Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Let The be Light
I learned a new medical term today - Scintillating Scotoma. About 5 years ago I was sitting in the computer lab at college and noticed my vision going bad. This was happening within minutes. Needless to say I was pretty freaked out. In my case I lucked out and managed to see the regional visiting VA ophthalmologist the next day who basically told me there was nothing to really worry about out - and there was nothing that could really be done either.
Like all the descriptions you'll see when googling "Scintillating Scotoma," it starts with a small spot where the vision is mostly gone, then grows into a shining, shimmering glint of light. In my case, it's usually in the lower left of my vision and appears with eyes closed or opens. My best description is like seeing a piece of cut glass crystal in the corner of my vision. The jagged, faceted edges seem to glint with a pure white light and about half my vision is obscured, but not completely blocked. The whole process from start to end takes about 30-40 minutes. I find I can lessen the effects and hurry the recovery if I try to relax and get in a dark place.
Like others have mentioned, while this can be annoying and even momentarily disabling, at least I haven't yet had to suffer the pain of a migraine headache.
2fers: What it looks like and You're Not Alone
