When Should I Go To Ophthalmologist..!
How To Care About My Contact Lenses..!
What can be done
about floaters?
Because you need to know if your retina is torn, call your ophthalmologist if a new floater appears suddenly.
r Floaters can get in the way of
clear vision,
which may be quite
annoying, especially if you are trying to read. You can try moving your
eyes, looking up and then down to move the
floaters out of the
way.
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While some floaters
may remain in your vision, many of them
will fade over time and become less
bothersome. Even if you have had
some floaters for years, you should
have an eye examination immediately if you notice
new ones.
What causes
flashing lights?
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When the vitreous
gel rubs or pulls on the retina, you
may see what look like flashing lights or lightning streaks. You may have experienced
this same sensation if you have ever
been hit in the eye and seen
"stars."
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The flashes of
light can appear off and on for
several weeks or
months. As we grow older,
it is more common
to experience flashes. If
you notice the
sudden appearance of light
flashes, you should
visit your ophthalmologist
immediately to see
if the retina has been torn
migraine
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Some people
experience flashes of light that
appear as jagged
tines or "heat waves" in both
eyes, often lasting
10-20 minutes. These types of
flashes are usually
caused by a spasm of blood vessels in the
brain, which is called migraine.
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If a headache follows the flashes, it is called
a migraine
headache. However, jagged lines or "heat waves" can occur without a
headache. In
this case, the
light flashes are called ophthalmic migraine, or migraine without
headache.
How are your eyes examined?
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When an
ophthalmologist examines your eyes,
your pupils will be
dilated with eye drops. During
this painless
examination, your ophthalmologist
will carefully
observe your retina and vitreous.
Because your eyes
have been dilated, you may
need to make
arrangements for someone to
drive you home
afterwards.
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Floaters and
flashes of light become more
common as we grow
older. While not all floaters
and flashes are
serious, you should always have a medical eye examination by an
ophthalmologist
to make sure there
has been no damage to
your retina.