dot matrix vision....

[dragvw117]

I looked around and haven't found another thread anywhere about this specifically... But basically my problem, which just started about 4 days ago that I can tell, makes certain lit objects, labels, and surfaces look like they're 'printed', like in a newspaper or perhaps on a computer screen. It's not visual snow, because the 'dots' don't move around or flash, nor do I see them in the dark. When I'm driving at night, I see no problems in the dim areas, I don't have trouble seeing objects, but when I look at a sign, it looks like the sign is made up of many TINY dots, again like it was printed in dot matrix or perhaps has a round-holed mesh over it. Right now, if I look at the label on a box by my desk I see it, but if I stare at the textured wall or out into the dark I don't. It's bizarre, but hasn't got any better after several days.

It's not like glaucoma or cataracts, I don't have dim areas in my vision, I can read fine, there are no missing areas of my vision field, it's not associated with a headache and it's a subtle thing. If I move closer to the object I don't notice it as bad, it's like I see it but I can't get myself to focus on it. It's the same no matter which eye I use.

Now that I try it, It's a lot like sitting WAY to close to a computer monitor... you can read and see the image fine, but in the background you notice there are dots there... for some reason clear and obvious but I can't focus them. It's a close, tight and exact pattern and they don't move independently. It's not random, literally rows and columns. Initially I thought that I HAD been too close to the monitor and it burned a pattern of pixels into my eyes... but 1. I don't remember ever placing my face 4" from the screen, 2. I've used computers for ages and never had an issue, 3. usually when images are 'burned' into my vision I see them better in darkness, but I don't see this anomaly in darkness at all, and 4. after hiatus from the computer it never went away, and could possibly be worse now.

Am I just paranoid? Could I just be noticing something that's been there my whole life? That could just be it, but I figure I would have noticed this by now, it's quite obvious when reading bright signs at night. Oh well, does anyone have a clue what I'm talking about?

[MikeB137]

I suffer from the same symptoms and have been told by my ophthalmologist that what you and I are experiencing is an Ocular Migraine. It affects only my left eye since my BP meds were changed. Don't know whether it is related. Google it. There is quite a lot of info about it.

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

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