SUDDEN BLURRED VISION, AURAS, HEADACE, HEAD PRESSURE

[lilylalatorre]

HELLO, I AM A 27 YEAR OLD FEMALE. GOING ON 28 ON HALLOWEEN.  I AM RELATIVELY HEALTHY EXCEPT THAT I AM OVERWEIGHT. I AM 5'3" AND WEIGH 220 POUNDS.  I HAVE RARELY EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS RELATED TO THIS. BLOOD SUGAR, CHOLESTEROL, BLOOD PRESSURE, HAVE ALWAYS BEEN NORMAL.  THE LAST TIME I CHECKED WAS LAST DECEMBER OF 2006.  LAST NIGHT WHILE RELAXING AND WATCHING TV I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN BLURR IN VISION.  IT DID NOT GO AWAY AND PERSISTED ALL NIGHT.  IT WASN'T EXACTLY JUST BLURRY LIKE BEING MYOPIC, IT WAS A PRECISE LINE THAT BENT INTO A CURVE ON THE CENTER LEFT SIDE OF MY VISION.  IT OCCURED WITH BOTH EYES AND EVEN WHEN EYES WERE CLOSED.  IT WAS SORT OF SPARKLY.  I DON'T KONW HOW TO DESCRIBE IT.  WITHIN THE NEXT 5 MINUTES OF ITS OCCURANCE I STARTED TO GET A MASSIVE HEADACHE STARTING IN THE TOP FRONT PART OF MY FORHEAD.  I TOOK 4 200MILLIGRAM ADVIL.  THE PAIN DID NOT GO AWAY, AND BEGAN TO SPREAD TO THE TOP OF MY HEAD, TEMPLE AND EAR AREA. THEN TOWARDS THE BACK OF MY HEAD. I FELT HUGE PRESSURE IN MY HEAD AND IN MY EARS AT THAT POINT AS IF IT WOULD BURST OPEN, AND A VERY HEAVY FEELING IN MY HEAD.  LIKE IT WAS HARD TO MOVE IT.  I ALSO STARTED TREMBLING A LITTLE.  ALMOST AS IF I HAD SEVERE MUSCLE WEAKNESS, LIKE WHEN ONE IS VERY WEAK AND JUST GETS STARTLED FROM BEING IN A DEEP SLEEP.  AFTER TAKING 4 MORE ADVIL, I LAYED DOWN AND TRIED TO GO TO SLEEP.  AFTER ABOUT 4 HOURS THE PAIN NEVER SEEMED TO DULL MUCH, BUT THE "SPARKLY" CURVE OF BLURRY VISSION TRAVELED TO THE UPPER CENTRAL PART OF MY VISION, THEN WENT AWAY.  I DO NOT KNOW WHEN I FELL ASLEEP.  I HAVE JUST WOKEN UP AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE NO BLURRED VISION AND NO HEADACHE, I FEEL EXTREME PRESSURE IN THE TOP PORTION OF MY HEAD AND A HEAVINESS TO MOVE AROUND AND MOVE MY HEAD.  I FEEL PRESSURE BEHING MY EYES AS WELL.  WHAT COULD THIS BE?  SHOULD I DRIVE MYSELF TO THE HOSPITAL? I CURRENTLY HAVE NO MEDICAL INSURANCE SO THIS DECISION MUST BE DECIDED CAREFULLY.  I HOPE TO HEAR YOUR ADVICE AND HELP SOON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

[nik520]

I'm 27 years old and have never had any migraines or allergies before in my life.  Two months ago I started experiencing horrible migraine headaches with blurred vision and loss of balance.  I have seen my physician and he game me a steroid nasal spray and told me to take sudafed.  He diagnosed me with blocked sinus passages.  I have been taking the medication to no avail and still suffer from migraine pain that is unbearable.  I am going back to the doctor this week, and was considering asked to be referred to a specialist.  My question is considering that I have never had any symptoms like these before, it is unusual for someone to develop migraines at age 27 without any prior history at all?  I do believe there is something seriously wrong with my sinus passage, and I will not keep just dealing with these horrible headaches.  I have also smoked marijuana in the past(5 years ago), and the pain has been bad enough for me to seriously consider resorting to smoking again if I can't find any other relief.  Is this a bad idea?

[Lizzy18]

I'm 18 yrs old and I have been getting pains in my head the only word to describe it is like a pressure point on my head feels like my head has a load of weight on it. I'm only 5:4 in height and a medium build but it does not stay in one place, I dont know whether this is linked but I have had blurred vision once or twice. Was just wondering whether this is anything to be worried about??

[buckskinswife]

I am having the same problem. This aura in my vision has occured at least seven times today. It keeps coming and going. I have tremendous pressure in my head and neck pain. I am a 31 year old white female. I have been having migraines more frequently (2-3 per week) no migraine today just the auras. Scared and don't know what to do.

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi,

I understand your dilemma however, for a new onset headache with visual symptoms it is always best to get a consultation done. I suggest that you bring yourself to the nearest ER for immediate evaluation. A cranial CT san, assessment of blood pressure and coagulation factors, an EKG and other tests for cardiac assessment as well as a complete ophthalmologic exam may be able to help.

The last time your were evaluated was 2006, is this correct?

I do not want to further alarm you but as a physician I do advise that you get immediate consult so you will be assessed early on.In your case one has to exclude a transient ischemic attack and an opthalmologic problem ( retinal involvement).One differential is migraine with aura but this is only given once other conditions have been ruled out.

[sydness]

I was wondering if you have ever found a diagnosis for what you have described, as I have recently experienced something very similar.  Your description of blurry vision with a "sparkly" curved line that could be seen even when your eyes were closed is exactly what I experienced.  Thanks!