Vision Issues

[DaveCH]

Hi all, I have just joined this site. I have suffered severe health anxiety for 2 years. Physical symptoms have been bodywide muscle twitching, frequent urination, pains in arms, head zaps, sweating, heart racing, intense arm trembling, internal tremors, TMJ, neck and shoulder pain, lump in throat, feeling sick, pins and needles, dizziness, feeling detached from the world, poor sleep, hot flushes, blocked ears and Im sure there is more. Anyway my latest thing is my vision which has me petrified. Blue spots sometimes in my vision and occasional flashes at the side of my vision. There disappear the second i move my eyes or look to see them. I know I am now hyper vigilant about my vision and I am always looking for these flashes etc. I had my eyes checked last week, pressure test, camera photo taken etc and my eyes are 100%, but this makes me think I have a brain Tumour. Yesterday however i was chilled out and felt good but didnt notice it at all. Has anyone experienced these vision issue.

Thanks

Dave

[countrygirl]

Hi Dave. You have answered this yourself as you have had your eyes checked out and nothing was found. Eye tests are a very good way of finding brain tumours so the fact your test was normal should give you great reassurance. They can also see diabetes and high blood pressure to name a few in an eye exam.
Once you notice something in your eye, probably something you have had for ever but never noticed before then the health anxiety makes you focus on these and then of course you notice all sorts of strange things in your eyes!
Be very reassured that you have had a normal eye exam.

[DaveCH]

Thanks country girl I'm just really struggling to accept its anxiety. I have a full blood count taken three weeks before this started as an overall health check. Three bottles off blood where taken and everything came back perfect. That along with eye test surely means it's anxiety doesn't it ?

[dittarco]

Hey Dave.. I've all of the above... including your vision issue. My husband once told me when you're anxious, your pupils actually dilate, which can cause that as well..

and yes, when you're focused on something, it's GOING to be there.

[DaveCH]

Thanks dittarco. Do you still get the eye stuff. Surely blood tests and a detailed eye test with pressure and camera etc would have shown something if it was a tumour ?

[Gary A]

When there's a brain tumour present the optic disk behind your retina becomes enlarged due to the increased intracranial pressure. This is called papiliodema. If there were no signs of disk enlargement then it's a good indicator that your intracranial pressure was normal. This, of course, means there is no excess mass in the limited space within your skull.

If you had a brain tumour large enough to be causing your symptoms, you'd be showing signs of raised intracranial pressure. You aren't, so it's safe to assume your symptoms are not being caused by a brain tumour.

[DaveCH]

That makes sense but what about if was an Occital lobe tumour would that still apply ?

[Gary A]

Of course it would. Regardless of tumour position, the pressure in your skull raises as the space within the skull is very very limited. Also, you said your vision was 100%, if you had a tumour causing visual issues by pressing on the occipital lobe then your eyesite wouldn't be 100%, would it?

[DaveCH]

Sorry ha ha. I'm a civil engineer and head of contracts and I'm an expert in all of that but not medically. My blood tests including esr and some other cancer marker test all came back perfect. I take it that is also a good indicator that all is fine ?

[Gary A]

Yes. You don't have a brain tumour, there's really no reason whatsoever to think you do.