my eye from the inside of my eyelid. It used to happen every few weeks, but now it's happening more and more often and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced it and might have an idea of what might be causing it. I have a hard enough time falling asleep without feeling like someone is flashing a light in my face at night... I have had no other symptoms with my eyes that concern me.
Thanks!
Do you have any existing problems with your vision? Namely severe near or far-sightedness? Any 'holes' in your vision or thick washes of 'floaters'?
Do the flashes of light, upon closer examination, resemble streaks of lightning?
The reason I ask is to rule out the possibility of a retinal detachment or tear. People with severe myopia or hyperopia (like me) tend to have a decently increased risk of such things happening.
I'm starting out pretty much with one of the worst-case-scenarios, but what you're seeing could be as relatively harmless as an ocular migrane. (amarosis fugax [sp?]) which I was diagnosed with once or twice.
It runs the whole gamut really... so I'd suggest you see an eye doctor and get checked out. If just to rule out any possible problems that can be fixed if caught early enough.
I'm near sighted, but it's not severe and EVERYONE in my immediate family wears glasses. My vision hasn't changed at all since I graduated over ten years ago, though. I have no holes in my vision (at least that I've noticed?) and I've never seen a floater before in my life.
As for the flashes of light... no, they don't resemble lightning... They're weird. The closest thing I can think of to describe the general shapes of these things is roundish, but with uneven sides. Like if you shot a paintball at the wall straight on and the paint splattered on the sides. Sometimes it seems to come almost from the corner of my vision, other times it's like it's directly in front of my pupils.
When I talk to my old family doctor, I'm going to tell him that I want a COMPLETE 100% thorough medical examination. Top to bottom, inside and out, X-Rays and CAT scans, I want it all frickin' done. There is something (I'm thinking maybe SEVERAL somethings) wrong with me and I want to get it dealt with. The Anxiety Attacks are the worst still for me yet, though, so that's why I want to do these sessions first.