Visual Disturbance

[cpa1]

I am 39 years old.  In August I began noticing that my peripheral vision in my left eye sometimes appears wavy.  The problem also only seems to occur when my peripheral vision is subject to bright light (such as a lamp in my office), a window with daylight or metal horizontal blinds.  It is more severe sometimes then others.  Sometimes rather than wavy vision I see a pulsing in my left peripheral vision and my peripheral vision is sensitive to brighter light.  Sometimes after the wavy effect my eye feels strained or tired.  I also sometimes get mild pressure behind my left eye and on the side of my face but they are not severe and I usually do not take any medication for it.  The headaches feel more sinus related.  Sometimes I do have congestion and my left ear feels filled with fluid.  The wavy vision effect is in my left eye only.  Sometimes I also feel like I might be seeing a white blob in the lower field of vision in my left eye.  The white blob appears and disapears so suddently that I wonder if it really ever happened -- but I do think it happens on occasion.  I have to actually move my eyes to notice the wavy effect.  It does not happen if my eyes are perfectly still.  I did have a full dialated eye exam by an opthamologist in mid-November 2005.  I told him about this issue and he said everything looked normal.  I do not wear contacts and have never had any eye surgery.  I do not take any medication.  I am not overweight and do not have high blood pressure or other medical problems.  I am concerned about whether I should be investigating this issue further.

[lidlchris]

Oops, I had more I wanted to say... He too gets the floaters and black spots. We've assumed that these reactions are caused by an allergy attack of some kind. More often than not we do not know what triggers it. Did the neurologist have any advise for easing the symptoms? B/C they usaully lead to anxiety. (An eye doctor told him years ago that these could be signs of "Retinal Detachement") SCARY! Any advise would help!

[lidlchris]

Thanks for the comment! No, he doesn't get the "bug" thing. He does very occasionally get a migraine headache but usually just the before symptoms... has noticed throughout the years that his symptoms are less when he limits the amount of Dairy, wheat, White flours, white sugars, and proccessed foods that he eats. Perhaps this may be of help to you?!Thanks Again! Nobody has ever confirmed that the sinus pressure could be linked to the "flashers" it is nice to hear he is not alone. :)

[lidlchris]

My husband also suffers from this "Visual Disturbace" Sometimes it will be a blind spot and others it will be "flashers". From what i've seen, it always seems to occur when he has sinus pressure (allergies or a cold) So i'm curious if it is the same with any of you? Does it seem to come on when you have sinus pressure or allergies? I have looked everywhere but can't find anywhere that says they can be linked.

[ambergsmom]

the kelidoscope vision is what I have too. I was misdiagnosed with complex migraines here is a link.
go check it out and see if this is similar to what you see.

Mine is a little different but quite similar and my diagnosis has been changed after testing, now I am on the proper medication and am getting the treatment I really need.

http://jnnp.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/66/4/536/Fu2

http://jnnp.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/66/4/536

let us know...



j.

[highvoltage]

are there any epileptics here that have had hallucinations they remember after a siezure?

[bonzi]

My first Aura occured about 4-5 months ago and lasted 15 minutes. I work for a Internal Med/Ped dr, he told me to go see his sister, shes an eye Dr, when I arrived the visual disturbances were gone but my eyes felt tired. She did all the tests and assured me I was not having a stroke. I first noticed that the room I worked in seemed to bright and was bothering my eyes, new white computer, white walls, white cabinets and white floor and glare from the window, as it started I was already having sinus problems and saw the triangles and kleidiscope images. Then just yesterday in the morning at work, having sinus problems again, my eyes felt like it was to bright in the room, it occured again more in my left eye and lasted 15 minutes. Then tonight as I was washing dishes it started again, having sinus problems anyways, the light started in my eye, more so in the right eye and very slight in the left, lasted 15 minutes. Tell ya, I would not want this to happen while I was driving. I have never gotten a headache from any of these and hope I do not. Though when it has occured I took either a sinus OTC pill and tonight I took a Bayer asprin. Wish I knew if sinus trouble triggers it, or maybe menopause. Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks.

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW]

To answer whether there might be a neurological cause, one has to differentiate between symptoms from the actual left eye or are they from the left 'visual field' - that is from the temporal field of the left eye and the nasal field of the right eye. If the wavy lines disappear when you close the right eye, then the problem may involve the visual pathways on both sides, whereas if the lines persist, then the problem is likely within the left eye and is more likely an ophthalmological problem.

Keep following with your eye doctor especially if the symptoms change over time

Good luck

[jenbrink]

I have the same thing. I have had them for at least 10 years. I do not get a migraine. Just the wavy patterns that sometimes will white out my entire vision. Sometimes only in one eye and other times in both eyes. I think it is the ocular migraine or the Aura.

It seems that bright reflections trigger mine.

Here is a link if you wish to read more.

http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/3200/3266.asp?index=11253

[cpa1]

I have read a little bit about cluster headaches but I didn't seem to fit the definition since I don't have the severe pain that seems to go along with them.  Can you have a cluster headache without sever pain?  My pain is mild.  I am wondering if what I might be experiencing is an occular migraine.  My symptoms seem to fit this definition the closest.

[B_Johnson]

Yes that is the test i'm talking about.  Have you read much about cluster headache or been worked up for it?

[cpa1]

I had a test done to test my eye pressure.  It was done when I first arrived for my appointment.  There was a wand that was placed directly on my eye after numbing eyedrops were placed in my eye.  The test was done on each eye separately.  After a few seconds the machine beeped and my eye pressure was recorded.  Is this the type of test you are referring to?  The pressure reading were well within the normal limits.

[B_Johnson]

Did he perform an Intraocular Pressure measurement? or just an opthalmoscopic exam.

[vega1318]

A "retinal migraine" may present in the manner that you're describing:  visual disturbances / blurring of vision triggered by bright lights.  While it is called a "migraine" -  you should probably get checked out with a special type of neurologist (likely a stroke neurologist) who could evaluate you for any presence of atherosclerotic disease.  This type of condition can _sometimes_ happen in the presence of small stroke-like events in the arteries supplying your nerves and you don't want to miss it.  
The neurological evaluation may involve a brain MRI / MRA, doppler test and some blood work for "hypercoagulability."