Originally Posted by
DanK
Glad that your case worked out well. I had flashes several years ago and e-mailed my primary care doctor about it. His response: "go to the ophthalmology department right away."
In my case, the flashes did (at least in part) stem from a very small retinal tear. It was about 3:00 in the afternoon when the ophthalmologist finished the exam and told me I had to have the tear fixed. I asked how quickly, figuring that he would say something like "within a few weeks." He looked at his watch and said, "about 5:00 o'clock."
What I learned was the vitreous separation is essentially ubiquitous among older people. It doesn't always create symptoms, but it can. More important, when the gel pulls away from the retina, it can cause a tear. That's what they thought happened to me.
The surgery was done with a laser and took only a short time. I have been fine since. I was required to have a retinal exam annually for some years.
The bottom line, which has been beaten into my head now by any number of doctors, is that ANY flashes or rapid increases in the number of floaters should be examined immediately.