Visual Disturbances

[pigtailplaits]

Hello everyone,

The visual disturbances seem to be the worst symptom for me. I was just sitting on a train one day when i noticed that my vision was 'out of focus'- and thats where it all started. That was 4 months ago and since that day I have had a brain scan convinced there was a tumor, ive had many trips to AandE and many tests have been carried out on me including blood, ultrasounds, xray etc. I have had the last 8 weeks off work coz i am just unable to concentrate on anything i look at. I can definitely relate the venetian blind complaint! I cant bear to look at anything with parallel lines coz i think im gonna faint. Im scared to drive coz i cant see properly, im scared to pick up my daughter coz i think im gonna pass out. This is not just now and again, this is every minute that i am awake, I have had an eye test and apparently my eyes are strong and healthy. My vision is not quite single but not quite double. If i look out of the window on a clear day- i think i can see rain. However, this morning i noticed bright electric spots passing my field of vision. Does anyone get this? Ive tried telling my doctor that i think i have vertigo, but everything i suggest he just ignores and puts down to anxiety. The strange thing is, i have no reason to be anxious and these symptoms occur whether i am having fun or not. Anyone else get this

[mdouglas]

Hi Debbie

I also get these visual disturbances and have had my eyes checked and they are fine. If I look at something bright or shiny I get the image in front of my eyes for maybe a minute or so I know now that it is another form of anxiety and even when my eyes blur up I try to ignore it. I often get migrances from anxiety with no headache and I get ziggy lines in front of my eyes and then blind patches but I have found that if I can lay down and close my eyes for ten minutes my sight goes back to normal. Very scary I must admit but I feel so much better having read some of your posts and know that I am not alone with this problem which in an odd way is comfort ing .

Marie

[maisiesmumx]

Hi i deffo get the feeling that if i look out of the window its raining and its not..its werid although its all sxxt love faith
xxx

[loulouham]

Just found this site the other day, wish so much I'd found it sooner, it is so amazing to read everyone's stories here, it is the first time have actually heard anyone with symptoms similar to mine. I also get a weird dizzy feeling when I look at anything with parrallel lines (banisters, blinds etc), plus all the flashes, spots, blurred vision...also sometimes feel my eyes are vibrating (I know!...sounds so mad, I told a friend & she told me I was mental).
Have suffered with fluctuating anxiety for years (just turned 40), but had SO many symptoms and terrible panic attacks, that the fear I had a serious illness was making my anxiety worse (classic vicious circle). I never realised until recently that ALL my symptoms could be traced to anxiety...I'm currently taking 1mg of Valium morning & night, don't know if it actually does anything or just a placebo effect, sometimes feel slightly better, sometimes worse...thanks to everyone on here for being so honest, it's SO reassuring for a newcomer like me! Lou X

[halfnormal]

Just found this site the other day, wish so much I'd found it sooner, it is so amazing to read everyone's stories here, it is the first time have actually heard anyone with symptoms similar to mine. I also get a weird dizzy feeling when I look at anything with parrallel lines (banisters, blinds etc), plus all the flashes, spots, blurred vision...also sometimes feel my eyes are vibrating (I know!...sounds so mad, I told a friend & she told me I was mental).
Have suffered with fluctuating anxiety for years (just turned 40), but had SO many symptoms and terrible panic attacks, that the fear I had a serious illness was making my anxiety worse (classic vicious circle). I never realised until recently that ALL my symptoms could be traced to anxiety...I'm currently taking 1mg of Valium morning & night, don't know if it actually does anything or just a placebo effect, sometimes feel slightly better, sometimes worse...thanks to everyone on here for being so honest, it's SO reassuring for a newcomer like me! Lou X

Welcome! Yea My eyes have been wacky because I FOCUS ON THEM!!

Its lots of fun not. But yea its nice to see other people have the problem (well not nice I hate to see other people suffering)

Anyways I'll add to the list.

I see a small blue dot occassionaly mostly when I want to look for it. Flashes for a second.

I see black dot out of the corner of my eyes and then turn and its not there. I don't think its a floater.

I see sparks out of the corner of my eyes and sometimes a singular one that flashes in my vision.

If I stare at a blank wall or blue sky I see tons of things. (All normal, floaters, blue cells)

The worst is that when you concentrate too much on your vision (which we all seem to do ) You can mistake things actually happening for wacky eyes.

For example I spent 2 weeks thinking I had retinal detachment because I kept seeing a flash in my perifpheral vision. Turned out the light above me was flickering but so randomly that I couldn't ever get it to repeat whicle staring at it!!

Also the next one I felt like my eyes were pulsating. I was a bit anxious and it felt like the light in the room was pulsing! Of course I noticed the dishwasher was on and it tends to wreak havok with the lights in our house making them flicker.

Anyways!! From all the stupid doctor googling I've done I've never seen these symptoms as signs of anything deadly. So thats good!

Oh yea another funny one. I was working on the house yesterday and undrilling some screws. So basically I'm staring at this textured lined box for minutes at a time. I look up at the blue sky and see lines and texture. I'm like OH CRAP I'm seeing crazy lines in my vision. It was just because I'd been staring at crazy lines for 10 minutes straight. The lines went away after I was done with the work.

Your brain and vision know what is importnat. However, those of us who are hypervigilant comvince our brains to start looking for other things.

So anyways tell yourself. "These things aren't important" and you'll probably notice them less.

[Summerleft]

I suffer from visual snow and migraines,

When my anxiety is high I tend to focus on the disturbances which make them worse.
They get worse everytime I have a migraine, had sight checked and apparently i just get used to it

well i havent yet lol

[halfnormal]

I suffer from visual snow and migraines,

When my anxiety is high I tend to focus on the disturbances which make them worse.
They get worse everytime I have a migraine, had sight checked and apparently i just get used to it

well i havent yet lol

Haha yea I do the same thing. Its weird I've learned to handle my "panic Attacks' but that doesn't mean the anxiety isn't still there.

I'm actually going in for an eye excam today. Just want to make sure everything is ok with my eyes and also that I don't have any Intracranial pressure.

God I'm paranoid. must stop !!

[djvtech]

Ever since my last major panic attack 3 days ago, I have been getting weird vision almost constantly for at least 30% of the time were it seems like everything is just out of place, surreal, or zoomed in or farther away, pretty mild but lasts several minutes each time and comes and goes frequently, feel on edge and sometimes causes anxiety if I think about it to much. Never have had this before though. but it happens so often that I'm getting used to it lol... O_o

[Dazza]

yes - i've also been getting this recently.

I can see, but it's like i feel a bit crossed eyed, and things are not totally sharp, especially the futher away things are.

I had an eye test in May of this year, and I had 20/20 vision, so I can't believe that my eyes have 'gone wrong' since then. i feel dizzy most of the time too.

I've also got the accompanying chronic neck ache about which you talk. it's always there (apart from when i'm in bed), and the neck ache seems to be adding to the dizziness as does the visual disturbance. at first i thought that it was part of the derealisation, but not sure.

Not sure if the three sypmtoms are interlinked. I spoke to my GP about it last week, and he referred me for some neck x-rays. I've got to wait a few weeks before I get the results. He's also referred me for some physio for the neck.

[Dazza]

hi pureobunny

thanks for the reply. another member also reminded me of the symptoms section of this site, which also states that distorted vision is a symptom of anxiety. Is there no end to how anxiety plays with our bodies?!! lol

thanks again.