What is visual disturbance?

Visual disturbance is when you experience a short spell of flashing or

shimmering of light in your sight. The symptoms normally last around twenty
minutes before your sight returns to normal. Usually, there is no headache
during the visual disturbance. A visual disturbance should not be confused
with a retinal or ocular migraine where there is a partial or total loss of vision
in one eye, normally with a headache.

Risk factor
Visual disturbance is a common condition among people who are affected by
migraines, although they can affect anyone.
 Visual disturbances tend to be more common in:

 women

 people aged under 40

 people aged over 60

 people with a personal or family history of migraines

What are the symptoms of visual disturbance?

 Flashes of light

 These may start in the periphery of your sight, and become larger and
more central (Some people experience the opposite, starting as a tiny dot centrally and
become a bigger arc as they reach the periphery)

 They may be black and white or brightly coloured

 Typically described as a zigzagging pattern, or giving the appearance of

shards of glass

 They may be apparent when your eyes are shut

 The disturbance affects your sight and both eyes are affected.

 There is no headache during the disturbance

 The visual disturbance last around 20-30 minutes

How do you treat visual disturbance?

 Firstly, do not panic; visual disturbances can be frightening, but in most cases
are short lived. If you are driving or operating machinery, stop what you are
doing and wait for the symptoms to go away. Make a note of your symptoms,
how long they lasted and what you were doing just before they began. In most
cases, there is a common trigger and keeping a diary of symptoms can help
work out what the trigger is. Simply avoiding the trigger, where possible, may
be all you need to do.

Common triggers include:

 stress

 tiredness

 flashing or flickering lights (including driving through a row of trees in bright

sunlight)

 glare (bright sheen of light reflected from a window, computer monitor, or

white paper)

 exercise

 bending over

 dehydration

 certain foods such as chocolate, cheese or alcohol.

 excessive heat

If you are regularly affected by visual disturbance, take the diary of your
symptoms to your optometrist for further advice.
If you experience a partial or complete loss of vision or persistent flashing it’s
important to see an optometrist or GP, or contact NHS 111 urgently,
particularly when it occurs for the first time. Your optometrist or GP will also
establish whether you have been affected by a visual disturbance or the less
common and more serious retinal migraine.
Overview
Visual disturbances interfere with normal sight. Several conditions and
disorders may cause the various types of visual disturbances. Some are
temporary and can be relieved with treatment. However, some can be
permanent.

Types of visual disturbances

The most common visual disturbances include:

 double vision, or diplopia

 partial or total blindness
 color blindness
 blurred vision
 halos
 pain

Diplopia

Diplopia is also called double vision. If you’re seeing two objects when there’s
only one, you’re experiencing diplopia. This visual disturbance can be a
symptom of a serious health problem. It’s important to see your doctor when
symptoms begin.

There are two types of diplopia:

 Monocular: Double vision that affects only one eye is called monocular

diplopia. It can result from a physical change to the lens over your eye,
 the cornea, or the retinal surface. This type of double vision occurs with
only one eye open.
 Binocular: Double vision that only happens with both eyes open may
be the result of poorly aligned eyes. It could also be nerve damage,
which prevents your brain from properly layering the images your eyes
are seeing.

Double vision can be a result of miscommunication in your brain. You

experience double vision because your brain can’t overlay the two images that
your eyes see.

Blindness

Partial blindness means you can see light as well as some degree of what’s
around you. Total blindness refers to a condition when you can no longer see
light. People with vision below 20/200 are considered legally blind. Some
cases may be corrected with:

 glasses
 surgery
 contact lenses

In many cases, people with partial or complete blindness can’t restore their
sight.

Color blindness

Individuals who are colorblind can’t see colors in the same way that
individuals with normal vision can. Most people with poor color vision are only
partially colorblind. They lack the ability to differentiate between specific
shades of certain colors.
Total color blindness is rare. People who are completely colorblind see only
shades of gray.

Blurred vision

Blurred vision may be the result of changing eyesight or a symptom of another

condition. Eyes that no longer align properly can’t receive and read visual
messages. Corrective or contact lenses can fix most cases of blurry vision.

If your blurry vision is caused by another condition, it may require additional

treatment. If you notice blurry vision that happens over a short amount of time,
see a doctor as this may be an eye emergency.

Halos

Halos appear as circles of light around objects. They can be a sign of multiple,
different eye conditions that an eye doctor needs to evaluate.

Pain

Eye pain or discomfort can vary depending on the underlying condition. It may
feel like a scratching sensation when you open and shut your eyelid. A
continuous throbbing that isn’t relieved by closing your eye is another type of
pain

What causes visual disturbances?

Visual disturbances can be caused by several conditions.

Double vision (diplopia)

Causes of double vision include:

 an autoimmune condition, such as myasthenia gravis, which prevents

your nerves from activating your eye muscles
 cataracts, which is clouding of your eye’s lens
 cornea scarring or infection
 diabetes
 hypertension
 injury or irregularity on your eye’s lens and cornea
 muscle weakness
 nerve conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and Guillain-Barré
syndrome

Sudden onset of diplopia may be caused by:

 stroke
 migraine
 brain tumor
 aneurysm

Partial or total blindness

Blindness has many causes. The most common ones include:

 accidents or trauma to the eyes

 advancing age
 cataracts
 diabetes
  glaucoma
 hereditary condition
 macular degeneration
 optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic nerve
 stroke
 tumors

Color blindness

Color blindness is more common in menTrusted Source than in women. The

most common form is red-green color deficiency. Common causes for poor
color vision or color blindness include:

 advancing age
 certain medications, such as those used to treat high blood pressure,
erectile dysfunction, and psychological disorders
 diabetes
 exposure to certain chemicals, such as fertilizers
 glaucoma
 heredity
 macular degeneration, or inflammation of the optic nerve
 optic neuritis
 Parkinson’s disease
 sickle cell anemia

Blurred vision

Causes of blurred vision can include one or more of the following:

  cataract
 corneal abrasion or infection
 glaucoma
 inadequate prescription glasses or contact lens
 macular degeneration
 migraine
 optic nerve problems
 trauma or injury to the eye
 tumor
 stroke

Halos

Halos can be caused by any of the following:

 cataract
 damage or disease that affects your eye’s cornea
 glaucoma
 migraine
 ocular migraine

Pain

There are many causes of eye pain. A few of them are listed here:

 bacterial infection
 conjunctivitis, or pink eye
  glaucoma
 injury or inflammation in the eyelids
 migraine headache
 optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic nerve
 problems with contact lens
 sinus headache or sinus infection
 stye, an inflamed oil gland that develops on your eyelids

A doctor needs to evaluate eye pain, as some causes can result in irreversible
damage to your eyes.

Who is at risk for visual

disturbances?
Anyone can experience a visual disturbance at any time. Several conditions
put you at an increased risk for one or more of the most common visual
disturbances. These conditions include:

 brain tumor
 cataracts
 diabetes
 glaucoma
 macular degeneration
 migraine
Diagnosing visual disturbances
If any visual disturbances begin suddenly and unexpectedly, see a doctor
immediately. Although the visual disturbance may be the result of a minor
problem, vision disturbances can be the first symptom of other serious
conditions, such as:

 glaucoma
 brain tumors
 stroke
 aneurysm

Your doctor will likely perform several diagnostic tests to determine what’s
causing your visual disturbance. These tests might include:

 physical exam
 eye exam
 blood tests

Imaging tests, such as MRI or CT scans, may also be used to confirm a

problem or further investigate a suspected condition.

Treating visual disturbances

The first step in treating a visual disturbance is figuring out the underlying
problem that’s causing it. Once your doctor has discovered the issue, they can
help you develop a treatment plan. In some cases, the disturbance will go
away naturally.
For example, blurry vision caused by a headache will usually resolve when
the headache recedes. Your doctor may prescribe medication to prevent
future headaches. They may choose to prescribe medicine that you can take
when a headache that causes visual complications begins.

There are several common treatments for visual disturbances:

 Medication: Drugs can sometimes treat underlying conditions so that

they no longer cause symptoms.
 Dietary changes: If you’re having concerns managing your diabetes,
but you can make lifestyle changes and get assistance in managing
your condition, the changes, such as your diet, can sometimes prevent
visual disturbances.
 Glasses, contact lenses, or magnifying devices: These may be able
to correct vision disturbances that can’t be corrected with another
treatment.
 Surgery: When necessary, surgery can help relieve or repair damaged
nerves and muscles.

Takeaway
Several conditions and disorders may be the cause of your visual disturbance.
Anyone can experience a visual disturbance at any time.

If you experience a visual disturbance that begins suddenly and unexpectedly,

see a doctor immediately. While some visual disturbances may be permanent,
some can be temporary and relieved with treatment.

Patient safety,

Assist the patient