Eye sparkle / light flashes

[nervousnelly948]

I am a 27 y/o male.  Generally healthy.  In 2006 I had surgery to replace my leaking bicupisd aortic valve after a bout of endocarditis.  I now have a mechanical st. jude valve.  I take warfarin and my INR is consistently within range (2.0-3.0).  

Occasionally, I will see a small sparkle/pinpoint of light appear in my vision in one eye or the other.  It will crawl/meander across the field of vision in that eye kind of like a worm and then disappear.  It only lasts for a few seconds (maybe 5, maximum).  I have a history of opthalmic migraines, and this is different than my typical aura symptoms and only occurs in one eye or the other.  I never noticed anything like this before the surgery.  Do you think there is a connection?  

I have been asking eye doctors about this for about 4 years and just recently one finally told me to ask my cardiologist.  I am going to see my cardiologist for my regular check up next month and I plan to bring it up with him, but I have been really worried about this lately - do you think it is cause for concern?

[ireneo]

I used to get shimmering halos  when I was younger. Like looking through a tube of sparkles. Haven't had that for years. I do get a few sparkles when I shave my armpits. LOL  I turn my head to look at the area of interest, shave and then look up. That's when I see sparks for a few seconds. Maybe it's a circulatory thing, like pins and needles if you lay on your arm.

[ed34]

Floating debris in the eye is very different from bright lights experienced with migraine. One is a physical object floating around, interfering with the sight, whereas migraines are to do with electrical signals which are interfered with. We have all experienced how rods and cones in the retina can become sensitised. If you stare at a fairly bright light for a minute, then look around, the light follows you. It appears everywhere you look.

[ChatterAlly]

But these visual disturbances are not limited to migraines, right? My right eye is proof of that.  I see black "bugs" floating across my visual field, and I see green splotches alot. The vision I lost in my right eye is from plaque in the artery.  The other problems I have I would think are connected to the problems with my blood flow and blood pressure. But then I don't know.

[Flycaster305]

nervous may have a different interpretation, but my light shows are very different from floaters.  Floaters are just blobs, sparklers are like what you see at a rock concert, lots of flashes.  They were common when I was younger, and the diagnosis was a migraine moment without the headache.  

[ireneo]

Does anyone know if these sparklers are different than floaters then?

[Kasper87211]

i get this EVERYDAY 100 times a day. Like a little streamer or shooting star, Tail whatever u wanna call it.

its due to anemia, Light, i do get occular migranes as well once in a blue moon. My vision is flawless and dont have diabetes. Doctor said my vision was flawelss. PCP looks in my eyes says back of my eyes look gr8.. i dont worry about it anymore.

[Flycaster305]

i'm also a opthalmic migraine sufferer, as is my brother, sister, my grandmother had it... obiously an inherited symptom.  I describe it as crinkled tin foil appearing and disappearing, and I have the sense of a whole lot of brain activity. It usually occurs in my right eye but sometimes my left eye.    If it occurs when driving, I pull over.  I'm betting it's just a new form of the migraine syndrome, but I'm not a doctor.  I'd get checked.  Also, talk to the doctor about the possibility of you having diabetes,  Diabetes causes vision issues.  

Keep up informed.