Hi! I'm 17, in generally good health, but have been struggling with persistent anxiety for over half a year now. About three nights ago I started noticing random flashes of light in my eye. At first only a couple would appear while watching TV in the evening every now and then, but then I made the mistake of googling what could be causing them. So I got very anxious about it until I contacted an online optometrist and described what was going on. This morning he told me I had nothing to worry about, but I still can't shake the thought of going blind (although I know retinal detachment is more common among 60+ year olds). I'm nearsighted and have glasses. But I also have noticed that the more anxious I get, the more often the flashes occur. I have pretty much no eye floaters, maybe just a couple of nearly invisible ones. After I get the flashes, I get a slight headache, but that could just be the anxiety that comes after they happen. I could really use some further advice. I'll be going to my yearly eye exam in three months but I'm scared of this being an emergency or something. Help!
I used to get flashes and then headaches afterwards, due to stress .
. I did have a few retinal tears, not complete Detachment, over several months in my fifties that started with intense flashes. It’s a quick fix and my eyes are perfectly fine.
You are not going to go blind. But at your exam, they can see your retina to check for tears. Just get your yearly exams and you will be good to go!
At your age, it’s very unlikely you will have a tear or Detachment.
Thank you so much! My brain sees the worst case scenario on Google and the next thing I know, it seems as if nothing will convince it that I'm actually okay. I appreciate it!