Seeing lights Assessment Questionnaire

Questions Your Doctor May Ask - and Why!

During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques to assess the symptom: Seeing lights. These will include a physical examination and possibly diagnostic tests. (Note: A physical exam is always done, diagnostic tests may or may not be performed depending on the suspected condition) Your doctor will ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to openly share any pertinent information to help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis.

It is also very important to bring an up-to-date list of all of your all medical conditions, medications including dosages, and names of numbers of any specialist you see.

Create your printable checklist by answering questions that your doctor may ask below:

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How long have you been seeing lights or flashes or lights?
Why: to determine if acute or chronic.
Which eye is affected by the flashes of lights?
Was there anything that precipitated the onset of the flashes of light?
Is there a simple reason for the flashes of light?
Why: e.g. standing up suddenly may cause brief flashing lights due to blood flow changes.
Risk factors for retinal detachment?
Why: e.g. eye trauma, myopia (short-sightedness), previous cataract operation, eye tumor, diabetes.
Is there a history of eye trauma?
Why: e.g. blow to the eye or blow to the head - may cause an increased risk of retinal detachment or vitreous hemorrhage.
Past medical history?
Why: e.g. diabetes increases the risk of retinal detachment and vitreous hemorrhage; migraine; multiple sclerosis.
Family history?
Why: e.g. migraine, diabetes, multiple sclerosis.
Floaters in field of vision?
Why: suggests posterior vitreous detachment.
Headache and nausea?
Why: may suggest migraine as the cause of flashes of light.
Symptoms of retinal detachment?
Why: e.g. sudden onset of floaters or flashes or black spots, blurred vision in one eye becoming worse, " a curtain coming down over the eye", painless total or partial loss of visual field.
Symptoms of posterior vitreous detachment?
Why: e.g. sudden onset of floaters, visual acuity usually normal, flashing lights usually indicate traction on the retina ( and thus at risk of retinal detachment).
Symptoms of migraine?
Why: e.g. zigzag lines or lights in vision, multicolored flashing lights, unilateral or bilateral; visual field deficit, resolution within a few hours, unilateral throbbing headache, may be associated with nausea and vomiting.
Symptoms of multiple sclerosis?
Why: e.g. blurry vision, double vision, flashing lights, dizziness, weakness, numbness or tingling in any limbs.

Conditions listing medical symptoms: Seeing lights:

The following list of conditions have 'Seeing lights' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.

Select from the following alphabetical view of conditions which include a symptom of Seeing lights or choose View All.

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