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This morning I had this bizarre visual distortion in both my eyes, it was so scary. I struggled to describe it to my doctor, who I called at whenever it happened, 6:30 or 7 this morning. It was this weird, geometric, zig-zag, prismy effect, very art deco looking. I told him it was like the Chrysler Building, in a semi-circle, blocking out anything in my field of vision behind it.
Nothing I googled sounded like it, but had I googled “zig-zag” I might have come up with what he thinks it is: an ophthalmic migraine.
Everything I’ve read makes me think he’s right. It totally sounds like this. I’m waiting for him to call again when he gets to the office, and he’s going to have me see someone just to make sure. But I feel less panicked now.
I had planned to post this picture that I took when we were walking down the stairs off the subway yesterday. Interesting coincidence because the angles are reminiscent of what I saw this morning.
Hoping for the best for you
michael
I used to get those back when I was in college. they weren’t so cool as yours…my vision would just start dimming out at the edges and then tunnel to a pinpoint. it was really scary the first time! I guess it was some combination of stress and a lot of reading…I haven’t had one in many, many years.
Sounds a lot like the aura I get with my migraines. Did you get a headache on one side of your head afterwards? I always used to get pain after the flickering prisms disappeared, but with age I’m sometimes let off the hook and get the cool show without the massive headache 🙂
Keep us posted.
I’m not sure I’ve experience quite what you have, but when I get a super bad tension headache (clearly of the migraine family) I’ve seen weird shapes and shadows. I was told it was all inter-related.
Hope that’s all it is, while I know that is bad enough. Feel better.
It’s amazing how many people have experienced this or something like it. shiftless, yours definitely sounds the scariest!
I get them every so often. Maybe once or twice a year. The zig zag you describe is dead on and it’s actually pretty – at least to me. I’m convinced mine come from using the computer as that’s when it’s occurred. It slowly goes away in a couple of hours. I never had them prior to using a computer (90’s).
Scary when you don’t know what it is.
It is pretty I agree, when you take away the weirdness of it all.
The first time it happened, it REALLY scared me. I was like “Oh great, I’m probably having a stroke.” I have kind of a dry sense of humor at times, and figured if I could move and think normally, all must be ok. Then I thought I might be having an odd type of seizure until I did a little research. What a relief to find out what it is. It always occurs (for me) after being on the computer. I’ve never simply had it happen, so I’m assuming it’s related to the light of the computer. There’s a connection there of some sort. It’s really nice to know it’s nothing to worry about. So I guess if it ever happens again, I’ll just enjoy the patterns and pretty colors. lol!
It also happened to me while I was on the computer.