instruction: hi doctor I am a 63 year old female I started getting flashes in the right eye a couple of days ago and now have a floater in the shape of the flashes I was not too worried but today flashes have started up again in the same area given the pandemic eye doctors are only open for emergency care and I really do not want to get exposed at what point is this situation an emergency I am currently on estrogen patch sertraline and nexium
output: hello flashes can signify many conditions affecting the inner layers of the eye starting with the vitreous the gel structure pressing down the retina in high mopes it is usually dissociated where floaters are usually located if you have high blood pressure or diabetes elements of blood can form in that space and start floating floaters the way to detect if it is in the vitreous is to look sideways and if the floater follows the motion of the eye slowly in the same direction then it is in the vitreous and does not require quick intervention if the distortion is in the same position in whatever direction you look then we are talking about the retina and retinal detachment which should be urgently excluded if you are seeing a halo around the source of light then your eye pressure might be increased and requires urgent attention