Question: I get flashes of black or clear spots or shapes in my eyes. My vision is still perfect. Any suggestions?
I have several suggestions as to the cause, but they will all end the same way— you must see a doctor!
The most likely cause is that you have a floater in your eye. This is a clump of cells floating in the fluid inside the eye. They can be quite annoying, and can be destroyed by laser treatment. The problem is what has caused the floater? The cells may have broken away for no serious reason, but it is possible that they are the first sign of significant eye problems. For this reason floaters must always be checked by an ophthalmologist (eye specialist).
Spots in your vision may also be due to migraines (and these are not always accompanied by a headache), a damaged retina (the light-sensitive layer of cells at the back of the eyeball), a cataract (cloudiness or damage to the lens in the eye), a deteriorating blood supply to the eye (for example after a stroke) or due to a tumor in or around the eye or the brain.
It is because there are so many possible nasty causes that it is essential to have an accurate diagnosis.

Question: Can glare damage your eyes?
Yes. Glare will cause chronic inflammation to the narrow segment of the white of the eyes that is exposed to the reflected sun’s rays when squinting. Over a period of several years this can lead to the build-up of scar and fat tissue in this area. This is known as a pinguecula. They cause no harm to the eye, but are unsightly and may become inflamed and itchy. Cataracts may also be aggravated by glare, including the glare reflected from water onto the eyes.
The problem is prevented by wearing high-quality sun glasses.

Question: My mother has been diagnosed as having mild glaucoma, but all the doctor has done is give her some eye drops. How is glaucoma treated?
Your sight is one of your most valued possessions. Any disease that can reduce your vision, or worse still, make you blind, is of great concern. One such disease is glaucoma.
Glaucoma is an increase in the pressure of the fluid inside the eye. If this pressure becomes too high, the eye can be permanently damaged. It is diagnosed by measuring the pressure inside the eyeball. There are two methods of measuring the eyeball pressure. In the older method, special drops to numb the eye are used, and then an instrument is rested on the eye for a few seconds. A more sophisticated method is to use a machine that puffs air onto the eye for a fraction of a second and measures the amount of air pressure reflected from the eye. Both can give very accurate measurements of the eye pressure. Looking at the outside of the eye at different angles, and examining the back of the eyeball with a magnifying instrument also help make the diagnosis. There are more than 20 different types of glaucoma, with different causes and therefore different treatments. It is a complex area, that once suspected or diagnosed, is best dealt with by an ophthalmologist (specialist eye doctor).
Treatment involves the use of one or more eye drops on a regular basis, every day, usually for the rest of the patient’s life. Some types of glaucoma may also require the taking of tablets. Occasionally the disease settles spontaneously in old age. Glaucoma cannot be prevented, but it can be controlled successfully in nearly all patients, and sometimes it can be cured by surgery. The surgery increases the rate of drainage of fluid from the eye, and may involve the use of lasers to burn microscopic drain holes in the corner of the eye. With modern treatment techniques, the outcome for patients with glaucoma is normally very good, but continued follow-up by a doctor is essential.