One eye pulsing with heartbeat.... a bit worried

[brockenspectre]

OKies... I know I may be worrying over nothing and I have made an app to see my GP (next Friday) but was just wondering if anyone could give insight in to what might be occurring here!

About three weeks ago, while walking the dog, I noticed that every time i looked left there were flashing lights in an arc on the RH side of my right eye. It was quite a sunny day and I do wear specs so I just thought it was something to do with light/reflection etc. The arc-ing continued and persisted overnight and for the next days... during this time my eye was watering and seemed to have a lot of floaters (I have seen some over the years but never like this - it was like a flock of birds!!)... then over the next few days these disappeared leaving behind a large floater in the centre of my field of vision (I flick my eye to the right to clear it) and an awareness of the eye pulsing with my heartbeat (not all the time but when I do something to increase blood pressure!) ... it is most unsettling. The eye feels as if it needs to be de-coked - taken out of socket and cleaned... but the vision is fine (apart from ye floater)... and there is a sense of discomfort. No gunk, no discharge and the watering has stopped.

As many of you know I have kinda-sorta been through the mill since a general anaesthetic induced parkinsonism in March 2006 so... I really don't want this to be an issue.

I have made an app with my GP for next Friday but was wondering if a fellow Prooner might cast a light on what might be happening here? I am, natch, open to any and all suggestions!

Thanks in advance for replies.

[gingernut]

Hi bs, on the face of it nothing too worrying, but I'd get checked pronto, just to rule out a retina detaching, or something else that can be sorted early.

Generally "arcing" is a symptom that needs looking at soonish rather than laterish.

If caught early, easilly repaired, I'd probably give the gp a miss unless you can get seen and refered early. An optician/eye hospital (in the uk) may be a quicker route.

Keep us informed.:)

[frostbite]

Might even be something as simple as tree pollen fever?

Lots of it about at the moment and produces some peculiar effects.

[Rugbyears]

Gingernut - Good advice!

[gingernut]

Thanks for that. Although it's probably a bit unprofessional and unproductive to swear on here, I feel the need.

Don't :mad: about with your eyesight. If you're seeing flashing lights and arcs, go and see an ophthalmologist. Now.:)

[Blues&twos]

I would absolutely back up Gingernut's advice. Some hospitals have a specialist "eye casualty" unit (my local one has). Don't hang about - if they take a look and say "No worries, nothing wrong" you've wasted a couple of hours, but if it's something more serious the earlier it's diagnosed, the better the chance of successful treatment. Go on, pick up the phone....

[A.Agincourt]

Your description bears some resemblance to something I encountered a few months ago but without 'floaters'. It might be worth your while to check your blood pressure. Specifically Systolic.

Best Wishes

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Go straight to eye casualty. You may have to wait a while but you'll almost certainly see a specialist who will examine your eye there and then.

I recently had an epsiode of flashing lights and many more floaters than usual. Went to the eye clinic and was diagnosed with Posterior Viscous Detachment - it's when the jelly in your eye becomes more liquid with age and starts to detach itself from the inside of the eyeball. There's no cure, the lights and floaters gradually subside and vision is hardly effected. What they watch out for is detachment of the retina as the jelly pulls away from the back of the eye. I had two consultations and that was that. My vison has not been impaired and I was warned that the other eye will probably do the same.

I'm 63 and retired so do not know how this would be viewed from a licence point of view but I imagine it would cause no problems once detachment was completed.

[Loose rivets]

Do go to the specialist, but search all my stuff on PVD

The odds are that you will not have to do anything at all but take it easy with rapid eye movements, like driving in heavy traffic.

Statistically at 70 years of age, 90% of the population have some vitrious detatchment. (I find this hard to believe.)

After seeing an eye sergeon, DON'T rush to have a vitrectomy, the flashing will probably have long gone, and the floaters either go, or you learn to see past them.

I very much regret having sea-water replacing my vitrious humour, it's a poor UV filter and the process causes a high risk of cataract...as I found to my cost. :ouch:

[brockenspectre]

Hi all

Thank you very much to those who replied. I saw my GP yesterday and have been referred to an opthalmologist who, due to my company's private health scheme (I remain technically employed although on long-term disability due to the parky thing) I will see next Friday at 9 a.m. The GP didn't see owt wrong when he initially checked my eye - Heathrow Director the symptoms are easing as you experienced :ok: The pulsing sensation remains, a few large clompy floaters are interfering with vision, the eye/socket feels uncomfortable and the eye watered like a watering thing when out in a light breeze with the hound this morning.

Hopefully it is nothing too dramatic - just probably an aging thing happening to me a tad early thanks to the parky :mad:

I really do appreciate the feedback from y'all.. and, if its not too narcissistic, will let you know how I get on next week.

[brockenspectre]

Here's the update. T'was a PVD ..although the pulsing is not part of that, nor is the sense of oddness about the eye socket but the specialist and I both agreed that as I am fairly highly strung (parky doesnt help!) these symptoms may just be part of the "psychological effects of eye problems"! Anyway I am to go back in 6 weeks and if the pulsing effect is continuing then maybe a scan will be recommended just to check it out. The giant floater (which I am beginning to think should have a name) that obscures my central field of vision should also dissipate over time.. quite a time! So in the meantime when I want to look closely or focus at something I just have to flick my eye to one side to dislodge the floater!!

Apparently folks with short sight over the age of 40 are prone to PVD... the vitreous humour is different than in non-myopic types... so the same thing may happen with my left eye. Once "done" a pvd doesn't reoccur although the fact it has occurred may have increased the probabilities for retinal hole/tear/detachment at a later date.

Heathrow Director and Loose Rivets - well diagnosed!

Loose Rivets you mention your stuff on pvd? is that posted on proon.. I did a search but couldn't find anything?

Anyway, just wanted to thank y'all again for your advice!

[AMEandPPL]

Couldn't agree more......... my own story tallies entirely ! Age 62, myopic ++ without glasses, specialist diagnosed PVD in one eye about 18 months ago. Once reassured I can live with it happily, it's not got any worse, and actually gets a bit better now and then. Still working, still driving, still flying.

The important message here is that it needs a specialist, with the right equipment, to diagnose it with safety and confidence !

[woosmummy]

Hi there, I know a lot of time has passed since this topic about eye problems but I'm really worried about my eye and I'm hoping you're still on this forum to let me know how you got on.

I've been experiencing a pulse which goes along with my heartbeat in my left eye, I've had it for about 8/9 months now and although I've been told there's nothing wrong with my eyes by an optician I'm still concerned as to why I have this feeling. You mentioned that you might have had to go for a scan after 6 months, did you? If so can you please let me know the outcome and if you still experience this pulse yourself?

[Loose rivets]

woos Do you see this effect, or is it felt as a kind of pressure?

I have no idea why the search system fails to find PVD. It's there loud and clear in many of my postings on the subject. However, posterior seems to find them.

For people with Posterior Vitrious Detachment, the first thing is, don't worry. Do get it looked at by a consultant surgeon. Only someone of this standing can make the executive decision as to the pulling on the back of the eye. The The vitreous humour Wikki says: (British spelling) or vitreous humor (US spelling) is the clear gel that fills the space between the lens and the retina of the eyeball.

As I gather, the gel is in a 'membrane like' bag. It is attached by all too few points, one of them being near the optic nerve/blood supply's inlet to the eye. This is where the skill comes in...is it pulling at a delicate point?

It not quite clear what causes the flashing. (3 years ago) but if this subsides, and there is not too much grot - blood/ debris floating about in front of one's vision, then better not intervene.

There is always the escape route of a Vitrectomy if things get tacky. However, be prepared for a cataract as a result of the surgery.

There was a paper published by a US (I think) surgeon, who claimed that introducing the saline replacement fluid by a new route, stopped the rapid onset cataract. I have no knowledge of the validity of this claim. All I know is that I had a nuclear cataract, just about the time I got beautiful - 20/15 vision, back in the repaired eye. Caused more grief than the PVD because of the mulit-lensing the brain goes into, while trying to see round the centre obstruction.

The vitreous gel is an astonishing organ. Much, much more complex than people realize. It is also a fantastic UV filter. Looking at a UV source with one eye and then the other, is chalk and cheese.

One has to take care of an eye that is not UV protected. :ouch:

[brockenspectre]

Hi woosmummy

Sorry to hear you have the ole pulsing eye thing. I was referred for a scan but it never happened because the second specialist, after checking my eyes again and checking neck pulses etc, decided there was no reason to do it.

I was somewhat cross after waiting several months for nothing to happen but my first guy, one of the senior consultants at the regional hospital, reassured me that it really is probably just a question of my having become sensitive to eye issues because of the PVD and advised me to learn to ignore the pulse.

Following this I did my best to not pay attention to the pulsing and have been quite successful although when my bp raises or alters (my parkinson's medication has a bit of an effect on this) I am aware that it is still there.

I remain reassured however because (1) there have been no other symptoms (2) problems with eyes tend to evolve rapidly rather than slowly and a lot of time has now passed without further problems (3) I know my family Dr would refer me again to the specialist if I felt it necessary.

Hope this helps :ok:

[woosmummy]

I dont have any other eye problems apart from this pulse that I feel, I started to get floaters in my left eye which was why I went for the eye test but I was told my eyes look healthy and there were no issues with them. The optician said the pulsing may be down to stress (I am a very anxious person so I wouldnt be surprised) but it's really annoying not being given a definite answer as to why I can feel my pulse.

It's only in my left eye and it's usually if my pulse quickens but I can sometimes notice it when I'm sitting down. I feel the pulse (which is in time with my heartbeat) in my left eye and when I look to the left or right I can see it in my eye. It's really weird. I know by looking through these types of forums that it is something that other people experience too and most of them put it down to stress and anxiety but I've yet to read a definite reason for it and it's unsettling not knowing for sure what it is.

Maybe I just need to stop thinking about it and learn to ignore it as brockenspectre has learnt to do...

[Numb3r6]

Hello, I am very late to this thread, having stumbled upon it via internet searches I've been making regarding my own vision issues. I am hoping any of the other forum members who have experienced this perhaps have more information about the symptom that can help me perhaps.

In February I was admitted to hospital as an emergency, having some symptoms that suggested either a stroke or retinal detachment. Stroke was never confirmed, but then again, the tests I had were pretty rudimentary, noting I ended up in a hospital at weekend, in the midst of the pandemic. Lack of staff and facilities just added to the lack of fun in the whole experience.

Whilst my ophthalmic consultant seems confident I don't have a detached retina, but a Posterior Vitreous Detachment (PVD) but there is still some chance of retinal detachment, though I understand the first month or so after PVD is the riskiest period - it's the symptoms that don't seem fully understood. New floaters and peripheral brightness (even in the dark) are typical of PVD, and I have those. Fortunately I believe my brain is starting to screen those out, which I was hoping for.

The last symptom though, is what has been discussed here, pulsing vision. It's only in one eye, clearly related to my pulse rate, and cannot be felt. It manifests itself almost as though a drop of water falls onto my eye. Sometimes I can remember to ignore it, if that makes sense, but when my mind latches onto it, it is quite frustrating.

It may well be something I have to live with, and as long as it's benign, so be it. But equally if the experiences discussed here have led to any specific diagnosis, I would be indebted if any information could be shared with me.

Edit 13.5.21: I've had an MRI brain scan today, following further tests with my ophthalmic consultant yesterday. Now the wait for results.

[Jenks Britt]

Any response? I’ve been having the same issue

[India Four Two]

I hadn't seen this thread before. I also had PVD about four years ago. I noticed peripheral white arcs of light in the left side of my left eye on a Sunday afternoon. I went to my local Emergency Clinic that evening, thinking it might be the beginning of a retinal detachment. After examining me, the doctor made an immediate appointment for me at the main eye clinic for Southern Alberta, for 8 am on Monday morning!

Luckily the hospital was only 40 minutes away by car. After extensive tests, retinal detachment was ruled out and I was relieved to hear the PVD diagnosis, even though I had never heard of the condition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posterior_vitreous_detachment

I only had the arcs of light and floater symptoms. I didn't have the pulsing eye symptom.
I was told the symptoms would eventually go away, which they did.

[Numb3r6]

Good to see some interest in this issue, and if I can add anything from my experience that may help others I will do so. I have an appointment with my ophthalmic consultant tomorrow, where I hope to learn the results of the MRI I had almost 3 weeks ago, so if that happens as expected I will update. In the period since my first symptoms took place I've continued to search for more information on the pulsing symptom, but found nothing apart from the mention in this very thread, which seems a bit odd.

In discussing with my consultant he has already said that it's not a symptom that is normally associated with PVD, whereas floaters and light arcs are. If things are flashing, that could be a retinal tear/detachment, likewise if you experience a curtain like obstruction in your vision. Those symptoms need rapid attention should a retinal detachment be happening. I understand there are various techniques ranging from traditional surgery to whizzy laser treatments too, so there is a chance to repair the retina, but time is of the essence.

In terms of symptoms dissipating, I think it's also the case that as the brain tries to figure out what these new floaters etc are, over time it learns to filter them out so you are less aware of them.

Scan results update
Well I had my consultant appointment today, with my main interest being MRI scan findings, not only for myself, but for anyone else trying to understand this issue, as there seems to be so little information in the public domain.

Sadly I cannot enlighten further.
My eye/blood supply/brain scans apparently did not show anything of significance nor interest. This leaves me at a dead end, but I’m telling myself at least nothing sinister was readily identified, and taking that as a positive. I’ve been advised to have OCT scans as part of my regular eye care, and of course to monitor for any changes that may require intervention.

[RobRoyUK]

Hey everyone,

I may be able to help with this one.

I’m 52 and have had an ache in my left eye for 8 years, noticeable but not enough to really worry, hasn’t really got worse. I had a bad root canal with some infection in the jaw in the past that I subsequently had curetted out so had put it down to that.

A few weeks ago I too went through a PVD which I also had never heard about before, my experience was similar to others, flashing lights, floaters, visit to an eye hospital to be informed about PVD and retinal check, came up OK.

I had previously had a brain MRI for orgasmic headache, to rule out aneurism (all clear) and the MRI had said to have a subsequent MRI and MRV on the orbit to check for Intercranial Hypertension. I subsequently had the MRV and MRI and results came back as evidence of Intercranial Hypertension (IH). This presented as fluid in the optic nerve sheath and slightly flattened pineal gland. The IH had not seemed to have got worse in the time I have experienced eye pain (IH creates pressure on the back of the eye) so I am not overly worried, as MRI and MRV ruled out tumours, aneurisms and most nasty causes,

if no cause found will likely be diagnosed as IIH (Idiopathic Intercranial Hypertension), this is what the GP told me is most likely. I’m booked in to see a Neuro Surgeon in a couple of weeks to check not other causes and get advice.

From my reading IIH is often treated with Lumbar Puncture and sometimes self resolves afterwards.

Now the reason I say all of this is I too have the pulsing in my left eye in time with my heartbeat and I am thinking because of the increased pressure on the back of the eye from the IIH this is the cause, whereas it wouldn’t normally be a part of PVD.

IIH is pretty rare and the combination with PVD, which is not well informed, may be the reason why there is not much information on the possible combined outcome of the two together, which may be this pulsing some are experiencing.

I will let you know what the Neuro Surgeon say and if I end up getting a Lumbar Puncture whether that cures the symptom.

Hope this all helps!

[Loose rivets]

Aching of the whole eye, perhaps both, that builds up during the day and slightly offsets one's focus might be a recurring spasm of the extraocular muscles. If it's very consistent you might try to relax these powerful muscles with Diazepam. Ask the doctor for say, half a dozen for diagnostic purposes. 5mg and 30 minutes could be the difference between a very tedious burden and restored focus and comfort.

In my case it was the tendency to fine-tune my eyesight making use of these muscles. That will start major arguments with the professionals, but there's a lot about it on Wiki. It came back to bite me 40 years later while on a visit back to the UK. Two things took me to the answer. One was that I'd always had a tendency to tighten muscles up if they weren't happy. The other was a critter running out and the Rivetess standing on the brakes. When the latter happened my eyes relaxed totally and I knew the answer. I'd been prescribed Valium (Diazepam) years before for a judo injury that was a misery by the end of each day. One tablet relaxed it, but Valium was new, and nice, and I wasn't flying then. Valium with wine makes one the life and soul of any party. It is preciously the kind of drug that will creep up behind you and @$@$$^ up your life.

PVD. Years after my first one my right eye was getting a bit tricky. Some floaters but also now some horizontal fingers across my vision when I blinked. My brain was filtering out the effect most of the time. I opted for a PVD and SCRAPE. Sounds horrible, doesn't it?

Different world now. Conveyor belt. Strange chair to be wheeled in on which collapses into one's operating chair/table. The option of Local Anaesthetic. No no no no no . . . I'd never brave up to that. Straight home after a cup of tea. Oh, okay. A sheet thrown over my face with a hole for the surgeon to look in. I'm told I can amuse myself by looking around under it since my right eye, and all its strings, will be disconnected from my brain. The sheet was flapped down and an extraordinarily cheerful chappy poked a needle in my eye. I kept still instinctively. The conversation went - "My eye doesn't work". "I know, I've just de-worked it. It's the same stuff that Dentists use". The surgeon peeked around a load of tools and set about me.

Puggle, puggle . . . "It is coming off, but in little pieces." This was the scar tissue I'd been promised would not grow back if I braved the operation. Pick, pick, puggle, puggle. "Three." psssssssssst. 'Three point eight'. pssssssssssst. My eye was up to pressure and the flap flapped for the last time. I was off.

I was taken home for a long weekend. WHAT THEY HADN'T TOLD ME was that I would not be able to see out of the eye due to the air bubble in the eye. They didn't do that last time. However, by the grace of God I'd overheard a Yacht Cub member talking about his surgery, and just being able to see over the bubble. The next morning I peeked gingerly at this ball in my eye and could just see my bedside light in perfect focus over the top edge. At one stage the eye seemed all wet and I phoned the emergency number. I told the lady that I thought all the water that they'd put in, was coming out of one of the holes the surgeon had made. She was laughing so much that she couldn't answer. I took that to be a good sign.

NB If they work on the retina, there's a good chance they will put gas in the eye. They intend the bubble to float and hold the retina up which means being face down on a ring for several days. I got the impression that nookie was banned during this period.

My ball was black chrome. Perfectly spherical and quite beautiful. It got a tad smaller every day. Half way, about day five, it was okay to do some cooking. I got a huge knife and the carrots, however every time I looked down, the ball would float up and obscure the cutting board. I erred on the side of fingers.

Any shaking of the eye might cause the ball to divide up like mercury, but still in spheres. Kool! I could make little men with big bodies and tiny heads. Try really hard and I could give it little round arms. I resisted all temptation to create the other three things.

Day eight. I sat in my car and realised that I could see out of the wind-shield and the tops of the dials. Hooray! Hmmmm . . . Physics 101. What's that about the direction balloons go when you brake? Backwards? I'll leave it another couple of days. Day ten. The tiny ball that was there yesterday had gone. Nothing. Perfect. A good job because it was the check-up day and a 60 mile round trip.

A few weeks later my eyesight was astonishingly good. ~ 20/15. I was on a high. I'd got me BMW 6 Twin turbo and swung by the Ipswich agents on my way to hospital. 5M. Seems sensible. Twin clutch. Just what I need. I can also thank my maker for restraining me from that fascinating toy.

The cataract came on schedule. It was a bit tricky - being a perfectionist is a burden sometimes. I think the edge of the lens was folded, but I'm not sure. I was offered laser treatment.

After a few minutes with this lovely lady I felt totally confident. She had many years experience and could see some targets. Zap, zap, zap-zap. I lost count. I went outside and immediately realised the vision had improved enormously. It was never quite what it was with the natural lens, but pretty darn good. I felt 30, and clearly in need of a younger wife. Then my hearing exploded. Also, I don't make enough tears. Perhaps just little holes in my eyes might leak enough to lubricate them.

[Numb3r6]

Thanks for adding to this one. I can see a similar train of thinking here, in that I also suspected other things as possibly being involved, such as dental or sinus issues, and I had a sinus revision procedure only a couple of years or so ago. In my case the MRI did not reveal anything sinister but equally I still had no real answers, so this MRV procedure in reference to IH is interesting.

Until I had my MRI I was of the thinking that some blood supply issue could be the underlying reason, perhaps a problem putting pressure on the optic nerve for example, and IH sounds like it could do something like that, just not in a way I'd considered before. You mention eye pain, and I believe I've had the same, it can be quite piercing, almost a stabbing like pain, but usually doesn't last long.

Your mention of case rarity may well be correct too, especially when PVD is also involved. It'll be interesting to see how things pan out in your case, although I can't help but wonder if the lumbar puncture may offer a one off fix, or if I'm correct, and the procedure is to remove some cerebrospinal fluid to reduce pressure, if it may become needed more often in some cases. Thanks for the info and good luck with your situation.

[Hubblebubble]

Hi All

New to this forum but thought I’d share my experience as it involves the pulsing issue.

A few weeks ago I noticed a pulsing in my left eye when heart rate was up and I was recovering. (I’m a 59 year old male distance athlete - swimmer/cyclist kind of thing). Saw my optician who said I had a very mild cataract but nothing serious.

Over the next couple of weeks the pulsing persisted and I experienced a shadow top left of my eye plus a floating black spot and light flashes.

I felt something was wrong and didn’t want to wait for a Covid delayed GP referral which would have taken weeks. So, last Friday, I took myself into Moorfields Eye Hospital in London (they have an emergency walk in department) and told them my symptoms. I got there at 0930 and by 1330 I was having emergency surgery for a ‘macular on detached retina’ (four words I never previously realised could be strung together in a sentence!).

It’s now Tuesday and I’m three days into recovery with an eye full of gas and a (hopefully) fixed retina. I’m ‘posturing’ on the left side which essentially means lying down for 5 days.

The gas bubble continues to pulse so we’ll see if it settles.

But a note to anyone experiencing these symptoms to go straight to eye emergency. Everyone was telling me how fortunate I have been to catch it early before the macular was detached.

Thanks to Moorfields - unbelievable service. I still can’t believe I was able to walk into one of the world’s finest eye hospitals and be operated on in hours… all, of course, on the NHS.

Stay eye healthy folks and anyone who’s had a similar op to me… please feel free to reassure me that my sight in the affected eye WILL return 😆.

Best

Hubblebubble

[ShyTorque]

Anyone else wondered about the OP, Brockenspectre? I’ve not seen the name on the forum for a long time.

[redsnail]

She's on FB a little bit. Sadly she's battling cancer but seems to be winning. Typing etc cause her great pain so she's loath to do that at the moment.

[Uplinker]

Odd flashing lights and changing geometric shapes in one eye can also commonly be caused by a migraine. i.e. a brain problem, not an eye problem. Mild migraines can cause visual disturbances without a headache.

But obviously one should not assume this; get the eye itself checked ASAP.