Eye sight.......seeing flashing zig zags!?

Question

sometimes i see strobe-like flashing zig zags. it is a long line of zig zags. when it happens that is all i can really see. it's like i have a blind spot or something in my eye. i last for about 30mins. or so. i have one really bad eye and one good eye. (vision wise) the flashing lights always happen in my good eye. if anyone know what is causing this please help. i haven't had the time to go to the eye doctor.

btw, it only happens every now and then. thanks

Answer 1

It sounds like floaters.  I have been seeing them since I was 9 years old due to my very high prescription.  Sometimes I see lighted up zig zags, sometimes round brain like things, etc.  They are all different shapes.  Do you see them mostly against a bright or white background?  A blue sky is the most likely place.  If floaters are what you are seeing, it's pretty normal, especially if you are nearsighted, but it's IMPORTANT to let your doctor know that you see them so you can get your eyes dilated.  It can be a risk factor for retinal detachment that can lead to blindness.  It's important to get them dilated every year.

Answer 2

The zigzag lines things usually are on one side.  Actually there ALWAYS on one side, not one eye. That's because it's a brain thing, an Ophthalmic Migraine or Optical Migraine. There doesn't have to be pain or headaches.

There's a wave of depolarization of the cortex in the occipital part of the brain, at the back part of the brain. It slowly moves across the surface till it runs out of room. Usually takes 20-30 minutes and is associated with not being able to see in the center of the zigzag arc. Some are colored zigs and others are black and white ones.

They are not associated with any significant diseases such as tumors or aneurysms, or strokes or.... they are benign.

If you take something with caffeine in it, it'll last about 20 minutes. If you take Tylenol or Aspirin or Excedrin, or Elephant juice or green tea or brown tea or red tea or pickles or vitamins or eat tree bark...they'll last about 20 minutes.

Just enjoy them. You can sort of track the arc across the page. Put a dot in the center and draw the arc. A few minutes later look at the dot and redraw the arc... it'll march right across the page. If it starts in the center, you may not understand why you're having this much trouble reading. Then you'll see the little flicker and you'll know it's just another migraine.

There are other sensory migraines too such as auditory where one hears a sound like a diesel engine that no one else hears, or Olfactory ones where you smell something like a burning tire and no one else does... No you're not nuts, just another sensory migraine.

Answer 3

Go to the eye doctor and tell him that...=]  Good Luck.