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• Flashes - question
• Posted: 2007-12-30 12:32:15 By Mark L
• I've been experiencing flashes of light in my eyes on a continuos bases. Has anyone else had these symptoms ?

• Re: Flashes - question
• Posted: 2007-12-30 17:32:49 By carolina s
• Yes ,unfortunately for about 4 years now.
  carolina

• Re: Re: Flashes - question
• Posted: 2007-12-30 22:25:17 By Mark L
• Has you vision got worse with the flashes ?

• Re: Flashes - question
• Posted: 2007-12-30 20:15:58 By Al U
• Yup sometimes, about once a week. It is a symptom of RP. For me the episode may last as short as a few minutes to about 20 minutes.

• Re: Flashes - question
• Posted: 2007-12-30 20:32:10 By Darran Z
• Mark,
  
  This is common in RP. There are a couple of theories why this happens.
  
  1. Since the rods/cones are dying out, the stimulation from lightwave may cause them to "backfire" and thus you get the lights rather than a useful image (seeing something).
  
  2. The other theory is that the underlying of the retina is full of different nerve endings that go to the optic nerve. They are all intertwined. When a RPE cell is dying off, those endings are still working and thus may be trying to reconnect with other nerve endings.
  
  I think another possibility is that the gel that fills your eye changes texture as the RP progresses. This pulls on the retina which may be a cause of the flashing. Ultimately, that pull pulls off some cells and thus you get floaters which is also common in RP.
  
  Darran

• Re: Re: Flashes - question
• Posted: 2007-12-30 22:10:04 By Mark L
• If a person is seeing them all the time then does that mean that RP is getting worse ?

• Re: Re: Re: Flashes - question
• Posted: 2007-12-30 22:51:50 By Marisa P
• I started seeing flashes when I was about 18 and knew nothing about ahving RP. More than 30 years later I still have them and I still good functional vision. Fill out the questionnaire for the flashes study. I think it would be interesting to see the results.

• Re: Re: Re: Re: Flashes - question
• Posted: 2008-01-01 14:43:07 By Mark L
• I did fill out the questionnaire about 2-3 weeks ago.

• Re: Flashes - question
• Posted: 2007-12-31 20:48:47 By mohammed s
• sometimes i feel flashing in my eyes and sometimes i dont .

• Re: Flashes - question
• Posted: 2008-01-01 12:43:47 By Barbara C
• I've had them, and they have progressed in area, for over 30 years. I hardly notice them. They can be for hours or continuously for days. I first perceived them in the outer area if each eye, and that coincided with the pigmentation/bone spicules which were nasal. Now I have everywhere except in the very center. I have under 10 degrees of central vision. Originally, they called it "ocular migraine." It really doesn't interfere with anything, never did, and the less anxious I became about them, the less I seemed to notice them. Unless they are bright, you should be able to adjust... Good luck.

• Re: Flashes - question
• Posted: 2008-01-02 10:49:27 By nancy r
• I think I have been suffering from RP for awhile but just now diagnosed with it 2007 at the age of 48, my vision has drastically reduced this year, I am down to 5% vision in my left eye and 25% in my right eye, I have flashers all the time. I also have 2 other eye problems, histoplastoma and glacoma, has anyone else had numerous problems and how are you doing? My vision is very blurred and notice dramatic changes daily. I feel grateful that I have eye sight til this age. Preparing for the other side of the coin now.

• Re: Re: Flashes - question
• Posted: 2008-01-02 19:02:51 By John F
• I too was diagnosed with RP at 48 (two years ago)AND have noticed that my eye sight is deterorating. My left eye is also worse than my right. I am guessing I have 20 degrees in my left and 25 derees in my right . For example when I sit at the comuter and look at the screen (16 inches away) and close my right eye and look at the screen with my left eye at the center of the screen I can only see 2 inches to the left and 3 inches to the right side of screen center, 3 inches above and 3 1/2 inches below. How about the rest of you? I also have flashes around the peripheral and see constant floaters. My left eye lid twitches terribly. When I look at the same screen with two eyes open I can make out just about the whole screen. I have just started teaching this year (at 50 years old) and get around reasonably well. I do really watch where I am going. I do trip over things and walk into desks occassionally. My eyes are very squinty.
  I think I hide my disability very well. I am in very good spirits and keep positive.
  One Day at a Time, hope this helps.
  
  John F.

• Re: Re: Re: Flashes - question
• Posted: 2008-01-04 10:30:03 By carolina s
• Interesting Jhon what size screen are you talking about ?
  carolina

• Re: Re: Re: Re: Flashes - question
• Posted: 2008-01-04 13:17:53 By Benny M
• I also have the flashes. Moreso in my right eye. I've noticed that every time there's a sudden light change such as a light turned on or off, move from shade to light, or anything sudden, the flashes ALWAYS happen. Also they happen at random times.

• Re: Re: Re: Re: Flashes - question
• Posted: 2008-01-04 19:47:55 By John F
• screen is 13*10 or 16 in. diagonally

• Re: Flashes - question
• Posted: 2008-01-07 11:14:30 By Abby T
• Hello,
  For all of you that have experienced the flashes, I would like to know at what point they started? Was it early in the diagnosis? My 11 year old has them a lot and I've been told by his VI teacher this is atypical unless it is happening toward the end of the disease--right before blindness. I disagreed, but have no basis for this except what I've read. Please enlighten me. Thanks,
  
  Abby

• Re: Flashes - question
• Posted: 2008-01-07 22:04:59 By Al U
• Abby T - regarding daughter
  
  I would also disagree with your daughters VI teacher. I am at the beginning of my disease. They just started seeing specs of dead retina cells last year and I have been experiencing the flashes for about a year. So it has happened to me at the start of my diagnosis. I am currently 37 years old and have no significant lost of field of vision, some night adjusting problems, and corrected visual acuity at 20/25 on both eyes. My current diagnosis is sector RP.

• Re: Re: Flashes - question
• Posted: 2008-01-07 22:40:18 By Mark L
• What is sector RP and how did you get diagnosed ?

• Re: Re: Re: Flashes - question
• Posted: 2008-01-08 03:57:46 By Al U
• Mark L
  Sector Rp as i have researched and was described to me is that my affected retina is limited to 1/4 to 1/2 and is located on the bottom half by the nasal cavaty. According to what was explained to me is that it is atypical rp and has a good prognosis. It is typically slow to progress and may only be limited to the quardrant described. It is to ealry in my diagnosis to tell if it will by typical rp and spread to the entire retina and progress from the circumference. The diagnosis was on my retina specialist report. Typically sector RP is normally from those whith dominant or x link gene but i have no relatives with the disease so they think it is ressesive. It is ironic that the dominant form is typically the best prognosis for the affected person but has the highest percentage of passing it on to offspring. xlink the worse prog and then followed by resessive. I would much rather it affect me then my future offspring. They are currently testing my DNA and doing genetics to find if i am dominant or not, as i was recently engaged (as fiance left after diagnosis of RP - grhhhhh) and was planning on starting a family.

• Re: Re: Re: Re: Flashes - question
• Posted: 2008-01-08 08:57:37 By Abby T
• Thanks so much for that information. I am just becoming familiar with sector RP. Did you have an ERG done and if so, what did that show? My son has such a discrepancy with his clinical findings (mild/moderate)and his actual symptoms (severe). Currently he has enlarged text in school, fatigues early in the day visually which results in burning and watery eyes, flashes, and talks about how he can "see" better when he is moving. His ERG showed a 40% reduction in his rods with his cones being intact and an abnormal VER. His neuro-opthalmologist has him doing a sleep study this week. He is trying to find out if he has a complication due to his rod dystrophy. Ultimately, we'll head to Iowa and see Dr Stone, but are unable to make that trip until this summer. Who did you see for your diagnosis? Thanks,
  
  Abby