Over the last ten years I have had about six instances where I start to see spots or shiny lines(similar to having looked into a bright Light) and then lose part of my vision for up to about an hour. I was thoroughly checked by an opthomologist and neurologist and everything came out normal. These problems occur out of the clear blue and can be scary. What could be the cause of this?
Answered by Richard E. Gans, M. D.
The symptoms that you describe most likely represent a condition called scintillating scotoma. This is the aura, or initial event, of migraine headaches.
In the classic form of migraine, the first symptoms are visual. There is an area in the field of vision of both eyes that is distorted, blurred or contains a pattern. Some people describe the pattern as zig-zag lines, or waviness as in the appearance of the air that one sees over a highway on a hot, bright sunny day. It is difficult to see through this abnormal pattern. The visual disturbance is actually not caused by the eyes, themselves. If one closes both eyes, the pattern is still visible. This aura, then lasts for 10 to 20 minutes and resolves. It is then, followed by the severe headache that most people know as migraine.
It is not uncommon for people to have the visual aura that you describe, without ever getting the headache.
PLEASE NOTE: The information contained on this system is not intended to supplant individual professional consultation, but is offered as a community education service. Advice on individual problems should be obtained directly from a professional.
Copyright, 1994. Richard E. Gans, M.D.
Last Modified: August 23, 1996