Temporary partial loss of peripheral vision

[Doug E Style]

Good afternoon,

Would anyone be able to shed some light on an occurence that has now happened three times in the last six months (most recently, today). Without warning, my vision has become somewhat degraded (reading is possible, but takes more concentration); it feels like I have an enlarged blind spot in which some of my peripheral vision is blurred but with a sense of movement. The first time it happened my right eye was affected, the second time it was my left. Today, both eyes were affected. In each case, I have sat down and closed my eyes during which time I was aware of a slight sensation in my eyes, not painful but something felt slightly different. This feeling has gradually receded over ten minutes or so after which everything is completely normal. I am 43 years old, I do not wear glasses or contact lenses and I have always passed my medicals with no problems at all. All three episodes have happened at home at times when I was relaxed and under no stress. I have searched this forum and elsewhere without success. I have made an appointment for an eye test but will have to wait four weeks.

Any comments gratefully received. Thanks.

[one dot right]

Sounds like a mild form of Migraine with aura but without the headache. had roughly the same thing since I was about twelve.

[Doug E Style]

One dot right: Thanks for that. I have been getting a higher than normal number of headaches in recent months. Nowhere near migraine strength but on one or two occasions I've felt it necessary to take an ibuprofen tablet.

[Loose rivets]

Are you sure it was ONLY in the right, and then left eye on the first two occasions, and not just out of the visual area?

Sometimes it's hard to tell what's gong on while one is alarmed at the symptoms.


aware of a slight sensation in my eyes

Can you elaborate on that.

Who are you going to see? I don't thing an eye test will be much use in its basic form. If you are simply going to an optician make sure it's one that does the retinal photography - that's quite good science, and will be of use to an eye surgeon if you eventually go to one.

[Doug E Style]

Loose rivets; no, I am not 100% sure about either of the first two occasions. The first time was several months ago and as it was a temporary localised event, I assumed that I'd perhaps inadvertently caught a glimpse of a reflection of the sun. As far as I can remember it was just the right eye and also the right side of my field of vision in that eye, but I can't be certain. Yes, I was alarmed.
The second event was maybe six weeks ago and I really can't remember too much about it except that I think it was left eye and the symptoms were the same.
The slight sensation in my eye; well, that's about as much as I can say. No pain or discomfort. Sitting with my eyes closed I was "aware" of my right eye in a way that I am not normally (or now).
As far as I know, it's a normal optician I'm seeing but I can check on that.

After the original response from one dot right, I have read up on migraine (which I've never had before) and it does seem to tick lots of boxes.

[Fostex]

Go and see your GP, (s)he will refer you to an Opthamologist. If the onset is acute or more frequent and you are concerned then go to accident & emergency at your local hospital.

Don't make things worse by guessing.

Sorry to be blunt, but vision is extremely important, especially in this field. Don't risk it and leave anything to chance.

[Doug E Style]

Thanks Fostex, I'll do that. Sounds like four weeks is too long to wait.

[obgraham]

Over here that sort of thing is considered an optical emergency. Patient is advised to see ophthalmologist right away. Or go to emergency dept to be referred.

In your system I would do what's necessary to see an MD ophthalmologist immediately.

[gingernut]

The "worst case scenario," on the back of my mind, is the possibility of stroke/TIA, but in a chap your age, it's unlikely. (Have a look at FAST/ABCD2 score.)

Other possible nasties include brain tumour, again very unusual. A decent clinician should be able to reassure following a sifting of symptoms and an examination in the surgery.

My moneys on the migraine, but as obs states, it's not a place for internet diagnosis.

Visual field defects are likely to ground you initially.

[DX Wombat]

Doug, Obgraham, Gingernut and Fostex are right - go and see your GP. Listen to those who are qualified to give the advice. If it happens again before you can get to your doctor, take yourself straight to the nearest A&E. Better still, get somebody else to take you. Please let us know how you get on.

[one dot right]

I hate this place!

[gingernut]

Oh come on, it's not that bad!

He's probably got a simple migraine. He's worried, so he's put a posting on here.

He's got some "rough" advice equating towards the midline, everything from taking a couple of ibuprofen to knocking down A+E's door and demanding a brain scan.

We give the fact's, as far as we believe them, I'm sure he'll make his own mind up as more posts arrive.

[Loose rivets]

I was talking to an eye surgeon in Colchester c 1990. I mentioned I'd read that people who had not had migraine by the time they were 50, were unlikely to ever have it. He responded by saying that wasn't true, evidenced by the stream of people coming into his 'office' with post 50s migraine symptoms.

(His name was Julian something, but when I goo'd for a reminder, I was astonished to find a slew of Julians that had gone into that profession. Not one was my man - well, he'd be 80 odd now.)

Indeed, the zig-zag type seems almost to be a 'late onset' problem from my limited knowledge. Despite being marked by the characteristic saw-tooth pattern, there are still quite large patches of total blindness for part of the episode.

Doug. In my posts of old I talk about triggers like chocolate and cheese. Also about deep underlying worry. I personally think the latter is the cause and the former a possible trigger.

I hope you don't get it again, but if it comes back do try to do some tests to determine just where the aura is. Classical migraine is normally in both eyes.

With eyes close, one can still see the aura. It wouldn't surprise me to find this made the eyes feel odd. Spasm/tension can account for a lot of symptoms. Indeed, I think it might be just that acting on the walls of blood vessels that causes the whole problem in the first place.

It only takes the brain to order an emergency squirt of a relaxant to explain a lot of symptoms - from loss of memory in localized areas, to numbness of fingers etc. Having saved the day with the relaxant, it then gives the patient symptoms that in a bad case, make them wish it hadn't bothered.

Such a relaxant would by its very nature have to be quick acting and powerful. Very easy to see it might cause some collateral effects.

[obgraham]

Rivets I don't disagree with you. Migraine is a much more likely diagnosis than some of the nasties bandied about here. Trouble is, the downside if it is nastier is too great. When it comes to sudden changes in vision, I'll let an eye specialist tell me I'm just another hypochondriac. It's amazing what those geeky eye docs can treat nowadays, but they have to get at it while the pudding is still warm.

[Doug E Style]

Ladies/Gents,

Thank you for the valuable input. I shall be bringing my appointment forward and will report back. As yesterday's event is the clearest in my mind, I am certain that I could see the aura (if that is what it was) in both eyes with them closed. As for underlying worry and tension, well, I am between airlines at the moment so that may account for it.

[Loose rivets]

Yes, I realized later I hadn't really spelled out the need to see an eye specialist. It was kind of lost in my tale of the folk walking into his office.

I was there because I had noticed an area of vision - well off-centre - than did not respond to lines of a certain angle. Very few of his customers would have ever noticed, but it's the kind of thing I pick up on. He sent me for an MRI.

[Cusco]

If your 'temporary blind patches' or scotomas had jagged rainbow coloured edges, (fortification spectra) ,visible even with your eyes closed then it's almost certainly migraine.

However it's probably only mild: the blind patches are caused by arteries in the optic cortex going into spasm and reducing the blood supply temporarily to the optic area of the brain, reducing visual function and causing the patches.

In full migraine, when this temporary spasm wears off there is a compensatory rush of blood through the blood vessels as the spasm relaxes: This gives the splitting, debilitating headache that goes with full migraine.

However, there are other more sinister causes of temporary restriction of the blood flow to the optic region which can give similar symptoms and must therefore br fully investigated without too much delay.

IIRC the CAA medical branch take a dim view of Migraine in the issue of Class 1 medicals: so you're not going to get much info on migraine from Class 1 holding ATPLs on here as they won't have a migraine history and won't have experienced migraines.

Will they?