Very Aware of my Blind Spot

hi there
i am having high myopia -11 in both eyes.since last 6 months i seem to have become very aware of the blind spot in my right eye.it keeps on flashin/twinkling in that region randomly but multiple times a day.also wen i get up from sleep i see a region different from my entire vision region in the right eye.also wen i move from differently lighted regions ie a darker area to a brighter area the region around my dark spot(or so i feel) shines ...only that part and only that eye....like the moon during an eclipse ..small circle with bright periphery but darker inside.I went to my eye dr but says nothin seems to be wrong with my eyes.
has ne 1 had similar problems pls lemme know..i am gettin very afraid after readin about glaucoma nd stuff on the internet.also wen we say peripheral vision loss does it actually start at the periphery or at the region near the optic region which is not exactly the periphery.
pls answer my question as i am very tense
thnx a lot

[John C Hagan]

Hello Pratibha,  the "blind spot" is a small area in the peripheral vision where vision is normall abscent. It corresponds to the part of vision that falls on the optic nerve head which has no sight receptors over it (ie no retina over it). The optic nerve is on the inner side of the retina (towards the nose) and the blind spot is projected through the pupil to the outside of visual field. (the blind side in laterally towards the ear side). The brain fills in the blind spot so we don't notice it. It shows up on visual field exams and if you shut one eye, look straight ahead and move your finger slowly from past your ear at eye level slowly towards your nose you can sometimes detect the tip of your finger being blocked at the blind spot (which will be be maybe 20-40 degrees lateral to straight ahead). Because there are no sight receptors in the blind spot it will not flash or twinkle.

Patients with high myopia often have visual field defects due to the myopia, thin spots or areas on the retina that didn't form correctly or due to the optic nerve rotating (tilted disk) as it enters the big, long highly myopic eye.

Glaucoma visual field damage can start around the edges or near the center of vision ("paracentral scotoma). Glaucoma is usually pretty advanced by the time people are aware of their visual field being abnormal.

Highly myopic people that have complaints of flash/twinkle/floaters/visual field problems need to be examined carefully for retinal detachments.

When people say they've been to "an eye doctor", I always see a qualification because of the wide disparity in training and abilities of "eye doctors". A quickie eye exam in a shopping mall may be okay for a glasses test but it should not be confused with a complete medical examination of the eye. An examination by a private practice optometrist ( they will have an "OD" degree after their name not a "MD") is gnerally a little better but most of the complex and vague complaints we get on these eye forums should be seen by an ophthalmologist that is a MD physician that specializes in medical and surgical eye diease.

I would recommend an opinion from an ophthalmologist with a very careful automated visual field examination.

Hope all turns out well. thanks for posting.

JCH MD Eye Physician & Surgeon  Eye MD = Ophthalmologist