Seeing a ring of light when you close your eyes can be due to phosphenes, which are visual sensations of light or color produced by something other than light entering the eye.
Understanding Phosphenes
Phosphenes are those images of light or color that you see when your eyes are closed. There are a few potential causes:
- Mechanical Stimulation: This is the most common reason.
- Rubbing your eyes can directly stimulate the cells in your retina.
- Even actions like coughing can sometimes trigger phosphenes.
- Internal Eye Activity: The retina can sometimes spontaneously generate signals that the brain interprets as light.
- More Serious Underlying Conditions: In rarer cases, phosphenes can indicate a medical issue.
- Head trauma: This is a possible cause of phosphenes.
- Other conditions affecting the optic nerve or brain.
When to Seek Medical Attention
While seeing phosphenes occasionally is usually harmless, it's important to be aware of potential warning signs. According to the reference, you should:
- Consult a healthcare provider for an assessment, especially if you experience:
- Sudden or frequent appearance of phosphenes.
- Phosphenes accompanied by headaches, dizziness, or vision changes.
- A history of head trauma.
