arc shaped lights in eyes

[steed]

Since August 17 I have had arc shaped lights at the bottom outside corner of my eyes all the time.  When I look to the left. move or walk, i have an arc shaped light in the bottom outside of right eye, when I look to the right, move or walk, I have an arc shaped light in the bottom outside of theleft eye.  When they first started I was having medium grade headaches all the time morning and night.  I also was having major balance problems, was having to hold on to thing to walk.  At that time I was also sick.  I was convinced I had West Nile Virsus or something of that nature, as my brain felt swollen, because of what felt like pressure inside.  I couldn't lay my head on a pillow,  I have seen 3 different Neurologist and 2 Opthamologist and they can't find anything wrong.  At the present time I am on Amitriptaline, Buspar and Xanax as needed.  The first Neurologist told me it was Migraines and I have been on every migraine medicine made.  I have had two complete blood workups at 2 hospitals 3 MRI's and EEG and lumbar puncture and they can find nothing.  They keep telling me they are stress headaches.  The headaches are under control but at the present time, I am having burning stinging pressure pain in the top of my head and sometimes on the side of the head.  My blood pressure is elevated and my pulse rate is 80 up to 110,I have the lights all the time. My insurance in an HMO and so I am limited as to where I can go. My doctors keep telling me it is depression, stress and nerve related, but I don't feel I am depressed.  I need HELP!  My doctors are ready to give up on me an

[foxtrot]

My opthamologist suggested to me that this brief flash of arc- shaped light in my eye (noticable only in a dark room, and seen only if I jump up quickly (out of bed) or swing my head suddenly one way or the other - in the dark) was perhaps the tugging of the eyeball on the edges of the retina.  I have no pain whatsoever.  Psychologically, I am exceptionally keyed into my vision because I have alot of blindness in my family.

[PaulaB]

A previous poster said that retinal detachment means a black region from part of the eye. It is important to note that the first sign of retinal detachment is, in fact, the presence of abnormal lights, looking, my retina specialist said, like a veil or curtain of light. Anyone who sees flashing lights, as well as anyone who is severely myopic (nearsighted), should have regular retina exams. This may not help the original poster, but is a wise precuation nonetheless. If you wear glasses of -9 diopters, you have a 25% chance of retinal detachment.

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

The normal MRIs and EEGs help to exclude many serious conditions such as a brain tumor, stroke, or possibly seizures. Headaches can produce visual changes, but they tend to be intermittent and not static. The ophthalmologist's should have excluded retinal disease. Headaches and psychological factors can cause many different neurologic symptoms, so I can not exclude these possibilities. Without having the opportunity to examine you and review your specific tests it is difficult for me to come up with a specific diagnosis. I would push for an evaluation at a large academic medical center to hopefully come to some conclusion. Also, perhaps seeing a neuro-ophthalmologist and not just a regular ophthalmologist would be reasonable. Good luck.

[whelans5]

have you been checked for retinal detachment?

[Quantum1]

If your retina is detached, you get no signal from that portion of the eye-- so it is *black*, not light. Retinal detachment is a medical emergency, and is fairly obvious (missing a portion of vision no matter which way you look). It sounds impossible from the description.

[lisaalyssa]

I have had arc shaped lights in my vision, and was told that they were occular migraines.  They would usually only last for about 20 minutes, then would slowly moved more to the side and eventually out of my vision. Sometimes i would get a headache afterwards, sometimes I wouldn't.  But it was very scarry.  Have you every heard of occular migraines, they can be triggered by many things including stress. I'm not sure if you are male or female, but birth control pills were a major triggering factor for me.  When I stopped birth control , these episodes decreased. When you say that  you had it all the time, does that mean you had it for days at a time without going away.  Have you had a brain MRI?  In any case, i know it is very scarry and frustrating.  Best of luck.
Lisa