Aa
6 1/2 yr. old w/ vision disturbances, abdominal pain, and fatigue.
Starting within the last 3-4 months (as best I can tell) my daughter has had 3 separate episodes where she has experienced sudden visual disturbances, accompanied by stomach/abdominal pain and followed by minimal fatigue (wants to lay her head down for a few minutes). In two of these episodes the vision problem was one of changing colors or "extra" colors - but she could still see. One of the episodes, however, she described as everything losing it's color, turning black and white, and then she couldn't see anything for "a few minutes". (I put the duration in quotes since I know she doesn't grasp units of time just yet - so I would edit by saying a few seconds to a few minutes.)
The most recent of the three episodes was yesterday. She was riding her bike on a bike path and I called out to her to stop (she was getting a little too far ahead of her dad on foot). She turned her head when she heard me, but then lost control of her bike and fell over in the grass. She wasn't injured by the fall that I can tell, but when she got up she mentioned she was having trouble seeing again and needed to sit down. She also mentioned that her tummy hurt and said she just wanted to lie down.
The onset of this last episode was just a few seconds. It was over in 10 minutes - but I'm still very concerned.
FYI - When I was a teenager, I would have occasional "dizzy spells" including visual disturbances - but I always assumed they were related to changes in blood pressure. They would occur if I had been laying down or sitting down for some time and then stand up quickly. I would get dizzy and see spots or flashes of color, sometimes obscurring my vision completely. They would always pass in a few seconds, but were never accompanied by pain or fatigue of any kind. I am now 32 and have not had an "episode" like that in over 12 years.
I have made an appointment with my daughter's PCP later this week, and intend to schedule a thorough eye exam in the next few days as well. Any feedback you may have on this would be most welcome.
Thank you.
The most recent of the three episodes was yesterday. She was riding her bike on a bike path and I called out to her to stop (she was getting a little too far ahead of her dad on foot). She turned her head when she heard me, but then lost control of her bike and fell over in the grass. She wasn't injured by the fall that I can tell, but when she got up she mentioned she was having trouble seeing again and needed to sit down. She also mentioned that her tummy hurt and said she just wanted to lie down.
The onset of this last episode was just a few seconds. It was over in 10 minutes - but I'm still very concerned.
FYI - When I was a teenager, I would have occasional "dizzy spells" including visual disturbances - but I always assumed they were related to changes in blood pressure. They would occur if I had been laying down or sitting down for some time and then stand up quickly. I would get dizzy and see spots or flashes of color, sometimes obscurring my vision completely. They would always pass in a few seconds, but were never accompanied by pain or fatigue of any kind. I am now 32 and have not had an "episode" like that in over 12 years.
I have made an appointment with my daughter's PCP later this week, and intend to schedule a thorough eye exam in the next few days as well. Any feedback you may have on this would be most welcome.
Thank you.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
This Forum focuses on questions about mental health, behavioral health, social/emotional development, etc. Your question is really one re: differential diagnosis of a medical condition, and is not within my purview. I would not be responding to you in an ethical and responsible fashion if I attempted to convey my impressions.
I'm aware you had to agree to a fee to post your question, and I imagine that if you contact the folks who administer the MedHelp site you can arrange for a credit. I hope you understand my stance re: your question.
I'm aware you had to agree to a fee to post your question, and I imagine that if you contact the folks who administer the MedHelp site you can arrange for a credit. I hope you understand my stance re: your question.
You're doing the right thing. Both the pediatrician and the eye doctor are good choices (some things that commonly affect sight are better picked up by the eye doctor, through his experience and training). Even though what you're saying doesn't sound behavioural, it is important to identify the cause so that if it's medical she can receive any treatments that are appropriate. Glad your appointment is so soon, good luck.
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