Did You See Flashes Of Light When You Were Struck In The Head? You May Have A Detached Retina
You were recently struck hard on the head, or you tripped, fell, and hit something. You're fine, but you noticed flashes of light during the impact. These flashes of light have come and gone since your impact. There's a strong chance that you might have detached the retina in the affected eye.
What Causes These Flashes Of Light?
Flashes of light are typically caused by a variety of problems, such as floaters, a migraine, advanced Nevus, or ocular melanoma. However, a detached retina is another common cause of this problem, one that is most likely given the scenario, as the retina may detach when your head is impacted hard enough. This is a serious problem and is one that will gradually rob you of vision and blind you if left untreated.
What Are The Symptoms Of A Detached Retina?
If you weren't suffering from any other potential causes of flashes (such as a migraine) and saw flashes after your impact, you need to gauge these symptoms of a detached retina to see if they are prevalent:
- Shadow in your peripheral that spreads toward the center of your vision
- The appearance of curves in straight lines
- A "heavy" feeling in your eye (caused by the retina lagging)
- Heavy increase in eye floaters that appear to be a ring of hairs just to the side of your central vision
If you don't notice these symptoms, there's just a chance that the flashes of light you've seen were nothing too serious. You should still go to an optometrist and have it checked, however. If you do notice these symptoms or even a decrease in vision acuity, there's a good chance the blow to your head detached your retina.
How Long Will It Take To Notice Loss Of Vision?
Depending on the severity of the blow (and how hard it jostled your retina), you may gradually begin losing sight in your eye or lose it all at once. Obviously, if you instantly go blind, you know your retina has detached. However, if your sight disappears more gradually, then you have time to fix the problem.
A professional, such as an optometrist, can diagnose the situation and, if necessary, fix the problem by sealing the tear (if it is minor) with a laser. If the retina has completely detached, it may be necessary for an ophthalmologist (an eye surgeon) to perform a surgery to re-attach the retina. You may not regain all of your lost sight, but you can stop it from getting worse. Visit a clinic like Olympia Eye Clinic, Inc., P.S. for more information.