Blinking Issues

[Cptdebbie]

Hi All,
I’ve been sick for the last ten days. I got a negative covid test, but since I had all the symptoms, I’ve been quarantined. I am a widow and live alone. Being sick and alone for so long is incredibly hard on my anxiety. I don’t have much to distract myself from my phobias. UGH!!!

I posted about the issue below once before but didn’t connect with anyone who has experienced it, so I thought I’d try again.

The problem: I seem to be noticing my eye blinks. Specifically, I notice a brief nanosecond of no vision. I usually notice that first and it kind of jolts me, then I realize it’s happening when I blink. I have dry eyes and that can cause a longer blink rate. My thought is that I’m hyper aware because of my vision loss scare?? This, coupled with some slower blink rates, has caused me to notice something most people don’t??

This doesn’t happen all day, but usually for a little while each day, particularly when I’m tired. I’m worried there is some strange disease I don’t know about that manifests itself this way.

I had a thorough eye exam in November and a brain MRI in January when I thought I’d had a tia. I meant to bring this up to the dry eye specialist I saw in January, but she was in and out of the office like a whirlwind and I forgot. Then, I had to cancel the appointment I’d made to talk to my neuro-opthamologist about it due to my covid symptoms.

Has anyone experienced this? I’m struggling to calm myself down today.

~ Debbie

[Fishmanpa]

You're 100% being hyper-aware. This is a totally normal bodily function.

Positive thoughts

[Cptdebbie]

Thank you Fishman. I used to be such a reasonable person. Anxiety is sooo unreasonable!!! Yet, it can catch me and bind me in its snare so quickly.

I am grateful you are part of our group. You speak reason to my damaged psyche and bless my life over and over.

Best,
Debbie

[pulisa]

You just have HA, Debbie and boredom and isolation are the perfect breeding ground for focusing on bodily functions which you would normally not think about..but thinking about them constantly will make them seem unnatural and "wrong". I used to have a similar problem with breathing.

[Cptdebbie]

Thank you Pulisa. I always appreciate your wisdom and advice. Best, Debbie

[Pbnjelly]

Can you explain what you mean a little more ? I’m currently having issues with my eyes and blinking and am struggling to find people who have something similar going on. For the last 11 months or so, when my eyes are adjusting from dark to light, I have a strange visual disturbance every time I blink. It’s like, a flickering shadow that looks like an extra blink in between each blink. I also have dry eyes, and had a thorough eye exam of my retina, optic never and everything else and no one seems to have any answers.

[Cptdebbie]

Pbnjelly, I’m so sorry that I just now noticed your question. Maybe you’ve figured things out?

I’ve been to an neuro-ophthalmologist twice since I wrote this and my eyes and my brain check out fine. (I went once for the blinking issue and once for a new type of migraine aura.)

What happens to me (and it is still happening) is that I get very brief moments of no vision. Sometimes I see black and sometimes I just notice a break in my vision. I rarely see spots or flashes with this. It’s just a split second of no vision. Once I notice it, I go on noticing it for a while.

My doc thinks I’m just hyper aware of what’s happening in my eyes.

[Fishmanpa]

My doc thinks I’m just hyper aware of what’s happening in my eyes.

You're 100% being hyper-aware. This is a totally normal bodily function.

FMP

[Cptdebbie]

You called it Fishman 😁