Common Eye Conditions

see flashes

Five years ago I suddenly saw a laser beam in the room. I told my husband and son. They saw nothing and I kept pointing at the flashing light. They just laugh. I thought: I’m going to sleep, then it will disappear. The next morning to the hospital, it turned out to be a retinal tear. Marion Clover (60)

➠ Seeing flashes of light that aren’t there. People who have this complaint describe seeing flashes of white or bright blue light, such as with a flashing fluorescent light or a severe thunderstorm. The flash phenomena can be caused by a tear or detachment of the retina. This can occur at any age, but the risk is somewhat higher in the elderly. Flashes of light do not always indicate retinal damage, but they do indicate that the retina is being pulled. So it is good to have it checked. Have you been seeing flashes of light for an hour, many more spots in your eye than usual or is part of your vision dark? Please contact your general practitioner or ophthalmologist immediately.

retinal detachment

My eyeball is filled with gas, but that operation failed. Then put oil in it, but it had to come out again after a few weeks. More operations followed and my vision became increasingly cloudy. I am now blind in one eye. You get used to that too, because with my good eye I can see 95 percent. But it remains difficult. Mick Smits Hattink (82)

➠ Sometimes laser treatment is no longer possible, but surgery is still possible. During surgery, the vitreous humor is removed from the eye. Instead, a gas or oil is left in the eye to hold the retina in place. If the retina has detached on the central part of the retina, where you see details, there is a greater risk that your vision will be permanently impaired, but it doesn’t have to happen. In 90 percent of cases, it is possible to get the retina back in place after one or more operations. If it doesn’t work out, you could go blind in one eye, as happened to this reader.

Seeing black spots

While swimming with our grandson, I suddenly saw strange ‘fidgets’ in my right eye. It looked dirty, but I couldn’t get it out of my eye. Margret Dierckx (58)

Spots in the eye, with or without flashes of light, are common. The eye changes with age, similar to wrinkles in the skin. The vitreous humor is a clear jelly that becomes increasingly watery and less elastic. If the vitreous humor shrinks, the outer layer can detach from the retina. This is accompanied by floating spots, dots or threads in an eye. Mouches volantes or floaters, as ophthalmologists so beautifully say. Fortunately, vitreous detachment in itself is not harmful. Do the mouches volantes suddenly appear? Or do you really see a large wall or curtain being raised? Then go to the ophthalmologist to have the retina checked for possible tears.

Other cause of light flashes

I was sitting on the couch reading a book. Suddenly I could no longer read, behind my right eye were flashes of light. I sat very still. After a check-up by the general practitioner and the ophthalmologist, I ended up with a neurologist. He found that I had eye migraines. Lisa van Eerden (65)

➠ In addition to vitreous detachment, attacks of migraine and epilepsy can also cause you to see flashes of light. In migraine, they are often accompanied by a light spot in the middle of the field of view, which becomes larger and larger. In epilepsy you see blind spots and explosions of colors. The symptoms disappear after a while.

retinal tear

I was cycling in the summer when there was a fly in front of my eye that wouldn’t go away. Then intense black spots spread over my eye. Monday I went to the doctor, who called the ophthalmologist. It turned out to be a retinal tear and my eye was lasered immediately. Els Greve (71)

➠ Smaller tears and holes in the retina are treated with a laser. The surface of the eye is anesthetized with droplets. The ophthalmologist applies a number of focal points around the cracks and holes. After a few days, scars appear in these places, which ‘weld’ the retina to the bottom layer, as it were. This reduces the chance that the retina will ever detach. When fluid has entered under the retina and there is therefore a retinal detachment, lasering is no longer possible. It differs per eye how quickly the retina detaches. It can be short or long. The rule is therefore: in case of flashes and a sudden increase in spots, you should see an ophthalmologist within 24-48 hours just to be sure.

It runs in the family

I had laser surgery and surgery on my eye. I see bad and wonder how it goes. I am already the fourth in my family with eye problems. Lisette van Bavel (56)

➠ Retinal tears or detachments may run in the family. In addition, they are more common in people who are nearsighted. Or after cataract surgery. A blow or ball to the eye can also cause a retinal detachment. If you have had retinal detachment in one eye, it is not exceptional that this also occurs in the other eye within a few months. So be extra careful.

Vacation plans

Because of flashes of light in my eye, I consulted the ophthalmologist. The diagnosis was vitreous membrane detachment. But we just wanted to go on vacation to Thailand. Lia Camp (74)

➠ With a vitreous detachment you can just get on the plane. Have your eyes checked by an ophthalmologist before departure. Try not to bend or lift too much, as this can make the symptoms worse. Keep an eye out for new flashes or suddenly increasing black spots, because then it’s time to see an ophthalmologist. If you still have a gas mixture in your eye, such as after an operation, flying is too dangerous. Due to the pressure differences in the cabin, it can happen that the gas bubble expands.

Choose the best sunglasses

Just like the skin, the retina also suffers a lot from sunlight. How to choose good protective sunglasses:

• Choose glasses with large lenses that fit well.
• Darker is not always better, because the tint of the lenses has no effect on the UV protection. Choose 100% UV protection or UV400.
• Choose a CE marking with ‘CE 3’ (75% light absorption). Are you going boating or into the mountains? Then ‘CE 4’ is recommended (92-97% light absorption).

This article originally appeared in Plus Magazine July/August 2018. Not yet a Plus Magazine subscriber? Becoming a subscriber is done in no time!