What's wrong with my friend?

@rpmpseudonym : I’m fine, thanks… she said that I was flashing, which means that the side of her right eye was flashing.

Were you outside? I know that sometimes when outdoors, if I look into the sun (or even indoors at a very bright light) & quickly look away, my eyes get this bright flashing as if they are adjusting to the lower light levels.

@rpmpseudonym : No, we were inside the classroom at the time. Today was overcast and rainy.

Possibly a reaction to drugs or medication. idkkkkk. Ask a doctor.

“Retinal detachment—symptoms include floaters, flashes of light across your visual field, or a sensation of a shade or curtain hanging on one side of your visual field.

Migraine headaches—spots of light, halos, or zigzag patterns are common symptoms prior to the start of the headache. An ophthalmic migraine is when you have only visual symptoms without a headache.” —http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003029.htm

You can google just about anything.

I would let the doctors on the scene figure that out. I weird visual stuff happening sometimes when my blood pressure spikes.

what about a stroke

Epilepsy, diabeties… a lot of things could cause this.
Best to wait for the professional to say.

It’s unlikely to be a problem strictly related to vision, so it could be a neurological problem. Without tests, it’s impossible to say what SORT of neurological problem.

What about a detached retina? My mom was told she could have had one, when she kept seeing flashes of light on one side. Turns out she was having multiple TI’s (basically a mini-stroke) and the flashing she was seeing were the blood clots traveling to her brain. (thankfully they dissolved before reaching it.)

A detached retina is visible to an observer, if I recall correctly.

Do you know if she has a problem with high blood pressure? Sometimes one of the symptoms of HBP is pressure-induced lights in periperal vision.

Seems there are entirely too many things that could cause this. Best to wait and hear what her doctor had to say.

Well, you could probably nickname her ‘Flicker’ now.

From the little you posted, it sounds like a migraine aura.

Hallucination. maybe you should both get checked out.

Transporter malfunction?

@slick44 I think you should check up what the symptoms of a stroke are. As far as we know the friend did not suffer hemiplegia, did not collapse, did not report any (other) neurological deficit, and did not start slurring their speech. A stroke almost never happens in someone younger than 40 years either.
@troubleinharlem This is why you shouldn’t trust people offering diagnoses over the internet. It is usually impossible to tell without a physical examination, and is definitely impossible when there is only one listed symptom.

When do we break out the speculum?

Im sure she’s fine, standard hallucinations looks like

Sounds like an excellent case for House. There are WAY too many things this could be, and probably includes many many things that are nothing to worry too much about. Try to relax and keep in touch with your friend and her parents and see if there is anything you can do for them. And if your friend doesn’t mind.. keep up up to date on what’s going on. I’d like to find out what it is and if there are other symptoms.

@Cazzie

I absolutely adore the series “House!” : D

@CaptainHarley of all the supposed ‘science based’ programs on TV it’s least cringe worthy, though occasionally, I have to yell at them as I watch, but not as much as those stupid CSI shows. I was so excited about Gary Sinise in CSI NY, but, in the first episode, when those idiots opened up the back of that film camera in broad daylight to confirm there was film in it… I went ballistic.

LMAO @cazzie

I know how you feel! : )

@majorrich As in “my friend, Flicker?”

Yup! LMAO

I used to have these symptoms when I was a child, especially when near florescent lighting. The last time I had this happen was about two years ago. I was in Target and the florescent lighting was glaring brightly off of the shiny floor. It seems to go away when I would rest and look at a blank white space (like paper) for several minutes. I never knew what this was caused from, but I’ve had several tests done and there isn’t anything wrong neurologically. When it happens, it does sincerely freak me out though.

Tell her to walk it off