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Dear Flash,
Don't panic, you
probably won't go blind, but do hurry up and schedule an eye
exam appointment today, because this symptom could mean that
the retina is about to tear, and even possibly detach...
Such an unfortunate event could result in partial or major
loss of sight. The cause of the flashing is stimulation of
photoreceptors by tractional force due to a contracting
vitreous gel...
There are some other
problems that can cause a person to see flashing lights, but
these all have a different time course. A rapidly growing
tumor in the eye can cause flashes that last all day and
persist, until the tumor is removed. A pre-Migraine flashing
of lights will last a full 30 minutes, then often be
followed by a headache. Flashing lights that are caused by a
brain tumor impinging on the nerves from the retina to the
occipital cortex will cause flashes that last several hours
rather than seconds or minutes.
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