For A Neurologist

[OliverLevine]

What can cause visual snow? I've had it for a year now which has gotten worse recently and at the same time it got worse I had a headache on the very top of my head; nothing of the same sort of pain of a migraine but still quite bad. Before i thought visual snow was to do with the blood or metabolism but now I've read it has to do with the mind and migraines, but i have no migraine just the headache I had. Please can you tell me what I should do, and what could've caused it? I remember before the headache started a few nights before at 1 O'clock, I felt like the top of my head had cold water dropped on it. It happened when Iwas on the PC. I've had my eyes very recently checked and they were perfectly fine apart from floaters, which is worse in my left eye. I would like to know what symptoms are caused visually associated with the brain and if my problem is serious. And what what would be really helpfull if you can; the reason as to why I have this.

[hypochondriac349]

I have it too and I suffered really bad migraines as a kid. During my teenage, they just disappeared.

I do have a slightly heavy head ever since the static has come (a month) but I don't know what caused which. I probably had some weird abnormality in my brain that was triggered after I used some eye drops and they caused an allergic reaction. My eyesight has also gotten slightly weak after this.

In your case, I would say it's either optic neuritis i.e. if your pain is related to eye movement. I never had any pain as such, it was just a sudden static vision with no other symptoms. If it is optic neuritis, chances are your vision might come back to normal once it is cured (as far as I've read online).

If you have migraines, they must have caused it. Maybe by taking something for that will eventually help in visual snow, or will make it less annoying? I haven't tried anything myself so I wouldn't know what works.

What will help is, and I'm honestly going to try it, is to avoid it and try and lead a very healthy life. Im going to start tennis and running and eating right. Also, you're right, some posts I've read says that it gets worse if you don't get proper sleep, which is also a general cure for relieving a migraine. You have to have get enough sleep and try and be as health cautious as you can be to not trigger anything else. It's like a ticking bomb and if you **** it off, it gets worse.

[OliverLevine]

Do you think it could be caused by lack of sleep?

[DrNavneetMD]

Hi Dear,
Visual snow is a transitory or persisting visual symptom where people see snow or television-like static in parts or the whole of their visual fields, especially against dark backgrounds. There are different causes for visual snow, i.e. visual snow is non-specific. Therefore, each subject with a leading complaint of visual snow needs a full diagnostic work-up including ophthalmic, neurological and psychiatric examinations as well as an MRI scan of the brain.
Persisting visual snow can feature as a leading symptom of a migraine complication called persistent aura without infarction, commonly referred to as persistent migraine aura
There currently is no established treatment for visual snow
that valproate, lamotrigine, or topiramate should be first choices for patients with the continuous form.
However, with very little scientific research on the condition taking place, for the time being the effectiveness of such treatments remains based solely on anecdotal evidence. Beyond pharmacological approaches, appropriate counselling and cognitive behavioral interventions that focus on coping with the condition may be of huge importance.

Regards.