Blind spots and vision disturbances

I am 28 yr old female, and nearsighted.
Since December 2007 I've been progressively developing small blind areas in both of my eyes. The spots are small and isolated, scattered around random areas of each eye. They are not my natural blind spots.
When I look at certain things, such as lines, the lines look as if they have some gaps in them and these gaps
appear in the locations of the blind spots.

They tend to appear suddenly. I developed 2 new ones in my right eye in just the last 24 hours. I had gone
several weeks prior to that without noticing anything new. I've been testing my vision each day. They do
not seem to move or go away once they appear.

In addition, I have also been experiencing vision disturbances that are almost like migraine auras. I see
dark spots that eventually fade over the course of 10-15 min. Sometimes this will occur many times
in a day. This began around the same time as the blind spots.

Since this problem has developed, I have been to 2 different Opthamologists, a Retina Specialist, and a Neuro-Opthamologist (who sent me for an MRI but I don't know the results until I go back in May). The eye doctors did not detect anything abnormal. I feel incredibly distressed over the situation and I'm becoming more depressed about it.

Could this be some type of blood vessel disorder? Could my retinas be deteriorating in some way? It seems that what I'm noticing with my eyes is not noticable enough to doctors. Is this possible? What are some possible conditions that could cause these symptoms?

I have noticed a few other people on this site who have had similar problems.

I would truly appreciate some advice

Thank you

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

If you have seen a retina and neuro-ophthalmologist and they didn't find anything then its not an easy to diagnose problem. My suggestion remain under the casre of these two Eye MDs and watch for additional symptoms.  Seems like you should at least be able to get the MRI report over the phone from the staff without staying on pins and needles till May.

JCH III MD

[doobie07]

I have this too. What do the spots look like when they first appear?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[Kabees]

When they first apear, they look like a colored spot, sort of yellow-ish if it's in my left eye, and blue/green if it's in my right. The color fades after a few days or sometimes after a couple of weeks, leaving a small blind spot.

The temporary ones that act like a migraine aura are a little different and quickly fade.

[doobie07]

Can you see then in an Amsler grid? I can see mine.

Mine start out grey or bright white like a light, then fade over several weeks to a permanent blind spot.

When I look at straight lines, for example, bits will be missing.

I have maybe 20 in each eye.

Did any of your doctors suggest what this might be?

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[Astroturf]

I have this exact same problem. Doobie07 and I have posted back and forth about it before. My spot begins like a bright white/yellow afterimage, as if I've stared into a flash or the sun. Usually, the spot fades or breaks up into smaller pieces within an hour or two. Two months ago, however, one of the spots stayed bright for 2.5 days and then faded to a greyish blob/blind spot, and has remained ever since.

My eye doctor is convinced it is ocular migraines. I'm having CT Scan next month to be sure. I read somewhere online that extreme ocular migraines can leave permanent damage to the eye.

[Kabees]

Hi people, thank you for letting me know I'm not the only one with this wierd eye problem. Sounds like we have the same thing. Yes I can see the spots that are closest to my center of vision on the grid. The rest are too tiny or farther away, but I'll still notice them when looking at lines and contrasting areas. If I sit about 1 ft away from the Amsler grid the closest ones are about 1-1/2 - 2" away from the center. The rest are much further away.

The 1st Dr I saw said he thought it was floaters and said he could actually see one, although the other Drs didn't mention seeing any big or odd floaters. I have wondered if they could be some kind of floaters that are stuck to the eye, but I doubt that's it...

My Neuro-othamologist said I have a persistant migraine aura, and it started shortly after I first noticed the blind spots. I do have a history of severe migraines but they've become very infrequent for me in the last 10 yrs. I had no idea they could cause eye damage.

Personally for me, I think there is an anxiety connection because only a month before this started I was going through probably the worst series of anxiety attacks of my life, which thankfully has subsided. Of course the stress has crept a little since developing this vision issue.

My biggest fear from this is becoming impaired because of it, if it were to progressively get so bad that I'd lose most of my vision or central vision. So far I haven't heard of anyone getting it to such an extent.

[Orion17]

My wife has been experiencing some issue kind of like this.

She sees bright white 'stars' in the left peripheral vision of her left eye. Some random numbness of the arm and foot as well as dizziness.

Symptoms started Jan 7th. Everyday, all day she sees these stars.

Then a week later she started seeing bright 'fireworks' when she closes her eye or at night.

Neuro-opthamologist did a low vision test and MRI results showed one small disturbance. Two neurologists do not think it is MS.

The Opthamalogist said if the spots turn dark and appear all over then her retina may have torn. But from what people are saying here that might not be the case? The only other possible cause they said was the vitreous pulling on the retina. This happens all the time anyway but maybe hers is pulling more.

I guess I am just trying to figure out if our Dr's are doing all they can. Astroturf or Dr Hagan, based upon what my wifes symptoms are do you think a CT scan is a possible option? We have not heard anything from our Dr's about this.

Also my wife got an MRI and got the results a week later. So Kabees, I would aggree with the Doc that you should be able to get the results.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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