Thank you for visiting the EmpowHER community and for sharing your question about the light in the corner of your eye.
The medical community refers to these flashes of light as "Flashers and Floaters." Flashing lights and floaters at the corner of the eye are a fairly common occurrence for aging adults.
Flashers and floaters can be benign and relatively harmless, or they can be a sign of a significant pathological process in the back of the eye, which left unchecked can lead to loss of vision or major surgery. The only way to know if flashing light or floaters in your field of vision are benign or significant is to have a doctor dilate your eyes and examine them thoroughly.
Dr. Peter Schwartz, MD explains that inside of the eye, behind the pupil, is filled with a clear, vitreous jelly. Normally this jelly is attached to the inside lining of the eye, called the retina. Because the jelly is clear we don’t notice it; however, for various reasons the consistency of the jelly may begin to change and start to pull on the retina. This traction on the retina, which is painless, sends a sensation of light to the brain that we see as flashers.
People typically describe these as non-colored sparkles of light in one corner of the field of vision, usually affecting one eye.
Anon, I hope this answered your question. I would call your eye doctor and have it checked out.
Comment Reply
Dear Anon,
Thank you for visiting the EmpowHER community and for sharing your question about the light in the corner of your eye.
The medical community refers to these flashes of light as "Flashers and Floaters." Flashing lights and floaters at the corner of the eye are a fairly common occurrence for aging adults.
Flashers and floaters can be benign and relatively harmless, or they can be a sign of a significant pathological process in the back of the eye, which left unchecked can lead to loss of vision or major surgery. The only way to know if flashing light or floaters in your field of vision are benign or significant is to have a doctor dilate your eyes and examine them thoroughly.
Dr. Peter Schwartz, MD explains that inside of the eye, behind the pupil, is filled with a clear, vitreous jelly. Normally this jelly is attached to the inside lining of the eye, called the retina. Because the jelly is clear we don’t notice it; however, for various reasons the consistency of the jelly may begin to change and start to pull on the retina. This traction on the retina, which is painless, sends a sensation of light to the brain that we see as flashers.
People typically describe these as non-colored sparkles of light in one corner of the field of vision, usually affecting one eye.
Anon, I hope this answered your question. I would call your eye doctor and have it checked out.
Best,
Kristin
January 20, 2015 - 2:26pmThis Comment
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