Vision issues, very scared, please help

[Anxietyfighter]

Hi everyone, I've been a long time lurker on the no more panic forums for the past year and a half after my pvd started and I want to thank everyone for putting me at ease most of the time

A year and a half ago at the age of 28 I woke up to a ton of floaters in my eyes. I Was checked by an optometrist and opthamamologist. Both said my retina was fine and that this should clear up. The optometrist chalked it up to migraine auras, the opthamologist said it was post vitreal detachment. I followed up with him six weeks later and he said everything looked good. It's been a year and I still get some weird symptoms. I'll list them below. I hope I'm not the only one. I've been fighting anxiety and fear about going blind or having something happen bc I don't have health insurance at the moment.

My symptoms are:

1. A random quick blob that looks like the afterimage of a camera flash has popped up twice on the past couple weeks. It shows up out of nowhere with no stimuli like a bright light, etc. it went away in two seconds. It happened very quickly but freaked me out. I'm hoping it doesn't happen again but I'm scared and will be most likely getting a check up at an optometrist to rule out retinal issues. I also get little pinpoints of light in the dark but I'm unsure if this is what I would call it.

2. When going into a dimly lit room with a bright window or passing from a bright room to a dim room, my eyes will flicker. Its not like light flickering it's very hard to explain. It's both eyes and it's like a very weak strob light? If that makes sense.

3. I haven't had it happen in a long time but sometimes on a cloudy day, if I look up at the sky, I can see a tunnelish thing that I can only explain as looking like the dr who time vortex that the tardis travels through :roflmao: it's purple and looks like waves or it's most likely me seeing my blood flow in the back of my eyes. It could also be migraine aura I don't know. Or it could just be a strange phenomena that happens with vision sometimes.

4. The good ol flashes. Like light flickering in the peripheral. Only happens quickly and usually doesn't last long. Doesnt happen more than once or twice a week.

5. strange grey, see through blobs with an opalescent rim that pop up and go after I blink when I'm in a room with a computer screen and/or the lights are dimmed

6. Light sensitivity

7. Afterimages that stick too long

8. Any kind of light will leave a bleach spot in my vision, it's especially annoying while driving at night

Since this forum was merged together with older posts, I'm adding my newest post so no one has to search for what I recently had happen:

I was sitting in a bathroom, and the floor was causing me to feel nauseous because it was a white grid pattern with dark grout. I decided to close one eye and the grid was warped where my natural blind spot is in my right eye more than in my left. I immediately scheduled an appointment with my ophthalmologist, despite not having health insurance. They took me right away, dilated my eyes, tested for glaucoma, did a very thorough dilated eye exam, and took pictures/scans of my eyes. The doctor could not find anything wrong. She could not see any signs of macular degeneration, retinal holes, detachment, puckers, etc. She said my retina was very healthy. Now she's scheduled me for a visual field test on Friday and I'm very worried. I've also had eye pain that's now been happening for over 24 hours and gets worse when I focus with my right eye to check on the warping. I am also unaware if this is a new thing or if the warping has been there and I'm just now noticing it. I also feel like something's in my eye right now... I had a really bad cold that lasted two weeks. The coughing was extremely intense, to the point where I was seeing light halos when I coughed and dancing rings of light afterwards. I don't know if I sustained some damage maybe? Has anyone ever had warping of grid patterns in their peripheral/blind spot that's not related to macular degeneration or some serious eye disease?

I have a visual field test schedules for this friday... It helps to have people to talk to about this. I need reassurance or a support system of people who know what's happening.

[Anxietyfighter]

Hi everyone,

I just need some help. My health anxiety is getting to me again about my vision. I'm scared of going blind or having something happen to my vision. For the past month and a half, every two weeks or so, I get what I can only describe as a small afterimage as if a flash bulb or a bright light went off. It's small and lasts for about one to two seconds. It freaks me out when it happens and catches me off guard. I'm 29, and I had post vitreous detachment a year ago, which resulted in a ton of floaters and some other eye symptoms, such as increased "sky sparkles" (or blue field phenomenon) and pulsing/flickering vision in my central focus when I look at a bright sky or wall. Also, some slight visual snow and afterimages became a problem too when this happened. The ophthalmologist gave me the clear last year. I don't have health insurance and don't have money yet so seeing an eye doctor is a bit out of my price range right now... I'm trying not to flip out. My mom and dad have told me they have the same thing once in a while but I'm not sure if they understand what I'm describing or if they're just saying this to calm me down.

I've been under a lot of stress so I'm trying to assure myself that it's just anxiety and I'm trying to keep calm but some assurance would be helpful and much appreciated.

[Eliza1853]

I know you posted this a long time ago, but how did this turn out? Did you end up getting seen by an ophthalmologist? I've been having a spot that looks like an afterimage but has no evident external cause- it's not always there, but when it does appear it's always in roughly the same position. Though mine happens several (many?) times a day.

[Anxietyfighter]

Hi, everyone! Something happened yesterday that has put me into an anxious spin.

I was sitting in a bathroom, and the floor was causing me to feel nauseous because it was a white grid pattern with dark grout. I decided to close one eye and the grid was warped where my natural blind spot is in my right eye more than in my left. I immediately scheduled an appointment with my ophthalmologist, despite not having health insurance. They took me right away, dilated my eyes, tested for glaucoma, did a very thorough dilated eye exam, and took pictures/scans of my eyes. The doctor could not find anything wrong. She could not see any signs of macular degeneration, retinal holes, detachment, puckers, etc. She said my retina was very healthy. Now she's scheduled me for a visual field test on Friday and I'm very worried. This warping has also been accompanied by eye pain that's now been happening for over 24 hours (I am unaware if this is a new thing or if the warping has been there and I'm just now noticing it). I also feel like something's in my eye right now... Has anyone ever had warping of grid patterns in their peripheral/blind spot that's not related to macular degeneration or some serious eye disease?

I'd greatly appreciate some help or having someone to talk to about this.

I hope you have a great day!

[Anxietyfighter]

I know you posted this a long time ago, but how did this turn out? Did you end up getting seen by an ophthalmologist? I've been having a spot that looks like an afterimage but has no evident external cause- it's not always there, but when it does appear it's always in roughly the same position. Though mine happens several (many?) times a day.

I still haven't found any answers about it. I have the same thing as you, I have a couple spots that show up in the same spot and are the same shape. An ophthalmologist has looked at my eyes three times since this happened and hasn't been able to see anything... He just told me to get my blood pressure in check. I have a visual field test scheduled for Friday..

[Meriland30]

I still haven't found any answers about it. I have the same thing as you, I have a couple spots that show up in the same spot and are the same shape. An ophthalmologist has looked at my eyes three times since this happened and hasn't been able to see anything... I have a visual field test scheduled for Friday..


Me too! Do you get sporadic afterimages of actual things other than orbs? I also get 'laser pointer' like points of light come into my field of view...and it is quite realistic.

---------- Post added at 03:36 ---------- Previous post was at 03:34 ----------


I know you posted this a long time ago, but how did this turn out? Did you end up getting seen by an ophthalmologist? I've been having a spot that looks like an afterimage but has no evident external cause- it's not always there, but when it does appear it's always in roughly the same position. Though mine happens several (many?) times a day.



I have that happen in the dark or with my eyes closed. A lot of times i will wake up and see blinds or a poker table behind my closed eyes. No reason, it is like my eyes are revisiting old memories of things I actually looked at and then retriggering the afterimage

[Meriland30]

Hi, everyone! Firstly I want to say, this forum has been extremely helpful for me and has relieved a lot of stress concerning my vision issues but something happened yesterday that has put me into an anxious spin.

I am 29 years old, I had a posterior vitreous detachment about a year and a half ago, and since then my vision has been seemingly getting worse. I have been under a ton of stress these past couple years. I had a very stressful, life altering event occur in my life about a month before my PVD.

Since my PVD, I have had the following symptoms in my vision:

-strobing in dimly lit rooms
-lots of floaters (which don't bother me as badly anymore)
-shimmering spots
-strange grey, see through blobs with an opalescent rim that pop up and go after I blink when I'm in a room with a computer screen and/or the lights are dimmed
-difficulty looking at busy patterns such as stripes, grids, etc. (the Amsler grid always tests good for me)
-eye pain
-light sensitivity
-light spots, rings, etc.
-and lots more! lol

Now, recently, I was sitting in a bathroom, and the floor was causing me to feel nauseous because it was a white grid pattern with dark grout. I decided to close one eye and the grid was warped where my natural blind spot is in my right eye more than in my left. I immediately scheduled an appointment with my ophthalmologist, despite not having health insurance. They took me right away, dilated my eyes, tested for glaucoma, did a very thorough dilated eye exam, and took pictures/scans of my eye. The doctor could not find anything wrong. She could not see any signs of macular degeneration, retinal holes, detachment, puckers, etc. She said my retina was very healthy. Now she's scheduled me for a visual field test on Friday and I'm very worried. This warping has also been accompanied by eye pain that's now been happening for over 24 hours (I am unaware if this is a new thing or if the warping has been there and I'm just now noticing it). I also feel like something's in my eye right now... Has anyone ever had warping of grid patterns in their peripheral/blind spot that's not related to macular degeneration or some serious eye disease?

I'd greatly appreciate some help or having someone to talk to about this.

I hope you have a great day!


Metamorphosia can be caused by a bunch of minor issues, from eye strain to myopia...not necessarily macular degeneration. I get wavy vision. Things look to be moving or wavy. I also get various other things like spontaneous 'laser type' spots with no previous light provocation. Having pain in your eyes is a good sign that the synptoms you are having are not due to any serious eye disease (seeing as MD and the like don't cause pain). It may be eye strain or maybe a infection or inflammation in the socket...which is treatable.

[Elen]

Hi

This is just a courtesy reply to let you know that your thread was merged with another of your threads.

Please when posting on similar topics add it onto your previous post rather than starting a new one.

It is nothing personal it is just to make it easier for people to follow your story and to give you advice as a whole.

Elen

[Anxietyfighter]

Metamorphosia can be caused by a bunch of minor issues, from eye strain to myopia...not necessarily macular degeneration. I get wavy vision. Things look to be moving or wavy. I also get various other things like spontaneous 'laser type' spots with no previous light provocation. Having pain in your eyes is a good sign that the synptoms you are having are not due to any serious eye disease (seeing as MD and the like don't cause pain). It may be eye strain or maybe a infection or inflammation in the socket...which is treatable.

Thank you for your response, it's reassuring. My wavy lines are occurring where my natural blind spot is and I found this out because I waved my finger into the area where the warping was occurring and it disappeared. I hope it's just eye strain, stress, or a three day long migraine. I'm hoping the field test will help them figure something out. It feels like it's something to do with my optic nerve, since it's related to the area in and around my blind spot on the right eye.

[Mommy2girls]

I get tons of weird things in my vision. Have for years. Floaters like crazy (if you have lighter eyes you are more prone to them...mine are blue). I also get migraine with aura and the aura is something else. Normally I get wavy, flashing lines, and a blind spot that will grow until half is my vision is gone.

I also get what I call trails behind things when they move and the random grayish spots that look like the aftermath of a light flash.

My dad gets the aura without the migraine and he describes them a lot like what you see. Like looking through water ripples.

Sometimes visual things happen. I used to get so freaked out but after 15+ years of different things I have come to accept that I get visual upsets due to my brain. I have a neurologist and an optometrist who I trust greatly so that helps.

[Jotia]

I have had all the issues you have listed plus the wavy lines thing. Yesterday I was working on some pixel art on my iPad, the whole page was a grid all of sudden all the lines started going wavy and weird. I had to turned it off because it was freaking me out.

[Anxietyfighter]

I get tons of weird things in my vision. Have for years. Floaters like crazy (if you have lighter eyes you are more prone to them...mine are blue). I also get migraine with aura and the aura is something else. Normally I get wavy, flashing lines, and a blind spot that will grow until half is my vision is gone.

I also get what I call trails behind things when they move and the random grayish spots that look like the aftermath of a light flash.

My dad gets the aura without the migraine and he describes them a lot like what you see. Like looking through water ripples.

Sometimes visual things happen. I used to get so freaked out but after 15+ years of different things I have come to accept that I get visual upsets due to my brain. I have a neurologist and an optometrist who I trust greatly so that helps.

My ophthalmologist said the spots and the light flashes are most likely migraine related too. He said I should probably get my blood pressure in check and work on my anxiety.

I was just starting to get to a point where I was resting about all of this and putting it into the back of mind and then the warping in my right eye's peripheral/natural blind spot started and it's like I'm spiraling all over again.

---------- Post added at 15:35 ---------- Previous post was at 15:31 ----------


I have had all the issues you have listed plus the wavy lines thing. Yesterday I was working on some pixel art on my iPad, the whole page was a grid all of sudden all the lines started going wavy and weird. I had to turned it off because it was freaking me out.

That's interesting. I wonder if it's anything to do with eye strain or exhaustion? I'm an artist too, and this why the vision problems are freaking me out. Any kind of grid or busy pattern makes me nauseous and my vision gets pulsy and throbby (if that makes any sense lol).

Does the warping stay warped at all? The warping in my peripheral hasn't shown any signs of letting up yet and my eye starts hurting really bad when I test it.

[Anxietyfighter]

Update:

I went to the ophthalmologist, she did the field test and my eyes tested very well. She said that she does not know what could be causing the warping. She said it's possible that it's the natural pin cushioning effect of the blind spot but it's more accentuated in one eye. She said that there could be some pressure causing it or it could be sinus related. She said that my eyes look healthy and there are no problems with my eyes (which is strange because of this weird warping in my blind spot, but I'm going to trust her). She said I should go to a doctor, get my blood pressure checked, maybe see if it's possible to get an MRI to see if there's pressure (but she assured me, don't worry about brain tumors... I'm not really worried about that, I'd be having other symptoms), etc. and try to relax, because this could also be stress and anxiety related... So I don't have definitive answers and not having health insurance makes this tougher... I just want this warping to let up... it's still freaking me out... I'm trying to take deep breaths.