Scintillating lights...

[The Chairman]

Yo real docs...

I just got through seeing my GP and am confused (so is he) as to what I should do next. I have developed a recurring scintillating light episode in my left eye. It started maybe a couple of months ago, and has only gotten more frequent. When I was in college I had something similar which was far more dramatic and usually evolved into a severe headache, and this was ultimately attributed to me being hypo-glycemic.

The current situation does not seem to follow any particular pattern of eating, and is not alleviated by the normal foods (wheat crackers etc). It is occurring more and more, and seems to be more pronounced at depth. Of course, it is more pronounced in any low light environment, but this seems more than that. After onset, an episode will last from 20 to 40 minutes and of course, I can't see clearly out of that eye (it is usually centered vertically and slightly to the left horizontally.

I will be seeing an ophthalmologist today or tomorrow to rule out anything to do with the eyes. But other than that, he has not given me any "direction" to go in evaluating these lights. I sorta get the feeling that he is hoping it "goes away" rather than being proactive with it. Now, I am not looking for free diagnosis, but rather where to take this. Cardiologists maybe? Endocrinologist? Shrink? Any help would be appreciated... of course I could tell my clients that I've got something in my eye, and just can't see doing anything for them today! :tease:

 

[SCUBAMedicBill]

You said that your GP is possibly attributing it to hypo-glycemia. Has he tested for this, or is it an assumption? If you are hyo-glycemic, does a more sugar based food help, like orange juice or a candy bar?

In addition to the ophthalmologist, you may think about a neurologist. I would go first to the ophthalmologist, and if he/she comes up with nothing, then see a neurologist. Sometimes visual lights are caused by the visual centers of the brain, similar to when you strike the back of your head you see stars.

I'll see if I can track any info for you. Good luck on your appointments. Let me know if they find anything.

Bill

 

[beche de mer]

Agree with SCUBAMedicBill. I think you're heading in the right direction. An ophthalmologist should definitely be your first stop since some retinal conditions can cause symptoms similar to what you describe. Take a look here. Does this sound anything like you?

http://www.theretinasource.com/conditions/retinal_detachment.htm

Once that's excluded, you should look for neurological causes.

 

[Laurence Stein DDS]

Here's my dental $.02

Possible retinal detachment, ocular migraine or pulling our legs too often.

Hope everything is OK

Larry Stein

 

[Laurence Stein DDS]

Whew! That beche de mer is so quick...he got in before me:wacko:
Larry

 

[beche de mer]

Laurence Stein DDS once bubbled...
Whew! That beche de mer is so quick...he got in before me:wacko:
Larry

Don't be fooled by our indolent, sluggish image. We bdm's have a handy turn of speed when we need it.

BTW, good call for a fang merchant.


bdm de grande vitesse. =-)

 

[The Chairman]

Thanks for the great replies. The link was really super!

So maybe my GP is heading me in the right direction after all. Cool!

The hypo-glycemia was diagnosed back in 76 and has been managed by diet. Yes, I even tried the candy bar route and it did not seem to resolve it as it did in those past episodes. BUT, it only appears to be affecting the left eye and the episodes are not nearly as signifigant as they were back in college days. Excersize does seem to trigger it.

I read the entire link, and it does seem possible that this may be the problem... the question I have is can these conditions be transient? The lights seem to last only 20 to 40 minutes (makes driving a bit dicey, mind you) and other than the elevated stress from it all, the symptoms disappear almost completely.

 

[saholz]

You might also want to check out the many web sites dealing with migraine headaches. Optical, or auroral, migraines are fairly common and do not always result in an actual migraine headache. They are characterized by the scintillating lights that you are experiencing, and often last 15-45 minutes. They typically affect both eyes in that the lights can be seen with either eye closed.

I suffered from optical migraines for 4 years following surgery to repair a heart valve. They were attributed to micro-embolisms that may have occurred during the heart/lung bypass phase of the surgery, but there was no way to really know. Examinations by an opthamologist, cardiologist, and neurologist showed no measurable abnormalities. They've only recently abated and now occur only rarely. I would not be surprised if all your tests turn out to be normal.

You're doing the right thing in starting with the opthamological exam. Hope everything turns out to be fine and this goes away soon.

Stan

 

[diverdeb001]

It does sound a lot like a migraine aura which is sort of like the pre-headache warning. You are lucky if all you get is the aura and not the headache. db

 

[The Chairman]

Seeing an oppthamologist is tougher than getting an appointment with the president. Still, the eye checked out and my GP is continuing on other tests. The only oddity is my BP being rather low for my age and weight this past Friday. I wonder what causes that.

BTW, I can replicate the episodes with vigorous exercise. Anything in which I approach "panting" like a long swim (1/4 mile or more) with the last couple of laps swum as sprints always results in this. But I sometimes get the aura when I don't push it too much. But, exercise does seem to trigger it. My resting PR was 58 and my BP was like 105/???. I am not in very good shape at this time (285#) but it seemed to be coming back this past week. I am committed to getting back to being able to do a mile without resting.

My GP told me to dive as I saw fit... he's not too concerned with these lights I guess.