Weird Covid Symptom: peripheral flashes of light

Posted by jwatzig @jwatzig, Aug 11, 2021

Hello, after ten days of bad Covid, I started seeing light flashes and light balls off the side of my head. Day and night. Very scary. Anyone else hear of this??

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I had this a couple of months into early Long Covid. In periphery and only outer side of left eye. Turned out it was mild retinal detachment ! It healed on its own after a couple of weeks, but I had to rest my eyes, not read, limit driving.

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A couple of things, I have type-2 diabetes and this occurs when I have low blood sugar which is more common since I'm into month 15 of long covid. Second if you have neck pain or stiffness you might want to seek a MRI of your neck to check on an auto immune issue called myelitis -there is a long covid link to the eye nerves that affect sight.

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Every time I check this I see my symptoms!
It is not falling vitreous gel. I have had that. That is a sparkle that passes (at least for me) within a short period of hours.
This, for me is a roundish light rotating around the peripheral vision of my left eye. I have it sometimes on my right but pretty much continuous on my left.
Also eyes dry and feeling “tight” in the socket. My Optometrist said he had never heard this description before. My Neurologist says it’s Ocular Migraine, but migraine drugs have not helped me.
I see my Optometrist tomorrow because eye glass prescription no longer corrects my vision. (It’s two months old!). I’ll see if he has ideas for another specialist to look at my eyes. So far Optometrist and
Ophthalmologist have said my eyes looked fine.
Hah! Not really.

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I had that. As it worsened, it was diagnosed as ocular migrain . Although I've had headaches and head pressure almost continously since first getting COVID, the ocular migraines do not cause a worse, (migraine type) headache than I already have. Flashing lights, dehydration, increased stress, excess screen time, and nothing at all can trigger my ocular migraines. I have dysautonomia as a result of long covid. I've suspected my neck is also involved. Driving when ocular migraines occur has been somewhat challenging. There are also some brain effects that come with it.

I hope you have improvement. Treat yourself with great care.

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I just had a discussion with an eye Dr. She said she has seen many pts after Covid with lingering eye Sx.
She said generally it's inflammation.

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@jwatzig

Hello,
I don't smoke (anything) and mine are not Flashes of light.
They are shapes that travel by, only in peripheral vision .
Thanks for reaching out though. Party on. lol

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I had a 3 day mild covid about 3 wks ago. A few days ago I noticed when I turned my head in dark environments I see a peripheral light flash, like a skinny verticle bar. I'm freaking I see that on here too.

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I’m in my 4th year with multiple symptoms…
Vision, balance, speech, severe weakness.
Having had COVID early 2020
Received Pfizer jab,
5 days after second, upon awakening had to crawl out of bed.
Have tried numerous treatments, been hospitalized three times, several MRIs.
No causes identified. HELP!!

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@dloos

Every time I check this I see my symptoms!
It is not falling vitreous gel. I have had that. That is a sparkle that passes (at least for me) within a short period of hours.
This, for me is a roundish light rotating around the peripheral vision of my left eye. I have it sometimes on my right but pretty much continuous on my left.
Also eyes dry and feeling “tight” in the socket. My Optometrist said he had never heard this description before. My Neurologist says it’s Ocular Migraine, but migraine drugs have not helped me.
I see my Optometrist tomorrow because eye glass prescription no longer corrects my vision. (It’s two months old!). I’ll see if he has ideas for another specialist to look at my eyes. So far Optometrist and
Ophthalmologist have said my eyes looked fine.
Hah! Not really.

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Yes, my docs say the same thing!

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@miraclestar

I had that. As it worsened, it was diagnosed as ocular migrain . Although I've had headaches and head pressure almost continously since first getting COVID, the ocular migraines do not cause a worse, (migraine type) headache than I already have. Flashing lights, dehydration, increased stress, excess screen time, and nothing at all can trigger my ocular migraines. I have dysautonomia as a result of long covid. I've suspected my neck is also involved. Driving when ocular migraines occur has been somewhat challenging. There are also some brain effects that come with it.

I hope you have improvement. Treat yourself with great care.

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I try to, but wish I could get some docs to help.
Thanks

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@lbyrd02

A couple of things, I have type-2 diabetes and this occurs when I have low blood sugar which is more common since I'm into month 15 of long covid. Second if you have neck pain or stiffness you might want to seek a MRI of your neck to check on an auto immune issue called myelitis -there is a long covid link to the eye nerves that affect sight.

Jump to this post

How did you find this info?
From Mayo doctors?
I have had neck issues before Covid.
Thanks,
Jeff

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