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Eye Care Archive (Expert Forum)
30mn flashing phosphene - not pressure or light induced
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30mn flashing phosphene - not pressure or light induced
by JDelage, Mar 04, 2007 12:00AM
Hi,
Yesterday I had a strange experience. I was walking back from our garden oustide, sat at my computer, and noticed a persistent phosphene was preventing me from reading my screen. Here is what it looked like:
- Arc circle (not a blotch), covering a small % of my vision field (but initially centered precisely, which prevented me from reading anything - it eventually moved out of the way)
- Flashing
- Growing and creeping slowly across my field of vision, but staying a more or less complex curve - never becoming a blotch.
- Disappearing within 1/2 hr or so. I am not sure if it disappeared really or simply moved outside of my field of vision. It started at the center, but moved further and further away.
- Still visible with either or both eyes closed.
- Not affected either way by eye rubbing (obviously, eye rubbing induced the traditional pressure phosphene, which are very different)
Since then I've had a low grade headache BUT I am naturally subject to those. This one is mostly felt when I moved my head and is not felt otherwise.
Before this event, here is what I was doing:
- Working at my computer,
- Spent a few minutes in the garden, very minor activity,
- I am a 35yr old Caucasian male,
- No alcoholisme / hypertension / drug use,
- Slightly overweight (am 185 Lbs and 5'10", and I should be 30 Lbs lighter given my frame and muscular mass)
Yesterday I had a strange experience. I was walking back from our garden oustide, sat at my computer, and noticed a persistent phosphene was preventing me from reading my screen. Here is what it looked like:
- Arc circle (not a blotch), covering a small % of my vision field (but initially centered precisely, which prevented me from reading anything - it eventually moved out of the way)
- Flashing
- Growing and creeping slowly across my field of vision, but staying a more or less complex curve - never becoming a blotch.
- Disappearing within 1/2 hr or so. I am not sure if it disappeared really or simply moved outside of my field of vision. It started at the center, but moved further and further away.
- Still visible with either or both eyes closed.
- Not affected either way by eye rubbing (obviously, eye rubbing induced the traditional pressure phosphene, which are very different)
Since then I've had a low grade headache BUT I am naturally subject to those. This one is mostly felt when I moved my head and is not felt otherwise.
Before this event, here is what I was doing:
- Working at my computer,
- Spent a few minutes in the garden, very minor activity,
- I am a 35yr old Caucasian male,
- No alcoholisme / hypertension / drug use,
- Slightly overweight (am 185 Lbs and 5'10", and I should be 30 Lbs lighter given my frame and muscular mass)
Doctor's Answer
by Forum-OD-MP, Mar 05, 2007 12:00AM
sounds like possible ocular migraine to me. especially since it is 'Still visible with either or both eyes closed'. almost no retinal problem can be described like that. plus since it resolved, that also leads me to ocular migraine or migraine aura. retinal problems do not resolve.
probably need an eye exam anyway, but sounds like a migraine to me (regardless of how much head pain you experienced)
probably need an eye exam anyway, but sounds like a migraine to me (regardless of how much head pain you experienced)
Member Comments (2)
by aimee37, Mar 04, 2007 12:00AM
To: JDelage
I'm sure a doctor will respond but this sounds like a symptom of a classic migraine headache. You can actually have an occular migraine with absolutely NO headache whatsoever which means the only symptom would be flashes of light in the eye.
by aimee37, Mar 05, 2007 12:00AM
Thanks to both of you. I was concerned that it might have been a micro-stroke of some sort, but having read on both strokes and migraines with aura, I do agree that it fits the migraine description pretty exactly.
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