Hello, my name is Nathan. I first noticed my VS symptoms in 2006 I believe, my first year in high school in which do to verbal abuse, harassment and neglect from school staff I was under severe stress. For me, it is now an everyday thing, but when under stress it gets worse, I have migraine aura and I can even pass out. This is on top of muscles locking up or giving way. When I explained it (I myself had no idea what visual snow was) to my doctor, he just ignored my words! A doctor, a trained medical professional who's supposed to listen to what you're saying sat there and ignored me... On top of visual snow, I have Aspergers, ADHD, social anxiety disorder, depression and I believe I have PTSD over the abuse I suffered in school. So it is very easy for me to find myself in stressful situations, causing my VS to worsen under those conditions. I myself am less concerned with treatment and more concerned with it being made an actually medically recognized condition SO THAT if there is no definitive treatment, at the very least we will not be ignored by our doctors over the matter.
Hello. I'm a 16 year old in the US. I've had VS for as long as I remember, along with floaters, trails, astigmatism, and minor tinnitus. My static is mostly white, gray, and black, but is sometimes colored. When I close my eyes or when I'm in a dark room, it's especially brightly colored. My eye doctor told me that I'd learn to ignore the static as I got older, but it's been with me my whole life so I don't think that's likely. I remember thinking as a child that the little dots were atoms! VS doesn't bother me too much. I know other people have it much worse. I'm glad that more people are becoming aware of VS and that research is being done o find a cure. - Maggie
Hi i'm Eve, 19yo & from Australia. I was about 8 when i first realised i could see 'air' or what looked to be moving currents of air particles. I thought i was superhuman. This was around the same time i started becoming irrationally anxious, having watched a documentary about end of the earth scenarios i went through a scary period of believing the sun was going to crash into the earth at any moment. I believe it was in that same year that began having problems paying attention in school, handing work in on time and being punctual. I started seeing therapists who initially thought i could have ADD. These problems have just been ongoing and as of now i've been diagnosed with severe anxiety, OCD and major depression. My Anxiety has really taken over my life this last year or so and my Visual Snow has become noticeable, as well as new symptoms like after-images, floaters and flashing lights. At night i find it hard to see much else. I feel disconnected from reality, and unable to think and see past this mental, and visual fog. And I hate to wake up because only in my dreams can see things with clarity.
I've had VS for over 40 years and one the worst things about is that people think your making it up, especially doctors, so as a result I never talk about it. Recently I was contacted by a medical group in Melbourne Australia who have started doing research and I have done a few tests, still early days but at least now some medical people actually believe me. The other thing I hate is not being able to enjoy the stars at night, too many of my own flashing lights to be able to enjoy the amazing night sky - Greg
Hi, I'm Janne, I'm 14 years old, and for as long as I can remember I've seen static everywhere on my entire field of vision 24/7. When I was little I assumed everyone saw like me, only a while ago did I realize I could be the only one. Frankly, I used to think it was me 'seeing air.' Now, after researching more on the condition I am realizing there are a ton of other symptoms I experience that no one else does! After images, tinnitus, enhanced blue field entoptic phenomenon, all these things I thought everyone else had! It's so strange to think that I don't see the way my family and friends do, and with the lack of a treatment I probably never will. Still my VS isn't so severe that I can't do things like read or write, though I imagine it is for some. I can only hope that more progress is made for those with VS that affects them severely. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one.
Hi my name is Chris and I realized that I see the world differently than others at a very young age. I can only picture what the real world looks like by looking at a picture of it. For 37 years I thought I was alone. I remember describing it to an eye doctor my mom took me to when I was in first grade. He told me the gel behind my eyes got mixed up before I was born. I just said ok- but I remember keeping to myself that I knew it was so much more. Long ago I thought that maybe everyone sees this way-and because I noticed it as a child, I can see it more clearly than anyone, I can harness it. The other day I decided to not put down my computer until I found at the least a clue that sounded plausible- or someone else who described the same thing. I can't believe I found a whole community for a disease that is just beginning to be discovered. I'm so happy I found you guys.
I'm christian I'm 12 years old my visual snow is not as bad as the other stories I've heard I see statics starting to see double images after images and trails in the vision. I have other symptoms like headaches migraines and tingling in my body and tinnitus and numbness in hands. I use to see static when i was young in the dark it didn't bother me very much in fact I didn't even notice them but I knew I see them I don't really remember that much from my young ages. I never told my mum about any of this its only now that I have told her bout this were seeing an eye doctor specialist about this and if this doesn't work where going to nhs I've read a lot into visual snow in the last 4 months I even shown my mum she is very supportive about this and the concerned about me. 4 months ago I don't really know what happened I just came back home and started notice this it was when my mum left for a week and I started caring about my vision more and looking around more everything after that is just a bluer. I really hate this some times I get song stuck in my head and eye floaters I get depressed and scared a lot sometimes it mild and I just get along with life I keep busy for 8 hours of my life with school don't really notice them as much outside. All I want to say last is that please donate to go fund me even a pound will do it or a dollar to all you Americans help me live me childhood 13 soon and my little brother sees them as well so it could be genetic (jeans) oh also see flashing lights and have dry eyes thank you
I am male, 25 years old. I am from Greece. I had this problem since i can remember myself. I constantly hear a high frequency and i suffer from intense visual snow and after images. It's only for the last 2 years i started realizing that normal people don't see like that! I started discussing and researching about visual snow i didn't even know how to call it since recently. A few months ago i had a dream that made me realize the importance of this condition. It was a very simple dream. I was at my balcony looking at the garden and suddenly the visual snow was gone. For the first time i saw everything unimaginably clear. just for a few seconds. i woke up by the surprise of what i experienced. I can't remember when it started. i am pretty sure it was always like this. or at least since my very early years. - Panagiotis
My name's Desi i am 15, and I have constant static like vision that makes it pretty difficult to see in the darkness. Even when my eyes are closed I see static! and I on and off hear ringing. When I'm not focused on anything it really bothers me and makes me feel kinda crazy. I haven't met anyone personal that experiences this, I have complained to others and they just have no idea.
Hi I'm Jenna. I'm 19 and live in the USA and have always seen the snow but over the years it was gotten worse white specks on dark objects and brighter and dark on white, now I've noticed that my colors has changed slightly. Bright color have gotten darker and dark are blending. I've gone to Drs but no one could figure it out. My mom and friends have never believed me so I have started to think I was making it up. So I began to look up visual snow and now I don't feel like I'm imagining it.
I always thought that this is how people 'saw' until i got curious and just googled 'static tv like vision' I'm very upset that it's not normal and its all i know. Am deeply upset that il never experience clear vision. :( in 27 years old and get floaters all the time but just thought it was normal. I also suffer from brain fog and it effects my communication at work and my confidence when speaking freely. It makes people think I'm stupid because i regularly forget what Im doing and struggle to find words when in a conversation. I work in a hospital so it gets in the way. Only now when i discovered visual snow it all fits together. - Cherry
My name is Josiah Montgomery. I'm nineteen years old, and live in Michigan. I didn't know what visual snow was until today. I've always had slight visual issues. As far back as I can remember, I've seen starbursts and halos. Until now, I thought they were normal. I thought that everyone saw them. In the last three years, my visual snow has become increasingly problematic. When I look at a white wall, it's filled with latent color. Late at night and early in the morning, my right eye will go blind for a few minutes to a number of hours. My whole field of vision is filled with static, especially in dimly lit rooms or in the dark. I see negative afterimages when I turn my eyes to look at something else. Just looking at the screen of my phone to type this, the halo is hurting my eyes. It has become much harder to read. I also suffer intense headaches, and beating and ringing in the ears, mostly my left ear. I thought I was going blind and crazy. I don't feel safe driving a car, especially in the dark, because of how intense my starbursts have become. I'm afraid to tell my friends and family. It brings me no joy to know that other people suffer from this, and that I don't see normally. The only concessions I find is that I know I'm not going blind, and I'm not mentally unstable.
Don't worry to much about it, you are fixing in on someone who doesn't want you to know about them, they have the same ability. so don't worry and i mean don't; it keeps you up at night, just relax! About me, i have VS but the only time i have them is when i can't read who i would like to read.. they Block you, as a defence mechanism; i have one and it is always on,. mostly everyone has it. but few turn if off to friends and family, In other words if you see it and if your not one of the 2 then. keep out! if you are, you know. if your not then your not trusted to know. -Billy
Hello my name is Amanda. I am about 20 years old. I have had VS since I can remember. My earliest memory of it is from when I was three years old driving in the car with my mom and I asked if she seen the donuts in the sky haha. She thought it was just me being a kid and didn't think anything about it and still does not remember me asking this. I thought my vision was completely normal and that everyone had it until I was about 18 years old. I only heard of Visual Snow about 6 months ago. I found out I saw differently from others when my neurologist asked me what my migraine auras looked like. I told her that I always have them and they have never gone away and what I described was VS. She had never heard of someone having auras all the time and couldn't really help me so I decided to find out more and about a year and a half later I have finally found out about VS! I am so happy that I just know there is a name for it and more people like me. I would just like to know what it means. I am going to go into more detail about what kind of person I am and my health issues. Maybe we all have one thing in common? I have migraines, epilepsy (very mild), photophobia, sleep paralysis, hyperflexion, and more to come I am sure. I am a Christian but have not always been and was once Athiest and at one point Satanic. I had a hard life growing up dealing with abuse both sexual, physical, and mental.I am extremely empathetic and cannot watch the news without crying about something tragic and feel personally hurt when something happens to someone either friend or foe (this didn't happen until I was about 15). I am not sure if this could be relevant to VS but might as well include it and see if others have also had anything similar to my situations, maybe there is a common link?
Hi, I am 21 year old male from France. I started suffering from visual snow and floaters around a year ago. It started by me having migraines for days and my left eye being weak, which induced double vision sometimes. It stopped after a week. Two weeks after, one day after a very stressful even I noticed that I was seeing floaters and some visual snow in my central vision. Since there is a history of ophthalmic migraines in my family and I had a dozen of those when I was a teen, I did not think too much of it and thought it would go away. But it did not stop (except the floaters, now I only have them some days) and it actually got worse. At first it was barely noticeable, now I dream of having my old vision back. If the static was constant it would not bother me that much, but it's not uniform and actually flickers on some lines in my vision field. Now, at night or in low light conditions, I have a hard time differentiating objects as my vision lost quite a lot of contrast due to all this. I think it also affects the way I see in 3D... Everything lacks depth now. There are good and bad days. I have had my pupils dilated and eyes examined by ophthalmologists (the whole team of a hospital actually, as they could not figure what was wrong with my eyes). My eyes are perfect in every way according to them (I did have and probably still have a 10/10 vision), so it's definitely a neurological disorder. I passed a visual field test as well, and I had good results. The static does not prevent me from seeing small flashing lights, fortunately. They recommended that I see a neuro-ophthalmologist but there was a lot of wait to see one and I moved out of the region so now I'm trying to find a new one. - Guillaume
I recently got vs and its terrible i feel depressed its worse at nights . Until i started to ignore it cause i couldnt take it anymore .I began to focus on one doctor everyone failed to mention they consulted and it was God i prayed non stop . CRYING OUT to him for mercy , confessing that im a sinner and my symtoms are not what they used to be they have cleared up tremendously and i believe they will go think positive believe have faith In God and he will answer your prayers bye i will pray for you all as well - Kellon
Hey guys I'm a 17 year old boy from Texas. It feels like forever that I've been seeing black dots in my eyes. At one point it started bothering me and I started getting really bad anxiety. I don't even remember when I started getting visual snow, no one in my family has ever had it and when I explain they say it's all in my head.. it just seems like I'm on high alert all the time. It crosses my mind all the time, it scares me that I'll randomly start seeing things but i know it's visual snow it just makes me feel ill and dirty. I hope to one day be able to see clearly. i wish you all, luck. we are all in this together :) - J.Perez
I've had this condition for about 10 years not and I am now 20yrs old. I was so scared the first time I'd ever experienced VS. when I was younger i would get really bad migraines and would throw up after it would stop. It would literally make me sick to my stomach. I never really told my parents or anyone about my VS because I never knew exactly what it was. As I got older I didn't really get the urge to throw up anymore but I do still get bad headaches, nothing like it use to be though. Now what helps and shorten the time I experience VS is by turning everything off and laying down with my eyes closed. Drinking verners or Canada Dry helps soothe my stomach afterwards as well. I can say that as I've gotten older, it doesn't occur that often. Tonight, (9/14/2015) was the first time in almost two years since I've had to go through this. Usually it happens within a few months but it's reduced tremendously. Hopefully one day we'll all be rid of this condition!! -Jane
Between Visual Snow and torturous nightmares, I couldn't get any sleep as a kid. I would cry for Mom in the middle of the night and ask her to get rid of the Scary Thing, which was a wall of static rain that moved back and forth throughout the room while also tilting side to side. While the "Static Rain" doesn't freak me out anymore, it still makes wearing glasses immensely uncomfortable because I already feel as if I'm viewing the world through a dirty lens; reflections, smudges, and fog. I'm already getting wrinkles at age 21 due to constant squinting from light sensitivity.
-Lorelai
-Lorelai
Hi my name is Stuart, I have had mild VS since I can remember. About two months ago I had an absolute MELT DOWN that lead me to get depersonalization/derealization for about 2 months. I would say I am about 98% better aside from this one thing- my visual snow. Beforehand I barely even noticed that I had it but now that I am concentrating on it so much it is ALWAYS in my thoughts. It is worst and night but in the day time I still see it and I feel like I sometimes have a lack of depth perception when looking at trees. I hope one day SOON I will be able to have this awful symptom cured..... I also hope that when I get rid of my anxiety, my VS will also go back to how it was and not be so prominate in my daily life. Thank you. - Stuart
Hey, I'm 17 and I've had VS all my life as far as I'm concerned. It's really bizarre and I only actually realised what it was last year after realising that no one else saw the same as me. It's different to have and I've told a few people that this is how I see and they just seem to think it's complete nonsense. Its great to know there are others who actually understand how I see. - Toria
I just started suffering from the disease. I had been on my computer more than usual last month, when out of the blue, I suffered an explosion like feeling in my right eye. I then would see strobe like effects. I went to my eye doctor shortly after, and she said everything looked fine. I thought that was weird, since my eye was still burning, but she gave me some eye drops and told me it sound like an eye strain/dry eye. I've had a burning feeling in my eyes before, mostly from playing video games for hours on end, or being on the computer too much. I figured this was just another eye strain. I went a month without anything but slight on and off burning in the right eye, and the strobe effects seemed to have disappeared. Out of nowhere, two weeks ago, I noticed it was hard sometimes to focus on things far away, but I didn't think anything of it. I had recently gotten a new prescription for glasses, and figured it was just the new glasses giving me issues. Then, again out of nowhere, I started seeing the visual snow. It's been nonstop the last two weeks. I went back to the eye doctor, this time a different one than the last, and did more extensive tests, etc... Again, everything looked fine. Of course, as with the case with everyone else, the doctor had no clue what I was talking about and no idea what to do. She scheduled me for an MRI, which I'll be having in a week. From the sounds of things, it appears I'm screwed. I'm now trying to accept it, but the Anxiety and Depression is just unbearable. Just know, you're not alone and try and be positive. - Mike Indiana, US May 2015
I have had visual snow as long as i can remember. Im 15. I walk and sometimes my eyes wont let me see for 5 min, i have cloud fog, and the static. I feel like im going to lose my eyesight. It gets worse as i get older. Also i get this thing that looks like its covering my eye but if i look in the mirror my eye looks normal. I just hope someone can find a cure before i lose my sight- Valencia
hello, I wouldn't say I suffer from the syndrome since I kind of enjoy it. I don't understand it but I'm certainly happy I'm not alone. And since there are so many of us it makes me wonder if it is natural. This list sure does have many young people. I find that odd. Graham Peacefull
I'm 14. I have always had what feels like an ice pick in my eyeball, it happens about 1 every two weeks, but I've always been told it was sinuses. Today, I asked my mom is she saw dots when she looked at a wall. On cartoons, everything is so solid, so I was confused. My mom looked terribly puzzled and looked it up, finding out about visual snow. I have read, and we found that the ice pick feeling is caused by the visual snow, as well as the intense headaches that I suddenly get when I focus on the dots. When I begin to focus on them, I can't stop. It's crazy, but I've been like this for as long as I can remember - Kennedy
Hi everybody, I'm almost 15, from Australia, and I have had visual snow approximately since I was 5. I first noticed that I saw what other people didn't 3-4 years ago. I then searched it up on the internet and it said that I have VS. Just to make sure, I asked what people saw on a white, blank piece of paper. They all said no dots, floaters, or anything. They saw normally. At first, I kept quiet about it, then i asked my Mum about it. They didn't believe me. They still don't, they think I "know too much" and am simply being paranoid. Then, I had something similar to epileptic seizures twice and fainted 4 times in 2 months. So, got tested in MRI, six blood tests, saw a neurologist (still am), and they all said I have normal functioning. I also had an eye test, it said that my optical nerve on the right side was smaller/bigger than my left, giving 80% more chance of glaucoma. So, I don't know why. I said it, that should be enough right? And to back it up there are other people with it too, plus why would I lie? I just don't understand why they don't believe me. They still think I'm making it up.I don't mind having VS but, the fact my own parents think I'm lying is depressing.
I am a 53 year old woman, I am a Nurse and fairly healthy person. This is the first time I have every heard of anyone seeing what I see. I have had this my whole life. I used to call it seeing matter the stuff that makes up mass, but no one else saw it. I see it when I close my eyes I see it when they are open. I just do not focus on it when they are open, if I do I see it all over . In my thirty years of Health care no one has every described this to me, not a patient or Health care professional. Nice to know others see this. Wired but nice. Visual snow is a great way to describe it. Thank you janice
Hi, I'm Julia, I'm 14 and just learned yesterday that everyone didn't see like this, or it was just how people who are awfully nearsighted saw things. I've been recently trying to learn how to lucid dream, and I learned about hypnogogia. Websites said things like the hypnogogia will present itself like shapes and colors, but I was confused, because I saw these things whenever I just closed my eyes for a little bit. My VS isn't very severe, luckily, I can ignore it for the most part, except when looking at solid colors, darkness, and when I look at patterns it's insane. I only get afterimages with pretty bright things, usually have a few floaters a day. I have pretty slight tinnitus, too, I only notice it in silence. I had depression for three years, but it's mainly stopped now, and only fluctuates a little. I get anxiety, however, when socializing with peers terribly. I have felt depersonalization some, but I never could put a name to it until now. I can't really put out any advice, because I know many people suffer it much worse than me, so let's all just hope and pray for a cure together.
My name is Mike, I am 29 years old and have experienced visual snow my entire life. Until only last week, I assumed it was something everyone experienced. I had spoken casually to a family member how I found it distracting while I was trying to navigate through a snowstorm that day, and the look of confusion with which this was met prompted me to do research. Since then, my consciousness of my VS has been heightened, causing my vision to become grainy for long periods of time with only brief moments of relief until something reminds me of it again. This apparent increase in the strength of my VS is of course psychosomatic, as it is something I've been giving more thought in recent days, but it is causing me to occasionally feel lightheaded and nauseous. Hopefully in the coming days or weeks my mind will move on to other things and the condition will revert to its previous, lesser severity.
I'm 14 and ever since I can remember I've seen what I used to call silver dots but they change colour sometimes. When I asked people about them they just looked at me confused so then I realized not everyone sees these things so I became more interested in them. They don't bother me, I've become used to them and usually I just forget they're there. I see them better in dimmer light but can still see them all the time. When its completely dark they change colour sometimes and if I stare hard enough I can also see shapes like hexagons with zig-zags inside, its hard to explain. Also when they change color in the dark I can sometimes think of a color and they'll turn the color that I want - Celyl
Hey guys, my name is Chris, I'm 25 years old and a Student. I have had "Visual Snow Syndrome" since I can remember; but only recently I discovered I suffer from it. Before then, I was completely convinced my vision was normal. But after many experiences commenting and making references to the visual static effect with family members and friends... and them having no idea what I was talking about, did it raise suspicion that there may be something different about the way I view the world. I decided to research this phenomenon, after my friend told me I sounded like "a crazy person" when I asked him, if the sky looked like it was sparkling (we were at the beach, and from my POV it looked as if the sky had a sparkling static visual effect; I wanted to know if he saw the same thing). As well as the visual snow, I see transparent colours like red, blue, violet, and often experience brain fog. Since my discovery, I have been hesitant to bring it up due to the nature of this condition. People will naturally believe you are crazy when you explain to them you see a layer of transparent colours and 'visual white noise'. I have so many questions, I'm hoping this is the right place to get them answered. Anywho, thank you for reading. If anyone needs support or someone to talk to about this, please feel free to email me. ([email protected])
Hello everyone. My name is jade, I'm 18 years of age. , I've had visual snow for a long time now, or so it feels. (at least 3 years). mine occurred after using synthetic marijuana. (k2). It was a bad, horrible trip. Almost an overdose, none the less. I got visual snow, and started hearing ringing in my ears. ( cant remember what its called!) It has gotten worse over the 3 years. I used to only see visual snow at night or on dark objects. Now i see it morning throughout the day and night. besides the visual snow. i have more issues that have been caused from using a synthetic drug. pretty much, drugs can contribute to causing vision issues. i hope this brings light to others suffering! i absolutley hate having visual snow. I talk to people all the time about it and get looked at funny. Thanks guys!!!
I am 16 and ever since I could remember I've always had visual snow with the colors of red and blue but static and almost dynamic like motions. I've also got Tinnitus , derealization and Fatigue which seems to be linked with it for I noticed it get heavier so does my other linked symptoms . Sometimes when it's really gone from my mind, I forget about it and don't notice it at all and everything is almost clear but then just staring off at the distance will remind me and It's pestering my vision, sometimes it makes me feel sick and queasy as I'm very sensitive to light and motion, which is what my visual snow just happen to be. I'd be up and ready to be a test subject at any cost if it means I might be lucky to get a cure for it, I'm an suffering artist worrying if my vision might be my doom.
Hi my names Tyler McConnell I'm 17 and my vs. started not to long ago . Actually I remember it when I was 16 then after just plain thinking I was going crazy and asking my mom if she knew she looked around the internet an told me u could have vs . I had all the symptoms feeling fatigue all the time brain fog and much more I had to drop out of school and all that stuff because my grades were way to low and j had to start getting my GED . My anxiety was crazy .... And then it went away for a while I didn't have any of the symptoms I was happy ... Then recently I had a really bad sinus infection . My ears got clogged (still clogged 6 days latter) and I my anxiety came back so I blame my sinus infection on this . Idk what causes vs but a cure soon would be awesome , I'll pray for us all who have vs it's a struggle it sucks and I wish u all to be better :( all I can say is just keep your mind off of it , it will clear up!
Hello, I'm Makayla and I've had visual snow as long as I can remember. I'm almost 18 years old and its getting worse as time goes on. I get aura's in my left eye when I get migraines but the snow never stops. I can't see anything in the dark due to it, and I used to think I was going blind! When I was a child I used to believe I saw "atoms" or "molecules" which I knew was impossible but as a child it was a way to cope with if. I'm very excited to find more people out there with it because before I researched my symptoms I was going crazy. I thought maybe I was going blind, or had a tumor. I was terrified. I hope that there will be a cure in the near future, or at least to help stop the future from having it! But a good that comes out of my snow vision is my extreme vision abilities to see things from very far distances or notice details others wouldn't. It has definitely enhanced my vision for better or worse but its a way of life! I'm just glad to know I'm not alone.
Hello, my name is Emanuel, I’m from Argentina (So sorry if my English is not that good) and you have no idea how happy I feel now that I realize that I’m not the only one in the world who has this condition. The best way I could explain what I see is this. Close your eyes and press them with your hands, you should be able to see bright things that look like the universe or something out of a sci-fi movie. With time they leave right? Well not in my case, I see them 24/7. It’s like watching life through a TV screen with static. “Flying lights” everywhere, usually white with occasional colored ones. I saw this "flying lights" for the first time when I was 5 or 4 years old. (I’m 20 now) So I basically grew up with them. I really don’t mind them, I’m totally used to them. Sometimes I wonder how things would look if the "flying lights" weren’t there... Especially how would it feel to see complete darkness when I want to go to sleep (The "flying lights" are really bright at night.) Also visual snow or visual static its really annoying when I try to read, I have to re-read entire paragraphs because I lose track of what I’m reading, the words seem like faded or sometimes I even feel like their size changes or they change positions. I’m totally ok to live the rest of my life with this. I just want to understand what it is and how I can improve the quality of my life regardless of the Visual snow. I also want people to know about this condition, that it exist and what it is, I want them to realize I’m not faking it, I’m not trying to be the center of attention I just want to be understood.
I am 25 and just started experiencing this about a month ago and it hasnt gone away. I had a kidney infection and an intense round of antibiotics and this started around then. During the infection my headaches were extremely severe. I can't say that's what did it because I've been recently suffering from anxiety attacks and generalized anxiety and that affects my vision tremendously... Maybe it was a combination of both who knows. About three years ago I came off anti depressants cold turkey and have been light sensitive and had sparkles in bright light/sky ever since. At first I was devastated... Silly now looking back considering how much more devastating this shit is. The fuzziness is terrifying. (I thought about how much less scary death seemed now, because when I die, I won't have to see these little specks and shawdows and halos anymore...) All I can say is however scared I was when I went off my meds 3 years ago and I first saw the sparkles in the sky, I eventually got over it and stopped noticing it. So I know now that with a little time, even though I have to live with this maybe for the rest of my life, I will eventually get over it too. It is worse when I wake up and gets better throughout the day. It's bad if I'm anxious or stressed or crying. I hate looking at my yoga mat or glancing at grass, sitting in a dimly lit waiting room or office. If I'm happy (or on Xanax) I don't notice it or care (however since this has occurred I've rarely been happy) I am happy however that even though the world is a bit fuzzy and trippy, however uncomfortable and depressing it may be, I am grateful to still able to see my husband's pretty face as clear as day, and look in his eyes and forget that anything else really matters. The things we have and can see are what we need to focus on - not what we can't. It's the only way to accept and heal, and move on.
My name is Karen, age 16, and have had visual snow for as long as I can remember. Although my case is pretty minor, due to my extreme case of ADD caused by aspergers, my sight becomes "shifty" and the static makes my head hurt when I try to focus. I can't read books without the letters flickering and getting blotched out. The worse is at night when the snow has the greatest effect on my sight. Along with frequent starbursts, flouters, long afterimages, and Eigengrau (gray light), every night has been very noisy and sometimes terrifying ever since I was a very little girl. The only time I can just somewhat escape it is, strangely enough, in rural areas. I thought at first it was something that effected my generation due our obsession with screens. The theory was eliminated when finishing up a still life in art class just last year. My classmates all commented on how, while they loved the texture and colors, it was very strange to them. I told them the image I drew off of was of one I took from my 2009 flip phone (the image was just a little grainier than my own sight) and some had a laugh. I tried telling my mom once but she thought I bumped my head or was just in a weird mood. When telling my psychologist, she didn't even know what to think. I knew I couldn't tell anyone else without being called a lier so I've kept quiet about it till now.
Thank god I'm not mad I thought seeing the static and hearing the random noises in my ears was weird and first asked someone about it after it started when I was 6 I had received a severe head injury a few days prior to the start of VS. When they acted like I should be put in a insane institution I decided to never speak about either again. Then I stumbled across this site and practically jumped for joy. Though I have never had a migraine like a lot of you I do get pain in the back of my head when I lean down to tie my shoes. Also my VS is multi colored not just black and white and it's like a thin veil that covers my vision 24/7 something that has stopped bothering me over the years but is still persistent I hope one day they find something to fix this constant companion to our vision. Ps: I'm sorry if I'm off a bit I'm writing this on my phone - Anon
Hello, I'm Mieke,from Belgium. I remember telling my mom I saw little dots everywhere, this was when I was five years old. I couldn't walk in the dark,because all the 'pixels' took over my vision. She took me to the eye-doctor immediately.He told me there was nothing he could find, that I was making up stuff. Every day of my life I thought about what this could be. I asked people what they saw and told them my story. Nobody understood, am I the crazy one? - you start to think. Today, 22-years old, I finally found a website. It posted a picture of the sight through visual snow. I finally know a name and I know I'm not alone. This explains a lot, my anxiety, my depression. I told my mom today,cause she has always believed me. I hope some day doctors will know about this and people will believe me.
Hello. I'm khushboo. A very dear friend of mine suffers from visual snow. We both are waiting for the results of the research being conducted in the USA. He had these symptoms seven months back. At that time, he felt frustrated, as no doctor could believe in what he was saying. nobody knew the cause! Then one day, he was very happy when finally a doctor gave his disease a name -"visual snow".. Having spent hundreds of hours on Internet, and blogs and groups, he finally felt that he was not alone. The important thing I want to share with all of you is that- I have never seen a stronger man than him. He refuses to be beaten by visual snow. He stands firm, is optimistic and infact inspires me in my daily life. He has not lost hope and his courage is striking. The medicines that were prescribed to him had many side effects. so now he relies on exercising and giving his mind some peace. This is what he does- he does yoga whenever he feels stressed because he says additional stress raises the frequency of the static. He runs for 4 kilometres daily. He takes herbal medicines so as to avoid side effects. He laughs a lot! :-D But to me, the real reason is that - He is a very stubborn man. And despite the odds, and i believe nothing can ever defeat him! :-) please be strong. That's what he would have said. Thanks. Take care. :-)
Hey. I'm Destiny and 16 years old and have been seeing this static for as long as I could remember. I found out it wasn't normal when I asked people"I wonder why we don't see solid colors" and get a response of dumb founded looks from my friends and family who thought I was weird. I'm glad other people experience this ( I mean its not good, but I'm not alone). Its not as bad in the light, but terrible in the dark and really bad when I close my eyes, its like I can never get away from it. When I try to think about something in solid colors, I can't and its frustrating. Though I haven't told my family this, I have been suffering from depression for a while and sometimes have events where I believe I am experiencing depersonalization(if that's how you spell it). Where it seems like everything is fake and I don't know why. Like I'm not supposed to be on this planet and I'm not actually there but like looking into a glass ball into "life". My dad plans on taking me to a doctor to get my eyes checked out, so hopefully one day we can solve this mystery.
Hey everyone! My name is Maddie and I am 13 and have VS. It is EXTREMELY bothersome and it does cause me to break into tears every now and then. It is not to the point it inhabits my everyday life, but it can be annoying. I also have one question for all of you. I play volleyball and am actually trying out for club this weekend. Do you think it will get to the point I can't play sports anymore at all? This bothers me because my lifelong dream was to become a professional athlete. Just to make sure, here are some of my symptoms: TV static(not persistent) Starbursts Light sensitivity Floaters Weird white dots flying through my vision(especially when looking at the sky) weird squiggly lines after images and illusory palinopsia. I really do hope that I am just overreacting and MAKING myself see this but I have a feeling its REALLY THERE. Also, one more thing. My vision was perfectly normal until one day I got a tension headache, and IT REALLY WAS a tension headache,not a migraine, and it lasted two weeks. Do you guys think this could be the cause of my symptoms, I am extremely depressed and don't feel happy anymore please write back, it will be much appreciated.
Hi, I'm elaine, 18, from usa. I've had visual snow all my life. It's suddenly gotten more noticeable. It's like static, constant static. Worse in the dark and dim light. It's frustrating and I just want to see normally. I know doctors out here won't believe me. My grandma thinks I'm crazy. Does anyone ever get a feeling like something is dripping in their brain? Maybe it could be related, I get that sensation. When I was a child I would bounce constantly on my bed and once fell on my head onto a hard surface from a high swing- affected me long after with headaches and weird sensations in my head. Maybe some kind of brain injury could cause or affect this? Now my vision has been going blurry too.. Went to the eye doctor a few months ago, guess everything was structurally fine. Does anyone know how to make it better? I really want to see better. I'm scared of losing my vision one day- not much is known about visual snow and what it can progress to, if it can progress. Someone please post a success story concerning some kind of treatment- I'll try almost anything to see clearly.
When I was younger, I remember telling my friends and family that I had magical powers. I had the power to see atoms! Of course no one believed me, but I went years believing that those were the tiny particles I was seeing. Atoms. But recently I found out I have visual snow, and I could cry of frustration. I workout everyday, I'm vegetarian, I wear glasses, don't drink or do drugs, so no one understands what caused it. Or how to cure it. Very grateful it's not life threatening but it's depressing knowing that nothing can fix it - Claire
Hi, I'm Trevor. I started to get visual snow when I was twelve years old, so I had completely normal vision before that, and could see clearly like everybody else. At first the snow was very light and I only saw it in the dark, it has gotten slowly but progressively worse over the course of my life to where i see it constantly and extremely 'noisily' now in any light condition and on any surface. As you all know the snow is generally worse on monochrome surfaces and areas like the sky, and in the dark, and when it started out I mostly saw it only in those circumstances. Anyways I'm 30 now, so that's 18 years with visual snow, getting progressively worse. I feel like it affects my ability to see contrast and it completely destroys my night vision. The worst thing about it obviously is you see it NON stop, eyes closed, eyes open, day, night, doesn't matter. It's horrible when you're feeling anxious or down because then you have this permanent condition to add to your misery. I wish I could see clearly again like when I was a child and I worry that it will just keep getting worse into my old age to the point where I will be seriously disturbed by it, unable to sleep, or visually impaired. Anyway, when I got this condition the crazy part is I thought to myself 'I hope this ins't permanent.' and probably believed it wasn't like most conditions and things that come and go when you're a child - twelve years old, and horribly, horrifically, and coincidentally this just happened to be permeant, my fear realized. I'm an adult now so I don't get bent out of shape over it but at that time it was scary. I went to the doctors and got my eyes checked my eyes were fine, so they just sort of chalk it up to anxiety attacks or whatever, because at the time no one knew about it in the medical field and there wasn't really much of anything about it on the internet either. Now it's on wikipedia so hopefully someone is working on a cure of some kind. I'm not very hopeful because as you guys know if you have permeant snow NOTHING changes it. I've NEVER had it 'get slightly better' or be different on one day from another day. It's only ever stayed the same, or gotten progressively worse slowly over the years, and whenever it gets worse it just 'stays there' it NEVER gets better or changes. Not meaning to scare or dishearten anyone reading this, just stating what my experience is. Anyways, God Bless everyone. I pray we are all cured and are blessed.
I'm 16 and can remember no start to it. One day about six months ago, I was at a large conference with my dad. It was dimly lit, and I could not see the speaker's face no matter how hard I tried, but everyone else could see. I thought it was my hypoglycemia, but after normalizing that, I was still having visual snow (and headaches, but those may not be connected.) It's almost like looking at a static-y tv, but less dense. My spots are white on black and black on white, but I read it could be different. Worse in dim lighting and hurts in bright lighting. Very sensitive. My regular vision separate from that has always been great! Weird. Not debilitating. Annoying for sure, and varies in strength. Some days I forget it's even there, others... Never! - Ashley
My name is Fabian and I'm 20 years old. I've had visual snow ever since I can remember, even though I just found out today that it was a thing. All through my life I've asked different people if they see what I see, but none of them had. I'm actually extremely relieved that there's others like me out there. Right now I just want to understand what it is, and why it happens to me. It's worst at night, and it used to be barely visible at day time, but it's gotten worse. If there's a reason, I'll find it.
I have just recently started experiencing Vs. It all started when I was running and saw rings up in the sky. A day later, I started seeing dots on the walls.I told my mom but she didn't believe me.I have seen an eye doctor and he told me it was migraines.I am still a child.It has since gotten better,but sometimes it changes.I also suffer from depersonalization.I hope it will get better soon and I wish the best for all of you guys that are experiencing this with me. -Tish
Hey all, I'm really enjoying knowing how many people out there have VS. I've never known what it was (I've had it all of childhood) and even asked my mom if I should tell my eye doctor when I first went at around the age of 6. Im now 18 and FINALLY got tired of the eye doctor saying "huh, that's weird" when I asked what the hell all this fuzz is. But after a little digging I found out what it is and have known for about 5 months and still can't get over that is has a name. I'm not sure anyone I tell believes me that is is real, and people who have known me for a while that actually believe me for 5 seconds to look it up say that the side effects kind of fit with everything. Over all I'm glad to see people out there with this, and seeing that I'm not crazy.
Hello. My name is Quinn Vance. My visual snow started when my anxiety kicked in this summer. I had a lot of bad things happen to me and I just started to panic. I then noticed dark areas in rooms and the carpet would look like they were moving. My anxiety just kept making it worse. I dropped a ton of weight, wouldn't eat and felt sick all the time. I don't have it throughout my whole vision but only on certain areas. I then started getting after images and tracers when people move their hands. I then decided to get on Zoloft to see if once I calmed down these visual disturbances would go away. I was on Zoloft for a month and it made my visual problems worse! I've been off of Zoloft for 11 days now and I've been dealing with these visual issues. It's just something to look forward to every morning. I panic a lot from these issues and keep wondering when I will get better. The Doctor told me it's from anxiety, the eye doctor told me my eyes are perfectly healthy and I'm going to a Neurologist in a few days. This is depressing. I wish they could find a cure or hopefully have an answer. I remember when I was 17 this happened to me but it only lasted a month and it was when my anxiety was bad and it did go away but now it's back. I do think it's anxiety related but I've also been dealing with this for 4 months now. I'm not quite sure what to do at this point.
Hello, I am 13 years old and I have Visual Snow since I born. I really don't know whats the matter of my health but I am really afraid. I see eye floaters little white blood cells in my vision... Doctors should do something for this. How the hell? We live in 2014! I want to enjoy my life! Not having problems! We need a cure! And I am so afraid if this thing is getting worse. I am so dissapointed from that cruel world! Please doctors! Thats all I hate my vision I just want to get a clear vision. Bye :( - Constantinos
Hi my names Jessica, I'm in my twenties and from the UK and I've recently realised I suffer with visual snow! I first thought that the symptoms may have been because i needed glasses. However after a visit to the opticians, to my disappointment, being told my eyes were perfectly healthy, other than a deterioration in my long sightedness. Frustrated, I attempted to describe my symptoms to my mum as seeing everything like static TV (she looked at me like i was crazy). So i turned to google and I discovered I wasn't and that this problem was called visual snow! After reading other peoples stories, they have made me question how long I've actually had it. Whether its always been there but that i have only now started to pay attention to these visual disturbances!? The first time I noticed it as something abnormal was about 3 months ago after a night of partying and taking ecstasy. That night I had the first of a series of bad panic attacks and in the morning I was staring at a white wall in a bright room for hours, mesmerised and slightly concerned by the hundreds of dancing dots on the wall (i now see these when looking at any white surface, which makes it particularly difficult going outside on a cloudy overcast day!). Later that day I also noticed floaters for the first time and from then on other symptoms have appeared daily, such as halos of light, static vision, flashes of light, decrease night vision (although i'm starting to wonder if i also had poor night vision as a child because i always had to have a light left on and i remember being fixated on moving shadows in the dark). If I think too much about my visual snow or what i like to call static vision it becomes very distracting and I feel quite depressed and alone, so I try not to. Although attempting not to focus on it has been hard, i have noticed it does help reduce symptoms! However, I feel as though a research study is in order as i, and i'm sure everyone else, would like answers and to know if we're going to be stuck with this fuzz forever!
Hi , my name is Daniel I'm from Canada.I've had visual snow since I was a child . I go to bed every night seeing little specs all over my room and it's been like this all my life. My vision got worse as I grew older , and now I'm worried to get laser eye surgery since visual snow has stayed in my life . Sometimes I don't notice it but when I do I feel depressed and different from everyone else . I'm happy that others share the same problem as me . All of you who have been suffering from this problem keep me going and encourage me that one day we will find a cure :)
My name is Isabella and I have had visual snow ever since I was a young girl. I remember laying in bed, watching millions of coloured dots 'sparkling' in a sense. I was partially raised christian by my mother. The visual snow was regarded as something 'spiritual' and therefore it used to calm me. Years later, I am currently turning 18. My sight itself isn't great to begin with. That in addition to the visual snow, which I am not entirely sure whether it is worsening or that I am more aware of it... I just discovered that this 'phenomenon' actually has a name and started googling it till I discovered 'visual' snow. I am so glad that I am not the only one suffering from it. I found this site which is currently raising money for awareness http://www.gofundme.com/visual-snow it has a video on it about a fellow visual snow sufferer. Her visual snow suddenly got extremely bad and she is now unable to do much. I feel that it is important that we raise awareness for this rare neurological syndrome. In a way I wish I never actually researched it and found out about it, because it occasionally makes me feel a bit.. claustrophobic. It's hard to concentrate on things such as school but what can you do? Stay strong. If anyone wishes to talk my email is [email protected]
Hi, my name is Jess and I am a fifteen year old who used to think she was crazy. I have had VS for around 4 years now, and at first it didn't really bother me. I know my VS was caused by the onset of an autoimmune disease I have, and as the disease has gotten worse, so has the VS. Now, the VS is so bad, I'm practically blind in the dark, and quite frankly, it's very scary. I also become distracted during the day and in classes because I start focusing in on the moving, pixilated dots, and I start questioning the reality of the things around me. I guess when everything looks like a computer screen yet worse, you're bound to do that. I see more than the static though, I find myself seeing prolonged shadows, having double vision, seeing lights and orbs that aren't there, and sometimes not even seeing certain objects. During the day, this generally isn't as bad as at night, because in the light I can distinguish between reality and visual impairments, but at night things are getting terrible. The worst part isn't really the vision though, it's knowing I'm only fifteen and I'll have to live with this for the rest of my life. I am hoping for a cure, or even a treatment plan soon. Good luck, and support to all!
I am so relieved to hear that we all have one thing in common and consistent in our lives. I thought I was the only one expieriencing these visuals. I have had them my whole life. It never really bothered me to the point where I wanted it fixed, but I want to know what it means. Why is it happening, and why does no one else have it? I talk to people and my family about it, but they just tell me that I am silly and am making things up for attention...so I just kind of left it alone for a while, until now as a 20 year old going to college, I decided to finally get to the bottom of it by talking to my psychology teacher. And she doesn't know either. So if any one could help me find out why this is happening, whether it be spiritual, or just a scientific and genetically named disorder, please let me know! Thank you so much for your
time!If you have time look at this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed-eye_hallucination
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time!If you have time look at this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed-eye_hallucination
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Hi, my name is Martin Kallestrup. I'm 19 years old and lives in Denmark. 6 months ago, after having what I suspect to be a blood clot in my brain, I got scanned (they didn't find anything), and soon after I gradually started to get visual snow. Now I have started to get "brain fog" which really has a negative effect on my grades. I have always had floaters (or floater in my case) and been slightly colorblind. Bough my parents have bad migraines and my mom has tinnitus. I didn't know visual snow was a thing - and I am starting to suspect that my doctor doesn't know either. -.-
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Hello, I have also problems with my vision like static, halo's en light sensitivity. Besides that I have tinnitus. I have a history of classical migraines. I am now 36 and it was until 2006 I got these problems. In 2006 the classical migraine attacks decreased and the visual snow problems came instead. Besides these daily problems I also have symptoms that accompany migraine attacks. Further problems have to do with short-term memory, concentration, syntax and grammar. I am now seeing a neurologist in the Netherlands who is only specialised in migraines. I am trying medications but they don't work. Next month I will se him again. He understand my problems but is also honest and says that at this moment there are no medication that can cure this.
-Danielle
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Hi :) I'm Marie, 18 years old & living in BKK.
I don't really know when did my visual snow started, but about 4 months ago my anxiety is like... overload so my VS was really bad for about a week. But still, It's pretty much ignorable so I tried to forget about it. Then my symptoms (fatigue, muscle twist, starburst, halo,tinnitus that on & off but I don't have it for a while) went away, only things that bother me now I'd afterimages/trails but it's only worse when I'm tried & stress. My problem is anxiety so I've learn to put it out of my life, then the 'storm' in my vision is turn into a 'thin veil'. I can't say if I'm cured or not but VS doesn't bother me anymore. My family members also have VS, my mom said She had it for ages including afterimages/trails but she thinks it's normal so It's doesn't bother her. So I guess VS get worse if you focus on it too much & don't read too much forum on internet, they'll drive you crazy.
I can live a normal life, but some of VSers is still need help.
Please help funding research, let's get through this together :)
Hi :) I'm Marie, 18 years old & living in BKK.
I don't really know when did my visual snow started, but about 4 months ago my anxiety is like... overload so my VS was really bad for about a week. But still, It's pretty much ignorable so I tried to forget about it. Then my symptoms (fatigue, muscle twist, starburst, halo,tinnitus that on & off but I don't have it for a while) went away, only things that bother me now I'd afterimages/trails but it's only worse when I'm tried & stress. My problem is anxiety so I've learn to put it out of my life, then the 'storm' in my vision is turn into a 'thin veil'. I can't say if I'm cured or not but VS doesn't bother me anymore. My family members also have VS, my mom said She had it for ages including afterimages/trails but she thinks it's normal so It's doesn't bother her. So I guess VS get worse if you focus on it too much & don't read too much forum on internet, they'll drive you crazy.
I can live a normal life, but some of VSers is still need help.
Please help funding research, let's get through this together :)
Hello, my name is Katelyn. I've hade VS my whole life! I am only a child so it's hard to understand but all I know is that it really sucks! I have glasses but those don't help. I see floters all day and grains all night! Lol this sounds like a poem! I can hardly sleep! I can hardly see at night and when I close my eyes all it see is a grainy TV! When I was 4 I said "daddy I see dots everywhere" of corse he didn't believe me. But then a few months ago I said " dad I see grains every were like a picture in low light or like I'm personally stuck in winter" we did some research and found out ALOT of suff. The eye doctor didn't care! Well I wish the most of luck to you! And remember we are the no HD gang lol!
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- Hey y'all, I'm Beth. I've had Visual Snow my whole life, but I didn't even know it till late 2013. I though everyone saw like I did. When I was younger (I'm 14 now) i used just sit in the dark, staring at the flashing dots that I always saw. I can't really tell if my VS has gotten worse over the past years. I found out that my vision wasn't normal when one day I randomly asked my mom, "do you see static everywhere you look?" And she looked at me a little funny and said no. A very close friend of mine was telling me her testimony and she brought up that she had VS. For her it's so bad she barely can get to sleep at night. I asked her to explain to me what having VS was like and she said she had millions of black and white flashing dots across her vision, just like I had, only hers was worse. I guess I can say that Visual Snow doesn't really affect me too badly, but sometimes it does distract me in school and. when I'm supposed to be concentrating. Just knowing that there's other people like me who have VS is a comfort. I pray for all with VS. May God Bless you.
Hi I've always been aware that my vision isn't clear. The only way I can describe it is that I have always felt like I am permanently looking through net curtains at the world. When I think about it too much, it makes me feel like I'm detached from the world - stuck permanently behind this curtain. However, on a day-to-day basis, the most annoying effect it has had on me is that reading takes a lot more effort than I think it should and any courses I do, end up being a struggle because I don't really connect with what I'm reading. I came across the description of 'visual snow' a year or so ago, and it was a real 'aha' moment, it's not just me imagining it. I do get Tinnitus and Migraines as well, but that's a fairly recent development, and I suspect separate from the visual snow, which I now know, I've had all my life. - Jo
I'm 17 and I've had VS for as long as I can remember. I remember telling my mother about these "atoms" I could see (I think she thought I was just imagining things). I always thought that my sight was normal (that everyone has it), but only recently learned that isn't true. My VS is accompanied with floaters, afterimages, occasional brain fog, and when I was younger I had occasional tinnitus. I don't have migraines or anxiety. Even with my VS I can still drive, read, etc. (I do have nearsightedness though).While VS doesn't bother me too much, it would nice to see world without the static. -Debra
Hi my name is Sharayah, for as long as I can remember I have suffered from what I used to describe as pixelated vision, and what I now know is called Visual Snow (VS). I am 18 years old and have only just started to wonder about the causes, over my entire life I have suffered from severe headaches and over the last three years these have progressed to migraines. I live in Australia, and everyone I have seen about these auras and visual snow have had no idea what is going on! I don't want anyone else to go through this. It is so difficult to wake up every day knowing I am going to struggle to see and that I will have a constant throbbing in my head. I hope that soon there will be more awareness about this disorder and that I can be diagnosed and possibly get help for a cure for me, I am sick of being in pain and not seeing the world how it really is! I hope all of you other sufferers out there can get help from local neurologists or attend research events, but as of now, there are none going on where I live. I also hope that we will soon have a cure and that we can all live in relief from our current sufferings.
Hi, My name's Nick and I'm 25 from Australia. I've suffered from Visual Snow since I was 11. I realised my vision wasn't the same after an episode where I had fainted after reading a leaflet about drugs and the effects of using drugs..(strange but for an 11 year old, I was incredibly stressed about it) I do remember that I became incredibly weak and de-personalised, my eyes when into an overdrive and 'stars' appeared all over my vision - I remember that vividly, then when i woke up from the black out, I had snow vision and anxiety problems which have NEVER left me. It's bizarre but I believe some kind of stress that the brain couldn't handle triggered a chemical imbalance. Nobody has ever known exactly what I am talking about..I've seen optometrists and doctors and I appear healthy and normal. Dad has told me it is normal to see floaters and flashes, to have anxiety but I experience more than that. Another point, I remember saying as a young kid a couple times is that I felt 'dead'..and my mum was mortified by it. I look back now and i feel it was depersonalisation..again..vision was weak and I felt I was seeing but seeing through an abnormal state of consciousness. To add to the story, ironically, I took ecstasy a while ago and I feel it actually made my visual snow more noticeable. Which makes me believe there is definitely a link to it being a neurological condition.. And if ecstasy can make something like VS worse, than thats evidence that it toys with the brain/ nervous system. Thats my two cents. I hope somebody reads this and relates.
I will soon be turning 24 and for over a year now I have had visual snow and related symptoms. It all started when I took a low dose of ritalin to help with my mild depression. It did help a bit, but my anxiety became much worse, not only that but I had a sudden massive increase in the number of floaters and because of this I stopped taking it. Soon after I started noticing other strange visuals, I remember describing it to a friend as "pixelated" and "like a mesh over my eyes."
Since then things have gotten worse, I started noticing that the corners of the walls in my room appear bowed out, seem colourful with bright blues and oranges and most frighteningly of all, move with a rippling, or vibrating effect. I hate looking at it but once I do I cant stop staring! And the longer I stare the worse it gets and the more panicked I feel once I finally snap out of it. Other things also have the same rippling effect especially hard, sharply defined straight edges. I have seen faucets, bookshelves, blankets, shadows, curtains doors/doorframes and floors as well as many other objects "move" in this way. I sometimes have to touch the object in question, or ask another person so I can confirm wether or not it is actually moving.
Lately a frightening new symptom has showed up. I can best describe it as a flickering shadow at the top of my visual field (usually it looks like its on the ceiling). It is almost something I can feel when its happening and it is only from my right eye. I have become very avoidant of ceiling fans because the shadows they cast are so similar to what I see that they trigger my anxiety.
I have tried telling my mom but she tells me it is happening because I'm letting myself get panicked, when I try to explain that it's the other way around she says "maybe you're just crazy." When I told my boyfriend he and his friends laughed and asked if I had ever done drugs (which they know I haven't) and told me I'm "perma-fried"!
I really try very hard not to let it bother me, I have already been doing that with my tinnitus for years. A very annoying thing about it is having my prescription for nearsightedness be "correct" and yet still not being able to see things properly! Like many others I have been to both eye and ear doctors in an effort to solve these mysterious disturbances but to no avail. What really upsets me is that due to the fact that trying to take meds to improve my life had such a dramatically opposite effect, I am now afraid to try any others or even seek medical help.
They say misery loves company and in this case it rings true, as miserable as this all is its good to know I'm not alone. The more we call attention to this the more our families, friends, and in many ways most importantly, doctors will start recognizing it as a legitimate and life impacting issue.
Since then things have gotten worse, I started noticing that the corners of the walls in my room appear bowed out, seem colourful with bright blues and oranges and most frighteningly of all, move with a rippling, or vibrating effect. I hate looking at it but once I do I cant stop staring! And the longer I stare the worse it gets and the more panicked I feel once I finally snap out of it. Other things also have the same rippling effect especially hard, sharply defined straight edges. I have seen faucets, bookshelves, blankets, shadows, curtains doors/doorframes and floors as well as many other objects "move" in this way. I sometimes have to touch the object in question, or ask another person so I can confirm wether or not it is actually moving.
Lately a frightening new symptom has showed up. I can best describe it as a flickering shadow at the top of my visual field (usually it looks like its on the ceiling). It is almost something I can feel when its happening and it is only from my right eye. I have become very avoidant of ceiling fans because the shadows they cast are so similar to what I see that they trigger my anxiety.
I have tried telling my mom but she tells me it is happening because I'm letting myself get panicked, when I try to explain that it's the other way around she says "maybe you're just crazy." When I told my boyfriend he and his friends laughed and asked if I had ever done drugs (which they know I haven't) and told me I'm "perma-fried"!
I really try very hard not to let it bother me, I have already been doing that with my tinnitus for years. A very annoying thing about it is having my prescription for nearsightedness be "correct" and yet still not being able to see things properly! Like many others I have been to both eye and ear doctors in an effort to solve these mysterious disturbances but to no avail. What really upsets me is that due to the fact that trying to take meds to improve my life had such a dramatically opposite effect, I am now afraid to try any others or even seek medical help.
They say misery loves company and in this case it rings true, as miserable as this all is its good to know I'm not alone. The more we call attention to this the more our families, friends, and in many ways most importantly, doctors will start recognizing it as a legitimate and life impacting issue.
Hi, my name is Bianca, I am 22 and have been suffering from visual snow or as I like to call it, static vision, for a few years now. It has gotten worse, or perhaps just become more noticeable in the past year, and in this past month I have began to feel rather depressed over this mysterious phenomena. When I try to explain what I see to my friends it makes me feel a bit crazy. They just really don't get it, and to them, it's not a big deal. But to me.. I'm having a really hard time. It's like there is this veil of colorful(but not quite rainbow, more like white/green) over my eyes that I just want lifted so that I may see regularly. It's distracting during conversations. I can't help but let my eyes fall out of focus sometimes and just be mesmerized by all of the little pixels in the sky. I've only just began researching this, but it seems as though I'm probably not going to get very far. I feel hopeless, happily hopeless. I sometimes wonder if we are just seeing the energy all around us. I mean, we can feel energy right? Maybe we are just special and can see it too.
Hi, I'm Ashley and I'm 16 years old. I live in North Carolina, USA. For as long as I can remember I have had visual snow. I remember looking at the ceiling while laying in my bed at night as a child and watching the static and bursts of light like they were fairies of some sort. I remember watching the trails behind my hand as I moved it from side to side. When I was in elementary and middle school, I thought I had a superpower of some sort, because I knew that not everyone saw the static like I did. I also began to see auras, which I thought was just another superpower. Back then, I thought that the "static" wasn't static, but that I was in fact seeing actual atoms. I also have time space synesthesia. I've never had migraines, but if I'm dehydrated or I've been concentrating on something for a while, my visual snow is much worse. I also suffer from depression and anxiety. I only found out recently what visual snow was and it's like a weight lifted off my shoulders, I finally know what's wrong with me. I'm also nearsighted, with my vision only getting worse. Since I've had visual snow for nearly, if not all, of my life it doesn't bother me that much. But I've always wanted to know what seeing clearly is like, and I know that most people who suffer from it wish they could see clearly once again, so I urge neurologists and other doctors to please help find a cure for this disorder. I also urge others to help raise awareness of this disorder, since many people I know, including my family, don't believe that it exists.
Hi, I'm Aly, 19yrs old. I have been seeing static and lines all my life. I've always thought it was normal coz I have never seen clear visions without those static. It is very prominent when seeing in the dark. I've always hated being in the dark because of that. I do hear ringing frequently and also see flashes, auras and starbursts. At times i see trailings too. I didn't think anything was wrong so I didn't tell anyone until when I was about 13. The statics would block my view from seeing the bus number from far, even though I have perfect eye sight. Sometimes it affects eye checks too. By then I couldn't stand it and cried. I told my mom about it and she brought me to an eye centre. However, the doctors could to find anything and thought I was faking it. It was horrible. All I wanted was help and they said i was faking it. And the monthly visits were costly. Eventually, I gave up. I told my mom that if it does not affect my life, then it's alright. So I lived with it. I don't know if these are symptoms but i have problems recalling memories. Like what I did 2 days ago, i may have problems recalling. I would also get depressed for no reasons sometimes. During school exams or tests, I take sometime to process the questions. Especially Maths problems. I have problems solving the questions and take sometime to understand what the question asks for. In class, at times I would feel distracted. I'm paying attention to the lecturer but the information doesn't seem to be registered. I would feel fatigues too. Sometimes I don't do anything in a day, just sitting in front of the computer would tire me so much. I did not know that my static vision condition was called Visual Snow until today. I told my friend about what I've seeing. I didn't know it was called static either. So after she told me it was static, I went to google about seeing static and got to know I have Visual Snow. I'm happy to know that I'm not the only one who suffers from Visual Snow. I really hope there's a cure for this.
Hello! I recently learned about visual snow online, and I sort of had a 'Wait, doesn't everyone have that?' moment. I'm not 100% convinced that I have visual snow. I remember trying to explain to my grade three teacher that I could see other black, white, and some indescribable bluish-greenish-pinkish colour mixed in like television static over solid colours, and her not understanding what I meant. I still like it at nighttime when all the lights are off, because the black is covered with bigger and brighter static and I can look for pictures like cloud gazing. I know that everything in this room with me is covered in sheets of tiny black, white, and extra-coloured dots that scatter around, but many of the depictions of visual snow I've seen online look too flat or a little exaggerated. So I'm probably just being hypochondriac. I've only ever had two migraines in my life, neither of which did anything beyond cause pain. I've had a sensitivity to light for the last several years, but I do work indoors a lot so I suppose that could be explained. I'm just not sure how to figure out if the colour static thing is normal or not, because- Well. I don't really have a 'because'. I just can't remember anything different, and it doesn't really get in the way. I just hope someone can figure it out so I can know. Thank you very much
Good news for all you Visual Snow sufferers. Research has been conducted on Visual Snow and functional MRIs have shown the location of the brain where this originates. Conventional MRIs will not show this. The other good news is that the researchers are working on a treatment. Here is a complete link to the research article http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/head.12378/full
-Christina
-Christina
Greetings everyone, I am currently 14 years old living in the U.S and have been suffering vs for around two years. I remember it started back right after I had a panic attack on an airplane. I am a really nervous person. Luckily I can actually live with my vs and its not that bad, but I just don't the satisfaction when sitting in my room with my white walls. I feel really different. I cant enjoy being outside either. vs will be a bit of a struggle in high school especially for football. When ever I or look, I see static or like a t.v thats broken. It gets worse when in the dark. I also see the same with my eyes closed. I remembered how it felt to enjoy looking up at the sky, especially at night to look at the stair as a younger child. Although vs does not affect that bad, it still is a pain in the butt. PLEASE DOCTORS, try to find a cure :) -Ignacio
Hello - I am 40 years old and I have had visual snow I think since I was born. I have read some of the other stories and my case is not as severe... maybe because I don't know any different? I remember when I first mentioned "static" to various people, and they gave me this strange look because they had no idea what I was talking about. I truly went through the first half of my life thinking that I was the only one who had this "condition." Then one evening when I was about 25, a woman I met at a party made a comment about how she always saw static. I was so excited to know I was not alone! My perception of it is VERY different from what I am reading in these stories however. I actually don't mind having this "condition"... I feel in some ways it has helped me discern small differences in color (which came in very handy when I worked as a graphic designer), and I like to think I am "seeing" some sort of energy that others cannot. The slow color changes and movements that I see when I close my eyes help me relax. I want to explore it further, not get rid of it. If tinnitus is a co-existing condition, that is probably the ONLY thing that bothers me about it! I do have tinnitus, but also not severe. Again, maybe it's different for people who have always had it; I would be interested in some data that shows how onset (beginning of life vs later in life/memory of onset) affects how the person perceives the condition and is affected by it. Good luck to all...
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Hi all, I'm Lauren from America. I've had visual snow for as long as I can remember. I was 6 the first time I brought it up to anyone, and I was met with looks of 'are you crazy??' that I never brought it up again. It wasn't until late 2013 that I realized there was actually a name for this and that I wasn't the only one dealing with this. I'm also night blind, a condition I'm not sure is associated with visual snow or not but could be? Idk, but it would be great to have this solved. I'm so used to it now that I barely notice it unless I'm in dim lighting then I can barely see a thing because the fuzz is so much.
Hi! My name is Gillian and I live in the US. I'm fifteen, and I've been experiencing visual snow since I was four or five but I only recently found out there was a term for it. I've been lucky; my visual snow does't often bother me. It's constant, but minor. I think I've just gotten used to it because I've had it so long. When I first developed it, I was terrified. I was just so young and I had no idea what was going on. I have great vision otherwise, and the glasses my parents got me didn't help I also have been diagnosed with anxiety/depression among other things, and (I saw others mention this) I've heard ringing in my ears since I was a kid as well. Even though I'm quite young and it probably won't help, I'd just like to say someone to everyone that is really having a hard time with this. Even if it doesn't go away, it gets better. You can train your brain to see past it; at least that's what I've done. You just need to figure out what exactly makes it worse and how to deal with that (for me it's changes in light and also any pain I have). It sucks. I won't deny that. And I know I probably have it easy. But please, as much as you can, try to take charge and control it. I know it's not always easy or even possible, but I'd still encourage you to try. I hate seeing people miserable, and I don't want this stupid condition to run people's lives. I hope all of you get better.
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Hi ,I never suffered from anything like this until 6 weeks ago ,I was bitten by a deer tick that fed off me for at least 2 days that I know of (on my back ),alongside other Lyme and co-infection symptoms ,I have had VS symptoms everyday that are difficult to cope with to say the least.It could be that the cause is based (in some ) in something like a tick/mosquito's bites,I had no issue with my eyesight prior to the bite and now neurologically I seem to have many that I know are caused by the bacteria/virus's that the tick flooded my system with ,but because I had the standard 2 week antibiotic treatment I'm not being taken that seriously by my doctor.Please be aware that some of these symptoms can be based in an infection type thing like lyme.and /or it's co-infections,as for what to do about it that I'm sorry to say rests with a good doctor who will not immediately say its through depression etc and will actually eliminate this particular nasty ,very complex disease'Good luck all and please hang in there .....regards Lesley
Hi ,I never suffered from anything like this until 6 weeks ago ,I was bitten by a deer tick that fed off me for at least 2 days that I know of (on my back ),alongside other Lyme and co-infection symptoms ,I have had VS symptoms everyday that are difficult to cope with to say the least.It could be that the cause is based (in some ) in something like a tick/mosquito's bites,I had no issue with my eyesight prior to the bite and now neurologically I seem to have many that I know are caused by the bacteria/virus's that the tick flooded my system with ,but because I had the standard 2 week antibiotic treatment I'm not being taken that seriously by my doctor.Please be aware that some of these symptoms can be based in an infection type thing like lyme.and /or it's co-infections,as for what to do about it that I'm sorry to say rests with a good doctor who will not immediately say its through depression etc and will actually eliminate this particular nasty ,very complex disease'Good luck all and please hang in there .....regards Lesley
I'm 36 years old and today discovered its not normal to see this static - now i think of it, how weird that i find this out only now! No wonder people haven't been able to understand my description. I went to the optician this week and said 'you know those moving dots you get when you look at walls or the sky (I've described it like this before and people have nodded or agreed so i thought it normal) , well its starting to get so bad i can't read properly." It was then i realised it wasn't normal and he asked if it looked like 'snowglobe affect', a description which has led me to this site via google. I used to have severe migraines with aura but no longer get them (or at least very rarely). Im not overly stressed or anxious, am healthy and apart from the constant static apparently have 20/20 vision. I have had tinnitus before but wouldn't say i 'suffer' from it and i do get halos and after images. I have another optician appointment in 2 weeks but after reading this page think that i may not get the answer i was hoping for...
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Hi my name is Melchior and i certainly have visual snow. I stumbled upon this topic today and never before thought about it, because i thought everyone has it. It seems pretty normal to me so I think I had this my entire life. It kind of looks like everything is constantly flickering. What does flicker you may ask. Think of the tiniest surface your Eye could still barely resolve and let's call it a "Dot". Your field of view consist of much of these "Dots", because it's the smallest thing you could ever see. Now the world you are looking at consists of these "dots", because they make your field of view. While looking at the world, these "dots" have the color of what you are looking at. And visual snow is, when these "dots" constantly change its color. Not like hallucinogenic rainbow power changes. These little guys just flicker. It does not affect my accuracy, because they are the smallest thing I could ever resolve. And our world is much bigger than that. They do not annoy me, because it's the world I live in. Nobody says:"I'm annoyed by drinking water.". They just make really cool patterns if you stare and don't move your eyes. They lighten up the night. And I seem to have better Eyes as many people I know. I have lucid dreams since I can remember, maybe there is a connection too. Because these dots flicker with closed eyes too. I feel like the patterns I see could be misinterpret by my brain into dreams. I'm doing fine with VS it never bothered me and it does not now. When I read the other stories I feel really sorry because it's such a normal thing to me, but I hope and wish you people get over with it and enjoy your life as much as you can. The other commentators connected their VS with psychological illness or events that hurt them psychologically, so I have to say one last thing. I'm not considering my self psychologically stable or healthy, but there is no reason for me to connect this with VS and therefore no reason to describe it here. This is my story, I hope it helps somebody out and we will find an answer to VS in our lifetime.
Hi I'm Margaret. I'm in middle school. I have always had this problem, but thought t was normal. I have 20/20 vision according to doctors. :( It's mostly static, except for when I close my eyes I see what I used to call fireworks. As a. Small child I told my parents about it. They told me it was light stains, or air particles. I know what those look like, it's not this. Should I tell a doctor I have this? The only thing is I dot get migraines. I don't know what to do!
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Hi, I started seeing VS in my late 20s. I freaked out. I went to the eye doctor and ophthalmologist, but they told me my eyes are fine. My family have history of eye problems. Retina detachment and macula degenerations, cataract. But I don't have any problem. I was scared, but the symtom won't go away. VS started with my left eye, but now my right eye see the same thing. I see vs when I close my eye too. Im still glad and thankful that I can see things and live like normal person. I hope there will be a cure oneday. I hope I don't go blind. And definitely I can feel the pains and sufferings of people with disability. Let's not lose our hope. God is always there for us. When you are scared, call unto jesus. He will give you peace
-Lani
-Lani
Guys It seems like most of you are new to VS and yes it does suck but it is not the end of the world. I am 20 now and have had it since I was in middle school. Trust me you get used to it after a while and it isnt that bad. Yes it is harder to see and you see some weird stuff but you have to look at it like it is a cool think. like the after images part of it, seeing things after there gone, Its almost like a super power. I hate it don't get me wrong and I also suffer from anxiety but what we all need to know that it isn't that bad or the end of the world. Think about it... All that it is effecting is our vision we still have our minds body and friends. Life its great!
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Hi, i am Andrew and i am 28 and live in Australia, the problems with my body are piled up, but i am thrilled and worried about luring that the static is a rear condition. well i always thought this was what the world looked like as i have had this for as far as i can remember. it was only 5 years ago wile i was talking to a friend about reality, that i found out that the static was not normal. i also hear it, like the static you would here on a old tv before digital. i have not been to doctors for this because i learned to live with it before i realized it was not normal. as you can see i cant spell very well, but i don't know if this is linked to the static or not. i would love to see what plane black or a straight edge actually looks like, i would love to we what the sky and water actually looks like, i would love to se what i actually look like, but this static stops me from seeing the real world. instead i see it thru a static filter, that makes everything not real. the problem is that in my dreams there is no static, so i sometimes wonder if this world is the actual dream, and the other world is the real one. doctors, please help us, i know if you were to ask us, we will be lab rats for you if there's a chance for a cure.
Hello! I'm 23 - from the United Kingdom. I have suffered visual snow since I was 13, and today marks an exciting time for me, since I've only just figured out what it is, and that there's a name for it! I'm so glad to see people on here linking it to depersonalisation (though maybe "glad" is the wrong word)! I can't pinpoint exactly when this condition started, but I've been to countless doctors and opticians who either don't know what I'm talking about or reassure me that it's floaters! It's not the "snow" itself that bothers me (though it does make things like reading a little more difficult than they should be), but the feeling of depersonalisation that I experienced growing up with visual snow lead to a whole host of other problems - depression and anxiety. I hope my story will bring hope to some people, though; after spending my teenage years in depression, I'm not very happy. Although I still suffer visual snow, I now only really notice it when I think about it - I believe, like most visual field-related things - the brain kind of "gets used to" visual snow and, though it's still there, you learn to ignore it. At least that's my experience. That said, although there's no official "cure", I'm glad there are now people who are suffering this strange condition (that I thought I was alone with) who I can talk to, and who seem to have discovered a few meds and such that seem to help. Stay optimistic everyone - I know visual snow makes life seem like a daze sometimes, but you *can* learn to live with it! If you feel depressed, anxious or disconnected, please seek professional help - you're not crazy for doing so, and it did wonders for me. Stay strong everyone, and keep raising awareness!
-Mark
-Mark
Im 21 ,My Visual snow started after a migraine with aura, i have only had 3 migraines with aura before that when i was a younger (they where triggered from energy drinks), it started when i was drinking lots off sugary tea early in the morning and i was looking at my computer monitor and all of a sudden i got blind spots in the bottom right of both my eyes and everything was wavy, and hour later i had a banging headache on the left side of my temple and it stayed like that for a few hours, eventually the headache went away along with my blind spots, but i felt a bit funny and could tell my vision wasn't right, i though the next day it would be fine but it wasn't, my vision seemed weird and i couldn't explain it, the next day after that i started getting tinnitus in both ears (right ear was slightly worse) a week after having these symptoms constantly, i found out what was wrong with my vision it must be Visual snow, i was seeing really fine black and white static and i could see it when my eyes were closed as well, i get afterimages when i look at bright lights (monitors,car lights for about a second), i went to the doctors and the eye doctors and they said i was fine and they said it must be a migraine, its been just over a month now and my symptoms are still as bad as they were, my vs and tinnitus seem to get worse when i'm tired(get up in mornings and going to sleep) a few weeks after my vs started i've been getting slight headaches on the left side of my forehead mostly and sometimes my right but only lasts for a few minutes at a time and feel like i have pressure in my head (as well as pressure in my sinus) i've noticed i've been getting eye strain in my left eye when i look at small screens but my vision is good (according to doctors), i feel like am constantly on drugs when i'm not, i have had to give up all type of drugs (caffeine,drink,prescription,chemicals in energy drinks,some sugary food) because it seems to make it worse
-Isaac from England
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-Isaac from England
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I'm Libby and I'm 13 I think it's visual snow I suffer from, I suffer from anxiety and I always get scared about illnesses it's becoming a problem one minute it's brain tumour next it's the pimple triangle of death! Recently I've been having a right mare I went to the hospital one day because I was scared I had brain tumour, I didn't. Then after a couple of days I've been noticing floaters and my mum thought I was "attention seeking" I really thought I was going to go blind in the morning I booked a appointment with the doctors at the same place! A bit embarrassing they thought it was a allergy to hair dye because I recently dyed it he didn't bother checking me so I was still scared and thinking I was gonna go blind. The next day was hell my eyes were burning my mum was working all day she booked a opticians appointment so I went with my dad they said my vision was ok and that I had dry eye syndrome I didn't know what visual snow was that time I asked about my eye floaters and he said well everyone gets them so I was fine but I knew there was a problem so the day after I was panicking a lot and was mad because I thought I had retina detachment then I thought I couldn't have because I didn't really see flashing lights but I saw floaters I was looking up what floaters do and all for about a hour! I was terrified then I went out for a bit still feeling scared about it then I came back and found out visual snow I didn't know if it makes you blind or not and still don't! I'm so scared is it bad because for sure I have it.
Hello guys. My name is Erin, and I am 19 years old. I have had Visual Snow symptoms as long as I could remember. In fact, interestingly enough, up until a few years ago, I thought everyone else saw that way too! It was when I mentioned to my mom idly that I couldn't see the snow outside clearly for the snow in my own vision, and seeing her confused reaction, that I realized that I was alone. (Well, until I found a name for my condition, that is.) I experience a flickering, fine-grained static during the daytime, which gets much coarser and more pronounced in the darkness or in dim light, or when I've been on the computer for a very long time. The best way I can describe it is like the static seen on a digital camera screen. I also experience light sensitivity and afterimages of objects even after only a few seconds of viewing. Rather than being annoying, it was an object of fascination for me as a little kid. I used to move my hand around in the dark and watch the afterimage trail behind it ("I'm a wizard!" I thought). I also watched the static on surfaces such as tiled floors, where it almost appeared to be going in a criss-cross pattern with the tiles. It was less fun when, in the darkness of my room at night, the coarse static made objects like teddy bears appear to move the longer I looked at them, and it would also make me see shapes in the dark that weren't there, which sent my eight-year-old imagination racing (and ducking under the covers to avoid monsters). Nowadays it doesn't affect my life quite so much, save for the poor night-vision and being unable to see all but the brightest of stars. I've never had migraines (nor are they in my family), but I have been prone to anxiety and OCD-like symptoms. I also experience tinnitus intermittently (one ear ringing for about ten seconds, then disappearing) and mild nearsightedness (which probably isn't helped any by the VS!). I am going to see my optometrist today for a routine checkup, and I'm uncertain whether or not I should mention my Visual Snow symptoms, judging by the negative experiences I've read on the internet. If it truly is neurological in origin, there's really nothing she can do. All the same, I'm glad I've found this blog and others like it. It makes me feel a little less isolated. ~Erin
Hello my name is Lianne I've been suffering this visual disturbance for 2 years I see static , a heatwave effect on walls and floors , starbursting off lamp posts cars any artificial light , blue entopic phenomenon ( lights flying around) , pressure behind my full face , migraines with aura , dizziness , feeling of hopelessness and hating every normal person, pins and needles through my full body especially my lips, my worst visual disturbance is breathing walls , doors, pictures , cars everything breaths if it's stationary I hate my life at the moment and want to die but haven't got the balls to do it , someone please help us this isn't normal and is so scary !!!
Hey! I'm Cen and I'm 17. I live in the US of A and I have had visual snow all my life. I never quite knew what it was. Nobody had any answers for me until one day, today, I googled it. I thought it was just because I was seeing things, or because of a medication. I never would have thought that it was a brain condition. My vision worsens, or gets "snowier", just before my eyes start to hurt and I get a small migraine. I wear glasses, so sometimes I interpret it as a need for a prescription change, but as of late I have been getting snowier vision more and more frequently. It has gotten to the point where I have trouble focusing in class. The reason I am writing you is because I literally JUST found out. I am a junior in high school. This is sad. Is there any possible way to test for this to give some people answers and spread the word? Sincerely. Cen(turion)
When I was 7, I was up late, and I saw the dots coming towards me. Like fire flys, it was dark, the dots were bright... I hide under the covers, as fast as I could... and covered my face with my hands, But I saw it with my lids down, come into my eyes, and it's been here ever since. I will be 21 next month, I can drive, work, read, write, talk, no one can even tell I have it. It wasn't until I was older did I notice not everyone else goes though this. The rings in the ears, the dyslexia, the forgetfulness (fog), the lines, the stars, the dots, and its every color you can think of, all mix together, and on everything. There is no peace from it, I am sleepy all the time, sad all the time, and yet I don't let it get me down,because I live with it. Sometime it helps, when people glow, I know what they really feel, or if I see a shadow/glow person, I don't scream, I just ask it to go away, and it will. Yes, people think I am crazy, but I know that they are insane. It's real, what ever it is Or I have lost mind, and somehow I know it. As for a cure that would be great, but to work with it is even better. Since I have been defocusing eyes, or day dreaming, helps a lot. Also make things bigger (front, words)... Like always where sunglasses (even at night) turn down screen brightness, and zoom in on pictures and things, eat spinach everyday... Use the eyes less... Learn your room by feel Or train yourself to use sound with a clicker. Also use learn to use both hands, and feet. It makes my brain rethink, even starting a step with my left foot helps in a odd way. As for the ringing I know that when I listen to it, it goes away faster. As for the sadness, do something everyday that you want to really do, or work towards something you want to do... My case has not gotten better and isn't getting worse. Just try to over look it. I know it's always there, but I don't always have to make a point of it. I don't tell people, no one wants to hear about it, just like wanted to kill your self. no one wants to talk about it with you to your face. So yeah, thankful for the internet. Because, I have had a lot people tell me, my mom did drugs when she had me, or I ate pills as a kid, but I don't know if that is true, at all. They don't understand, and I understand that. Also I don't do any drugs or drink, or smoke, I don't like it. More of a book, music, walk on the beach, play with my dog, watch youtube kind of person.... Thanks for hearing me out, It means a lot to me. Maybe this can help someone else. :D ---Kayla
Hey, My name's Chloe, and I'm a sixteen year old girl in Singapore. I've had visual snow for as long as I can remember, though I never really knew about it until recently. You see, I've had myopia since a young age- eight, I believe. After I started wearing glasses I noted that I could see odd shapes floating around my vision. I naively believed it was my glasses that magnified the organisms floating about in the air. My VS wasn't as bad as many others, considering I never had much concern about it- I simply thought it was normal, along with the floaters, the ringing sounds and the after images. When I was thirteen, I started to get migraines. Some were bad enough to give me tunnel vision, but mostly they just made me grumpy and tired. When I told my mother, she simply said I wasn't sleeping enough. This continued all the way until this year, where I was under the impression that I could see static and floaters because of my myopia. (It's 800-900 now) I had bouts of minor depression and a lot of anxiety. I chalked it up to normal teenager problems and let it be. That was until I saw a post concerning visual snow, and I put the pieces together. I haven't told anyone yet because I'm scared they won't believe me, and because my family is under a lot of stress. Telling them would simply mean more money to spend on eye check ups and all that. Like I've read, check ups wouldn't help much because VS can't be detected nor cured, right? So anyway, this is my story, I suppose. Even though my VS isn't as bad as the others, I still feel the need to share, because every story counts. (Do forgive me for the sentimental ending.)
Hi My name is Adam, I'm 26 years old. For about a year and a half now I have been experiencing worsening visual trails, palinopsia (which I had noticed first), visual snow, starburst, halos, tinnitus and other strange visual phenomena along with brain fog and de-realization. I have seen some very good specialists, Neurologist, ophthalmologist, ENT, Psychiatrist. None of them could help me with what it is. I gave up hope for the medical industry here in Australia and then found that many people around the world shared these very symptoms via web pages like this one. I have been diagnosed with depression which has been successfully treated and anxiety which I am still working on. I think the most difficult symptom to live with is the brain fog/de-realization that I have experienced since the onset, the severity of which varies from day to day depending on sleep, stress etc. I think in my case the key point to note is that the onset was gradual and not immediate and still continues to worsen, trails are longer, more visual snow etc.. There seems to be a lot of people with this condition which had occurred on a single date. To hear that there was no cure for this condition let alone enough recognition was hugely disappointing. I would love to do more to aid in finding a cure but until then this is a start. I often dream of the day that I can experience life as I did before this all started, I want to be normal
Hi, my name is Crystal and I am 27 years old and I have had Visual Snow for as long as I can remember. There is not one memory I have that is not covered in swirling dots. This terrified me as a child because I could not communicate accurately with the adults in my life about what I was seeing. Bedtime was horrible because its worse at night. Closing my eyes only made it worst because I also experience prolonged afterimage as a side effect. I had nightmares and extreme anxiety. I cried so much one night my mom finally took me to the doctor they ran every test you could think of and they were all prefect. The doctor told my mom I was faking for attention and needed a good spanking. After that I never spoke of it again because no one seemed to understand and I didn't want to be called a liar again. It wasn't until last night that I found out that there was even a name for this and I wasn't the only one! The relief I felt was unimaginable. After suffering in silence of all these years I now know I have a community of people who understand. And even more so doctor's are acknowledging this as well. I'm going to talk to my doctor the first chance I get and learn all that I can about this condition and do my best to advocate for others like me. We need to know more about this condition and look for a cure. The idea of being able to see some perfectly clear for once in my life would be amazing.
Hi everyone! I just found out for what I have as long I can remember this thing called Visual Snow! I thought what I had was normal, I thought everyone around me had it... But out of curiousity I asked people around me if they see it too and they said that they see everything just clear... And that what I see (colors, flashes, dots, murmurs as if I'm always looking at a tv) wasnt normal at all. So my sister looked it up for me and found this site about experiences of others. Its relieving but also hard to believe what alot of you had been through. Because it never really infected my life... I have it as long I can remember and therefor I dont know better... I do feel depressed at times and think that the world is a very sad sad world, My eyes are at times very very heavy. Mentally I am disoriented and my concentration is not always on top. But I never saw these linked with what I have. At night it js more blurry at day. But I never really took the time to concentrate on it... I'll jus close my eyes and try to sleep... So like I said it never really influenced my life... And I cant imagine how I see things without it. It also didnt got worse ... I think somehow I learned to embrace it... I noticed at my age of 16 and I am 25 now.. Maybe it will get worse... Maybe not..but there are even times I enjoy it when things are actually pretty boring... Sooo thats my storyyyy
-Jani from Netherlands
-Jani from Netherlands
Hi, I m 28 year old male, and I suffer from VS for at least for 10 years. I mean I first stated noticing VS and other symptoms with my first anxiety episode, later my diagnosis was GAd and also OCD, and during pass years I've had some depression episodes. I must admit that no one pays attention on my "sparkling vision"(phrase i used to describe it), and many floaters, Halos, light sensitivity, and other things. I got to A class ophthalmologist, and all I got was you have blue eyes which is more sensitive, and you are to sensitive as a person so you notice all of that (btw I have astigmatism and wear glasses or lenses). My psychiatrist never pay attention to this sparkling vision I described, and was like " thats only part of anxiety". which i have to admit is partly true, because during bad anxiety periods, my VS getting worse. During the time i stopped complaining on VS and was like its normal, I even was at neurologist due to my fears of MS, but I even didn't talk about vision,because no one cares for that, she said I was fine, and i m only anxious, depressed and so... I m really glad I found this and similar sites and support groups, cause finally I have a name for what I see, and the way I see. I still think anxiety is in big correlation with VS but still don't know how
-Ben from Serbia
-Ben from Serbia
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Hello, I have also problems with my vision like static, halo's en light sensitivity. Besides that I have tinnitus. I have a history of classical migraines. I am now 36 and it was until 2006 I got these problems. In 2006 the classical migraine attacks decreased and the visual snow problems came instead. Besides these daily problems I also have symptoms that accompany migraine attacks. Further problems have to do with short-term memory, concentration, syntax and grammar. I am now seeing a neurologist in the Netherlands who is only specialised in migraines. I am trying medications but they don't work. Next month I will se him again. He understand my problems but is also honest and says that at this moment there are no medication that can cure this.
-Danielle
Hello, my name is Yuval. I live in Israel. 16 years old. I have VS for over 6 years, but discovered that it was actually a problem a week ago... It started when I had a social problems (being bullied etc.), and I would have usually have taking out my anger on the person that angered me, but everyone told me to keep my anger to myself, it caused me a crazy anxiety, and mental breakdowns. Later on that year, I got sick, and was stuck to my bed for a week, I started seeing VS then, and thought it was part of the sickness (I was dizzy at a time so it seemed normal), after I got better the VS stayed, and I was never able to explain it to anyone, because they thought I was making it up or I just had a common dizziness or tiredness... VS is basically constantly seeing a static noise, even when I close my eyes or watching the dark, I still see the statics. As if it wasn't enough, I got a lot more effects that comes with it. I hear strong noise, out of nowhere, a strong and high pitch sound. It is called Tinnitus. With that comes a lot of effect I never knew they were related (because I discovered me being sick only a week ago), I tend to fall into my imagination, disconnected from the outside world completely, feeling like an outsider looking at a screen (look depersonalisation up, it only have attacks of it, not 24/7) I sometime have random depression, though I'd like to blame my age for that. I also have a negetive after image, it meas I can still see something after I look away or close my eyes. The stronger the light is, the more vivid the after image and the longer it will last. I'm fighting it for 6 years, yet I thought there was not even a name for it, I'm glad the internet exist, because I felt relief that I wasn't alone. Thanks for reading so far and listening to my short story, I want to raise awareness to this sickness, because in my country there are maybe 30 people who have that kind of sickness. (Israel is small, only 8 milion people) And sorry for my messy and incorrect writing
Hello, My name is Andro, from Croatia. I have tinnitus since I know for myself, also floaters, and I see flickering LED and fluorescent lamps, but Visual Snow is a new thing for me. I am also short sighted and I am wearing contact lenses. I am experiencing Visual Snow since around September 2013. and it seems to increase gradually but I am not sure how much. When I am outside, I barely realize it is there, but when I sit in my room or even come home, here it is, as if it was only present at home waiting for me. I realized when I am occupied by driving, phonecall, or even sitting on a coffe with my friends, I never even remember I have it, only when I get home. Here's what happened, that probably triggered VS for me. I was probably infected by some bacteria or virus (I never went to see a Doctor) or maybe I was infected before, and when my immune system dropped a bit, maybe it is where the "damage happened". I may have infected by a fresh water from a spring in woods (other people take that water too), or by a fresh cow milk which is from an automated machine, you bring your bottle and pour milk in it, not what you buy in supermarkets, and finally maybe from food I ate a day before at a restaurant, a local popular food called "cevap", a kind of a cow meat which is left to rot and then normally baked, and it is very delicious, and I've never had problems eating anything before. It was Monday and I got very sick, vomiting during night, diarrhea, headache, bad feeling, vertigo, the other day no more vomiting or diarrhea, but headache, temperature, room was spinning a bit when I make a sudden move, and overall bad feeling for 5-6 days more. About 2-3 weeks I was still feeling bad. Finally head spinning went away with other problems, but then I started noticing VS at first I ignored it, then panicked about it, swore to go to the doctor, but never did. 2 months later I finally went to an an eye doctor, which said everything is OK with my eyes, except for normal short sightedness. Tinnitus also increased, floaters I believe also increased. Afterimages increased, also. I don't have problem seeing in dark, I drive at night normally with no problems, actually when I drive I don't realize I have any problems, just when I get home. My other problem is that I like eating sweets, long into the night right before sleep, but I am going to gym, practicing some boxing for almost a decade now, so I am not fat or lazy, just love sweets. Prior to my "infection" I've just stopped my Gym which I pressed really hard the current month, and (again in my life) decided to cut all sugary things from food. Later I found that VS can be a withdrawal symptom, maybe from sugar in my case. When all this kicked in, I decided to "check my brain" in a way to start playing chess more intensely and realized I have a problem concentrating, even ADD when reading and playing, and it was directly proportional to the QTY of sugary things I just ate, because I returned my sugary food, since I didn't know what to try any more, to see if VS stops with that, but it didn't. Then, maybe not directly connected I've discovered that drinking green tea after a meal, especially if it was full of sugary things, I don't feel that sugar spike that makes you feel nice and later very bad when sugar level drops, because green tea is balancing blood sugar level, and neutralising stomach acids so the food doesn't get totally digested so even if you eat a lot, a lot of it just goes to waste. So my concentration fixed perfectly, no more ADD after eating and especially after eating sugary crap, my chess actually perfected a lot and I have no problem concentrating, so I believe I am not having any serious neurological problem. Please note the recipe for green tea, don't buy green tea in sachets, don't buy flavoured, take as clean as possible green tea which you can take with your spoon and put in your cup. Boil the water and let it cool until 85 celcius, it takes about 3 minutes, after that pour that water on your green tea and wait about 2min and 30sec (maximum 3min), strain the tea from leaves and drink as soon as you can. Don't put sugar, use honey if you need to. Lemon is good, but it is better not to put it in green tea. So this helped a lot, I feel more vibrant, there is no tired feeling all over the day, it even helps with a headache, which I have never had before, but in last few months they know to happen. Also what might have triggered this is that time when I wasn't able to get rid of that bad feeling, headache and vertigo, I decided to take a lot of garlic, so I did, and it may have triggered the Visual Snow, because I started realizing I have it some weeks after that. Also I noticed that coffee makes my VS worse, but I haven't yet confirmed that, because I stopped coffee, but sometimes now when I drink it I get anxiety feeling, so it may not be directly related. I will start experimenting with other types of tea and will keep you posted of my future findings, if any, and also please people, keep us other posted of your condition also, reading this helps you and me, and maybe we can find something to help us. One more thing, I decided some more months ago that sleeping on my back is the healthiest way, without a pillow, and when ever I tried it I got a bad nightmare, so gradually I lowered my pillow and nightmares became less and less intense, so finally they faded away, but now I am realizing, what if somehow I stopped blood flow to my brain sleeping like that ? And causing all this ? Because visual cortex is located on a back side of the brain. Also I used fluorescent, energy saving lamp for years, but recently switched back to incandescent lamp, how stupid of me to ever use fluorescent blinking crap, I can't stand LED monitors because of flickering, which most people do not even see, but I do, and lot of other people also do. Right now I have a CCFL PC monitor which flickers a lot less than LED monitors, but recently, finally one producer started manufacturing non-flicker LED monitors, and hopefully others will follow, so I am planning on buying that as soon as it becomes available in Croatia. I have also lowered the blue light on my screen, as I read that blue light makes you more alert and interferes with sleep. Dear all, please try to recall what happened to you and please share it with us to try to understand what triggers this. I am also remembering that right before this happened to me, I was trying to "do something" and I failed a lot of times, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. So I just dropped the whole "thing" and said to myself "who cares, live on without it", but I was really disappointed but also not caring at all. So this may be psychological in some way. As for the derealization, depersonalization and everything "off this world" related, I have always felt that I do not really belong here, or that my mission is not just to "live on", like most people do. Also I accept this illness, if I will die in few years or months, okay, I have no problem with leaving this world, no matter if it means going forward somewhere, getting back here (which I would hate most) or just going to black, zero, nothing, nonexistent, which is most unlikely since all this would be meaningless if that is the case. Why are you all so afraid to die ? I am only afraid of suffering, death is inevitable, sooner or later so if I have to go earlier, let's go and get it over with already, if not, if I need to live more, okay no problem with that either, but what is the point anyway since we are all going to die anyway, let's at least make it an easier ride for all of us, if you are a good person, deserving person I will help you in any way I can in this life, and I hope you will do it to someone else in need, hoping that I will never be in need for help, but further than that, what is there, nothing, so going sooner or later makes no difference for me. Don't be afraid to die, be afraid to live in vain all your life. Keep in touch. Bye!
Hi, I'm Eva. I am 18 years old , living in United Kingdom and I suffer from Visual Snow - very rare neurological condition which never goes away.
On 23rd September 2012, I woke up and I noticed there was something wrong with my vision. . but I thought it was nothing.. however I realized that a day before, I got a migraine aura attack. I have been suffering from migraines for years, since I was a little girl. Because of this migraine, I started seeing static in my vision, along with palinopsia, trails, halos, flashes. I started getting more migraines.. I got brain fog and problems with concentration.
I cried every night hoping for this to go away. I've been to see many doctors, nobody wanted to help. . I gave up. Now I suffer from depression because of all these symptoms.
Every day is a struggle. I cant live like this..
I have my whole life infront of me.
Doctors,Please help us.. You are our only hope.
On 23rd September 2012, I woke up and I noticed there was something wrong with my vision. . but I thought it was nothing.. however I realized that a day before, I got a migraine aura attack. I have been suffering from migraines for years, since I was a little girl. Because of this migraine, I started seeing static in my vision, along with palinopsia, trails, halos, flashes. I started getting more migraines.. I got brain fog and problems with concentration.
I cried every night hoping for this to go away. I've been to see many doctors, nobody wanted to help. . I gave up. Now I suffer from depression because of all these symptoms.
Every day is a struggle. I cant live like this..
I have my whole life infront of me.
Doctors,Please help us.. You are our only hope.
Hello!
My name is Aleksander. I am 16 years old and come from Slovenia(eastern europe). I am one of the 1200 people in the world who suffer from a rare neurological migraine complication called Visual snow or Persistent aura without infarction.
My Visual snow syndrome started in January 2013 after i broke up with my ex-girlfriend. I got a migraine headache that left me with persistent visual disturbances. The disturbances never go away and are persistent 24/7.
Visual snow looks like persistent static in your vision with other visual disturbances for example: shimmering, floaters, blue field entoptic phenomenon(seeing flashes of light in your vision), ocular migraines non stop, temporary vascular scotomas (blind spots in your vision constantly), seeing strange geometrical shapes in your visual field. It also involves psychiatric symptoms like depression, anxiety and depersonalization. Depersonalization is losing tuch from reality. Thankfully it is not always present but it is approximatley 45% of the time. There is no known cure for Visual snow(PAWI), but research is beeing done. It also involves Tinnitus(ringing in ears) that is present mostly at night before falling asleep. It is hell on earth for me. I have been suffering from Visual snow for 8 months now. It hasn't fallen into remission.
The biggest problem with VS is that no one can detect it on MRI/EEG/ERG and a lot of doctors think it is caused by anxiety etc. But thankfully it is not always the case. I have seen many doctors, from my GP to my optometrist, ophthalmologist, neurologist to a neuro-ophtalmologist and a psychiatrist.
There is no medication yet for VS but a drug called Lamotragine/Lamictal is proven to have an effect. Lamictal is an anti-epeleptic medication. I am waiting for my neurologist to prescribe it.
I am in a science orientated high school and i am interested in Medicine and Biomedicine. I am thinking of studying medicine or biomedicine or pharmacology. Thankfully Visual snow hasn't effected my schoolwork. I love science in school from an early age.
Before i got Visual snow i had a nice girlfriend, i went to parties, i had a great time in school and with my friends, i had a great year. But when i got my Visual snow i fell into depression that showed no sign of ending. I have been on anti-depression medication(Deprim) that didn't help my condition at all. I have severe depression and i am diagnosed with major depression disorder. I may have bipolar(manic depression) as a result from this migraine complication. My life from January i can only describe with three words: sadness, fear and no hope.
After the outburst of my Visual snow i have no interest in life. At one moment in April/May i had suicidal tendencies that thankfully went away. But thats when i found the facebook Visual snow group that helped my symptoms and made me feel a lot better. It improved my perception and i got the feeling i'm not alone with this condition. The visual snow group gave me optimism for the future, a grandiose feeling of hope. So getting to know people with this condition gave me a lot of hope in life.
Normally i like cycling, walking, going to parties, hanging out with friends, having an occasional drink with my mates and just having a good time. I also like to do other things like doing research projects in biology/chemistry, because of my fascination for these subjects. I have hope in my life and i hope this will once for ever go away.
I started to enjoy life, seeing the positive sides of it and having a good time. I have this neurological disorder constantly, but i learned how to live with it. It is thankfully the same as it was and has not progressed in any way which is great.
Thank you for listening to my story,
Yours sincerely,
Aleksander, Slovenia
My name is Aleksander. I am 16 years old and come from Slovenia(eastern europe). I am one of the 1200 people in the world who suffer from a rare neurological migraine complication called Visual snow or Persistent aura without infarction.
My Visual snow syndrome started in January 2013 after i broke up with my ex-girlfriend. I got a migraine headache that left me with persistent visual disturbances. The disturbances never go away and are persistent 24/7.
Visual snow looks like persistent static in your vision with other visual disturbances for example: shimmering, floaters, blue field entoptic phenomenon(seeing flashes of light in your vision), ocular migraines non stop, temporary vascular scotomas (blind spots in your vision constantly), seeing strange geometrical shapes in your visual field. It also involves psychiatric symptoms like depression, anxiety and depersonalization. Depersonalization is losing tuch from reality. Thankfully it is not always present but it is approximatley 45% of the time. There is no known cure for Visual snow(PAWI), but research is beeing done. It also involves Tinnitus(ringing in ears) that is present mostly at night before falling asleep. It is hell on earth for me. I have been suffering from Visual snow for 8 months now. It hasn't fallen into remission.
The biggest problem with VS is that no one can detect it on MRI/EEG/ERG and a lot of doctors think it is caused by anxiety etc. But thankfully it is not always the case. I have seen many doctors, from my GP to my optometrist, ophthalmologist, neurologist to a neuro-ophtalmologist and a psychiatrist.
There is no medication yet for VS but a drug called Lamotragine/Lamictal is proven to have an effect. Lamictal is an anti-epeleptic medication. I am waiting for my neurologist to prescribe it.
I am in a science orientated high school and i am interested in Medicine and Biomedicine. I am thinking of studying medicine or biomedicine or pharmacology. Thankfully Visual snow hasn't effected my schoolwork. I love science in school from an early age.
Before i got Visual snow i had a nice girlfriend, i went to parties, i had a great time in school and with my friends, i had a great year. But when i got my Visual snow i fell into depression that showed no sign of ending. I have been on anti-depression medication(Deprim) that didn't help my condition at all. I have severe depression and i am diagnosed with major depression disorder. I may have bipolar(manic depression) as a result from this migraine complication. My life from January i can only describe with three words: sadness, fear and no hope.
After the outburst of my Visual snow i have no interest in life. At one moment in April/May i had suicidal tendencies that thankfully went away. But thats when i found the facebook Visual snow group that helped my symptoms and made me feel a lot better. It improved my perception and i got the feeling i'm not alone with this condition. The visual snow group gave me optimism for the future, a grandiose feeling of hope. So getting to know people with this condition gave me a lot of hope in life.
Normally i like cycling, walking, going to parties, hanging out with friends, having an occasional drink with my mates and just having a good time. I also like to do other things like doing research projects in biology/chemistry, because of my fascination for these subjects. I have hope in my life and i hope this will once for ever go away.
I started to enjoy life, seeing the positive sides of it and having a good time. I have this neurological disorder constantly, but i learned how to live with it. It is thankfully the same as it was and has not progressed in any way which is great.
Thank you for listening to my story,
Yours sincerely,
Aleksander, Slovenia
hi guys..my name is Giordana, I am 22 and come from Austria....i had a very stressful and bad period last april(now its december) where i got pregnant unexpected and even lost my child on the third month of my pregnancy...my boyfriend could not cope with the situation and left me..i got depressed and almost cried for one month but then all seemed to come back as normal where i had a very long summer in Croatia and passed all my school exams....at that point i thought my depression was finally over and i could start enjoying life again....around august i noticed a kind and gradual hypersensitivity to light till a certain point where i almost could not spend anytime outside in the sun if sunny..i thought my retina had some problems and went to the eye doc....he said my eyes were fine just very dry and to go back home...i went...in september on the 10th i went to another eye doc because I almost could not spend anytime outside and got bit scared..he also said my eyes were ok.....the 12th of september i woke up and looked at the White wall of my kitchen..i could see something strange(what i was seeing were afterimages) -...well negative ones....I went back to other 3 or 4 eye docs who said eyes were fine...had my first headache attack some days after......then I started having headache almost 3 times a day forever and in november i developed vs....i also have halos around people....I'm scared..please doctors do something and help us
I first noticed visual weird vision issues after waking up one morning with the room spinning. I am finding this most likely was from an inner ear issue. I noticed vibration of blinds, floaters, depersonalisation and blue entropic phenomenon. I was out on Prozac which I had taken previously for a few years after having major anxiety. Within a month I was almost back to normal aside from not feeling like myself anymore... Just felt like a different person. After a year or so I started noticing the blue entropic stuff more and more and some red, blue or white random lights flashing in my vision. I had been taking an antihistamine daily for allergies and a nasal spray. I stopped those as well as the Prozac to get pregnant. I started noticing my trails right after this and flashing lights when I would go from a dark room to a bright room. After I had my son I became anxious and tried Prozac again. The migraines started right after and I switched to Zoloft. Within 3 days I was noticing the static in my vision as well as after images. I started verapamil for he migraines as they were daily for a year straight. After I got those under control I hardly noticed the VS. Then I stopped it due to too low of blood pressure. Everything started coming back worse than ever. I began to get dizzy again and was diagnosed with bilateral vestibulopathy. I stared vestibular rehab and the migraines came back. After a few days of completing vestibular rehab I started noticing vehicles would not drive smoothly in my vision. They appear to get hung up with my background vision. It's almost like a stop action cartoon. It freaks me out so much and I hate leaving my house. I am back on verapamil with no let up of that symptom. I keep getting worse daily and am scared it will take over all of my vision as it has some. I pray Dr. Goadsby and Schankin have found something from the study. I don't know how muh longer I can go on with this if it gets any worse. I want my young life back that is being taken away from this rare condition!!!!! -Candi
Hello everyone, I am Chase. I started experiencing visual snow when I was in eight grade, two years ago. I noticed visual snow on the top my vision at first and only on white walls. These symptoms also started happening around the same time I got migraines. My visual snow symptoms have progressively gotten much worse and still do today. It is hard to look at the sky, because I can see rapidly moving floaters. In class, I have troubles looking at the board and have troubles reading sheets of paper during class. It is a continuous struggle that I face. I have also experienced a lot of anxiety with visual snow. Today, I can control it but it caused a lot of hurt in my early days with visual snow. I have been to two different opthamologists and both of them said that my eyes were perfect and I had 20/20 vision. There is nothing that anyone can do for my visual snow. Many people face this cause and that is why we need to raise awareness for this cause. Thank you!
I'm so happy to have found this group. I have had VS for as long as I can remember. It feels like I have a film of static over my vision and it never goes away. It is always there. I also see auras, floaters, and sometimes experience double vision. When I close my eyes I see flashing bright white lights. I have tinnitus and will probably never know what silence is.
I enjoyed reading other people's experiences because I didn't know that anxiety is a symptom of this condition, and I have had terrible anxiety issues my whole life.
I've learned to accept this as something I was probably born with and something that I can never get rid of. I don't imagine myself ever being cured of this condition. I have bad vision in general so the combination of the two means that I will never be able to see things as they really are. It's sad to think about because it really does feel hopeless.
To all of you out there who are reading these experiences, I just want you to know that there are people in the world who understand what you're going through. I hope that together we can help move toward a cure for VS - Jaime
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I enjoyed reading other people's experiences because I didn't know that anxiety is a symptom of this condition, and I have had terrible anxiety issues my whole life.
I've learned to accept this as something I was probably born with and something that I can never get rid of. I don't imagine myself ever being cured of this condition. I have bad vision in general so the combination of the two means that I will never be able to see things as they really are. It's sad to think about because it really does feel hopeless.
To all of you out there who are reading these experiences, I just want you to know that there are people in the world who understand what you're going through. I hope that together we can help move toward a cure for VS - Jaime
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I have suffered with Visual Snow for about a couple of years now. Woke up and everything in my vision was so shaky and also massive amounts of static. Also, at night, when I lay down I see green patterns that swirl and it is intermittent. (open eye hallucinations) I had a near death experience a couple of years ago and I believe it cut off the oxygen to my brain. It was very traumatizing. Been to over 10 Drs. spent 1,000s of dollars to find an answer or a cure in the NJ and also Penn. (emg/ct/mri/eeg/stress test/echo cardiogram/ brain mris/ halter monitor/ bloodwork- Everything normal. My last apt was with a Dr. who was a Neuro - Ophthalmologist at Penn. University. He then gave me medication to calm these issues I was having because it was giving me horrific anxiety as well as the VS. He diagnosed me with HPPD as well as VS and told me to just deal with it. It is a struggle sometimes but I do meditation along with slow breathing and that somewhat helps. I also am in a Visual Snow forum on Facebook and there are many people who have it and are understanding. I started taking a multivitamin and fish oil maybe that will help. That is my story and I still have the VS today, but not as much. I hope they find a cure Thank You- Glynn
I am a 28 year old female with a history of stress induced migraines that only began in my early 20's (never really had many head aches prior to that and none migraine like). These occured for a 3 year period then vanished. Then I started to get a constant mild head ache earlier this year (5 years since my last migraine and barely a head ache in the in-between which I later learned migraines can go in to remission).
After 3 weeks of constant migraines that were nuisances but not brutally painful I had visual auras start. 2 weeks later I had a pounding migraine hit, got dizzy, had tunnel vision and my vision all went black for 30 seconds (this whack of things was under a minute from the moment it started till it ended). I developed a pallor for a few moments and my blood pressure dropped to a scary rate. A tea and rest on the couch helped but then visual snow kicked in.
After a month of constant visual snow, migraine headaches ranging in intensity with aura, scintillating scotoma here and there and seeing black holes (scotoma) in my vision when my heart rate went up I was referred to a neurologist. I was given migraine medications which got rid of the headaches and aura when I am away from triggers (barometric pressure changes, bright lights, and strobing lights no other triggers) my visual snow still remained.
This was 3 months ago and still visual snow is around. It changes in intensity for me. At some points I can look passed it and tune it out, but when it's bad you struggle to read and I wouldn't dare get behind the wheel of my car. I have heard about studies done and worry that this may never go away but am very reassured in the fact that I'm not alone and this is not uncommon.
I had felt depressed, worried that I was loosing my mind and a whole array of things once MRI, EEG, ECG, eye exams in the ER (then later by a neuro-ophthalmologist) and rounds of blood work came back normal. This may never leave me but I feel stronger knowing others out there understand. On a good day I function as normal and no one around would even know I was seeing these bright specs in my vision like staring through a thick sheet of rain on a very sunny day with the sun glaring back through. You just try to focus on what's ahead and ignore the curtain in front of you - some days you can do it others you really have to fight to see what's in front of you.
Either way, you make due with what you've got. I hope others who are scared realize they are not alone - this can happen suddenly and linger like it has with me but you are not alone - Mick
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After 3 weeks of constant migraines that were nuisances but not brutally painful I had visual auras start. 2 weeks later I had a pounding migraine hit, got dizzy, had tunnel vision and my vision all went black for 30 seconds (this whack of things was under a minute from the moment it started till it ended). I developed a pallor for a few moments and my blood pressure dropped to a scary rate. A tea and rest on the couch helped but then visual snow kicked in.
After a month of constant visual snow, migraine headaches ranging in intensity with aura, scintillating scotoma here and there and seeing black holes (scotoma) in my vision when my heart rate went up I was referred to a neurologist. I was given migraine medications which got rid of the headaches and aura when I am away from triggers (barometric pressure changes, bright lights, and strobing lights no other triggers) my visual snow still remained.
This was 3 months ago and still visual snow is around. It changes in intensity for me. At some points I can look passed it and tune it out, but when it's bad you struggle to read and I wouldn't dare get behind the wheel of my car. I have heard about studies done and worry that this may never go away but am very reassured in the fact that I'm not alone and this is not uncommon.
I had felt depressed, worried that I was loosing my mind and a whole array of things once MRI, EEG, ECG, eye exams in the ER (then later by a neuro-ophthalmologist) and rounds of blood work came back normal. This may never leave me but I feel stronger knowing others out there understand. On a good day I function as normal and no one around would even know I was seeing these bright specs in my vision like staring through a thick sheet of rain on a very sunny day with the sun glaring back through. You just try to focus on what's ahead and ignore the curtain in front of you - some days you can do it others you really have to fight to see what's in front of you.
Either way, you make due with what you've got. I hope others who are scared realize they are not alone - this can happen suddenly and linger like it has with me but you are not alone - Mick
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Hi.I never noticed my visual snow until i had my first migraine aura , look back at it now as a young kid i was petrified and confused, no one believed me.I presumed it was some type of ghost. Now i still haven't be diagnosed, i been thought loads of people to figure out what i have.I decided to do my own research on my symptoms: flashing light, bright random flashes, static vision. It was so hard to describe my symptoms, one doctor challenged me if i was lying. Im 16 years old and starting six-form in England, i can't go on trip with school or i hate travelling far. I have panic attack of the fear for get an migraine aura. The last trip i went on i got on , in front of friend i was physical sick and had to describe to the teacher what i had.Im getting no where with this, they suggested glass but my eyesight is fine. Lucky I haven't had any hearing issues but now I'm worried I might. I do wish doctor are more educated and optician about it. No one has come up with vs until i questioned it. And thats my story - Kat
I have had VS for as long as I can remember. I didn't actually know it was abnormal until my early 20's when I was talking about my night vision to someone - I said "You know, that static you see when it's dark". Of course they had no idea what I was talking about. I proceeded to call friends and family who also didn't know about it. That is when I went online and found information about visual snow that matched what I was seeing and feeling.
I went to my doctor and went through tests at the ophthalmologist and and neurologist. Everything came back normal. No one tried to help further, and seemed rather dismissive of me. They don't have time for people who aren't dying perhaps, not to mention this syndrome was not officially recognized by the medical community.
During the testing for VS symptoms, I was also seeking treatment for depression and anxiety. I frequently had panic attacks, as well as an overall lacking in the quality of my life. I was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder - which I do believe is directly linked to my Visual Snow. With therapy and medication, my panic attacks and anxiety decreased greatly, but did not effect the Visual Snow symptoms.
I still see the static day and night, floaters, "shooting stars", severe after images, halo/star bursts, and sensitivity to light. The only thing I have been able to combat is the anxiety and Brain Fog. By living a precariously balanced life of getting the correct amount of sleep (during the right hours of the night), eating healthy natural foods at regular intervals, ample exercise, meditation, and medication, I am able to to keep a positive attitude and enjoy my life. Although, those things may be good advice for anyone. It is likely that I will never see treatment for this in my lifetime. I cannot close my eyes to stop seeing what I see. The best I can do is look past the snow to see the beauty in life, and know that I am special, but not alone - Kendra
I went to my doctor and went through tests at the ophthalmologist and and neurologist. Everything came back normal. No one tried to help further, and seemed rather dismissive of me. They don't have time for people who aren't dying perhaps, not to mention this syndrome was not officially recognized by the medical community.
During the testing for VS symptoms, I was also seeking treatment for depression and anxiety. I frequently had panic attacks, as well as an overall lacking in the quality of my life. I was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder - which I do believe is directly linked to my Visual Snow. With therapy and medication, my panic attacks and anxiety decreased greatly, but did not effect the Visual Snow symptoms.
I still see the static day and night, floaters, "shooting stars", severe after images, halo/star bursts, and sensitivity to light. The only thing I have been able to combat is the anxiety and Brain Fog. By living a precariously balanced life of getting the correct amount of sleep (during the right hours of the night), eating healthy natural foods at regular intervals, ample exercise, meditation, and medication, I am able to to keep a positive attitude and enjoy my life. Although, those things may be good advice for anyone. It is likely that I will never see treatment for this in my lifetime. I cannot close my eyes to stop seeing what I see. The best I can do is look past the snow to see the beauty in life, and know that I am special, but not alone - Kendra
Hello
My name is Aaron, while I have had Visual Snow for as long as I can remember I only recently started to look into it and see what it was after discussing it with a friend who also mentioned having it, I have read some of the posts on this site and wished to share mine.
My VS is not nearly as serious as some other peoples, it is faint enough that it causes me no anxiety or disruption to my life but I would still like answers.
I wear glasses but to my knowledge have no other problems with my vision, the glasses do not affect the appearance the VS at all.
I will try to describe it but as many others know it is hard to do so, as many say the closest comparison is TV static, the dots appear as black and white although I sometimes see red and green dot on their own, if this is the VS or my mind playing tricks I do not know, the dots are transparent so it does not obscure my vision.
It is easier to see the dots on some objects than others, to me generally it is easier to see in low light, it is hard to see on brightly lit or shiny surfaces such as plastic, the pitch black and the sky are where it is most noticeable.
Because of the nature of the dots the pattern they follow is hard to distinguish, they tend to be in generally straight lines.
Again even that my case is not as serious as other I thought I would share my story and hope eventually there will be a solution for those worse affected than me.
Aaron
My name is Aaron, while I have had Visual Snow for as long as I can remember I only recently started to look into it and see what it was after discussing it with a friend who also mentioned having it, I have read some of the posts on this site and wished to share mine.
My VS is not nearly as serious as some other peoples, it is faint enough that it causes me no anxiety or disruption to my life but I would still like answers.
I wear glasses but to my knowledge have no other problems with my vision, the glasses do not affect the appearance the VS at all.
I will try to describe it but as many others know it is hard to do so, as many say the closest comparison is TV static, the dots appear as black and white although I sometimes see red and green dot on their own, if this is the VS or my mind playing tricks I do not know, the dots are transparent so it does not obscure my vision.
It is easier to see the dots on some objects than others, to me generally it is easier to see in low light, it is hard to see on brightly lit or shiny surfaces such as plastic, the pitch black and the sky are where it is most noticeable.
Because of the nature of the dots the pattern they follow is hard to distinguish, they tend to be in generally straight lines.
Again even that my case is not as serious as other I thought I would share my story and hope eventually there will be a solution for those worse affected than me.
Aaron
My name is Lucy, I'm 19 and have recently started to notice 'visual snow'.
I am not sure if all parts of my story are relevant, but this is what has happened... Towards the end of 2011 I started to develop an itchy rash on my face - predominantly my chin, under my eyes and above my eyebrows. I went to the doctors and wasn't really given an answer, they gave me some cream and told me it was some kind of eczema (this cream is ineffective). The rash comes and goes every couple of months, differing in severity.
Christmas time 2012 - I developed eye floaters. I had an eye check and was told everything was normal, and not to worry.
I started a course at university doing optometry in September 2012 and all was well. In around February 2013, I noticed my ears were ringing louder than usual - but I put this down to hearing damage from a night out.
A couple of months later I noticed the snow. I am not sure if I had experienced it for a while, and just not noticed it. I have been to the opticians and am now in the process of being referred. I can deal with the symptoms but am just really scared that it will get too bad and I will not be able to lead the life I live today - that driving and reading will become too difficult. I guess I am just looking for peace of mind!
I have negative after images and have become much more photosensitive. I do get muscle twitches in my legs - but I think I may have had these previously and feel they may be unrelated. I do not get regular migraines.
I find my symptoms worsen when I am tired or am suffering from the effects of alcohol!
Lucy.
I am not sure if all parts of my story are relevant, but this is what has happened... Towards the end of 2011 I started to develop an itchy rash on my face - predominantly my chin, under my eyes and above my eyebrows. I went to the doctors and wasn't really given an answer, they gave me some cream and told me it was some kind of eczema (this cream is ineffective). The rash comes and goes every couple of months, differing in severity.
Christmas time 2012 - I developed eye floaters. I had an eye check and was told everything was normal, and not to worry.
I started a course at university doing optometry in September 2012 and all was well. In around February 2013, I noticed my ears were ringing louder than usual - but I put this down to hearing damage from a night out.
A couple of months later I noticed the snow. I am not sure if I had experienced it for a while, and just not noticed it. I have been to the opticians and am now in the process of being referred. I can deal with the symptoms but am just really scared that it will get too bad and I will not be able to lead the life I live today - that driving and reading will become too difficult. I guess I am just looking for peace of mind!
I have negative after images and have become much more photosensitive. I do get muscle twitches in my legs - but I think I may have had these previously and feel they may be unrelated. I do not get regular migraines.
I find my symptoms worsen when I am tired or am suffering from the effects of alcohol!
Lucy.
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Hi I'm Will, I never realized how much visual snow is impacting my life. When I was 5 years old, I started seeing red and blue static. I thought they were tiny air molecules then so I naively assumed I had the ability to see tiny molecules. I ignored it my entire life. When I reached puberty, I started developing related symptoms such as tinnitus, depersonalization, derealization, speech difficulties, cognitive dysfunction, anxiety, depression. Besides anxiety and depression, the other symptoms were not as prominent in my life. My speech difficulties and cognitive dysfunction were very embarrassing especially when it happens in public.
In my first year of University my anxiety, cognitive dysfunction and speech problems were becoming a real annoyance especially when giving presentations. One day I was bored and wondered if seeing static was normal. So I looked it up and found out that it was called Visual Snow. Then I found out there are a lot of people with VS and are having the same problems as me. I'm not sure if I want to see a neurologist as I've read so many people with VS hear from their doctor that nothing is wrong with them and couldn't find anything unusual with their brain scans.
But I might as well give it a shot and go see my GP about my VS. I never realized it had a huge impact on my life, from my studies to my entire outlook on life. I hope there is treatment for my VS as well as my other symptoms.
Thank you for reading.
Hi I'm Will, I never realized how much visual snow is impacting my life. When I was 5 years old, I started seeing red and blue static. I thought they were tiny air molecules then so I naively assumed I had the ability to see tiny molecules. I ignored it my entire life. When I reached puberty, I started developing related symptoms such as tinnitus, depersonalization, derealization, speech difficulties, cognitive dysfunction, anxiety, depression. Besides anxiety and depression, the other symptoms were not as prominent in my life. My speech difficulties and cognitive dysfunction were very embarrassing especially when it happens in public.
In my first year of University my anxiety, cognitive dysfunction and speech problems were becoming a real annoyance especially when giving presentations. One day I was bored and wondered if seeing static was normal. So I looked it up and found out that it was called Visual Snow. Then I found out there are a lot of people with VS and are having the same problems as me. I'm not sure if I want to see a neurologist as I've read so many people with VS hear from their doctor that nothing is wrong with them and couldn't find anything unusual with their brain scans.
But I might as well give it a shot and go see my GP about my VS. I never realized it had a huge impact on my life, from my studies to my entire outlook on life. I hope there is treatment for my VS as well as my other symptoms.
Thank you for reading.
Hey guys my name is Katiri and I'm 16. Up until recently I had never heard of visual snow, but I've experienced the symptoms all my life. It's mostly just the typical- Visual snow, closed eye visuals, floaters, starbursts, and residual negative images, even at night. I also tend to get anxious, like I have seemed some people mention, but I'm not sure if that is due to visual snow or something else. The static and starbursts are worst when I close my eyes, and I actually used to amuse myself when I was little by just closing my eyes and seeing the the dots and starbursts.
I always thought that it was normal until I was about 12 when I mentioned it to my friend and she had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. I spent the next four years kinda freaked out. I've never mentioned it to anyone, as I didn't want to be taken as mental.
I was diagnosed with dyslexia not too long ago, and at first I was relieved, like maybe that was what caused all these weird things, and he said no, they weren't symptoms he had ever seen with dyslexia. He seemed to think I was making it up. So I started looking up symptoms and came up with visual snow, and it matched my symptoms perfectly.
What I think is the saddest thing is that I had never even heard of this before. I mean, no one thought to test me for dyslexia until I was 16, but at least I had heard of the condition. Even after I got up the courage to talk to my doctor, he had no idea what I was talking about. It's sad that no one has even heard of this disease, leaving the people suffering from it without a clue what's wrong with them. Many I'm sure end up like me, spending their childhood thinking they're nuts.
So, there's my story. And if any of you out there are like me I just want you to know I'm sorry that you're going through what you're going through, and I hope you learn to do what I have and just embrace the static and the negative images and the floaters and the starbursts as part of you. :)
I always thought that it was normal until I was about 12 when I mentioned it to my friend and she had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. I spent the next four years kinda freaked out. I've never mentioned it to anyone, as I didn't want to be taken as mental.
I was diagnosed with dyslexia not too long ago, and at first I was relieved, like maybe that was what caused all these weird things, and he said no, they weren't symptoms he had ever seen with dyslexia. He seemed to think I was making it up. So I started looking up symptoms and came up with visual snow, and it matched my symptoms perfectly.
What I think is the saddest thing is that I had never even heard of this before. I mean, no one thought to test me for dyslexia until I was 16, but at least I had heard of the condition. Even after I got up the courage to talk to my doctor, he had no idea what I was talking about. It's sad that no one has even heard of this disease, leaving the people suffering from it without a clue what's wrong with them. Many I'm sure end up like me, spending their childhood thinking they're nuts.
So, there's my story. And if any of you out there are like me I just want you to know I'm sorry that you're going through what you're going through, and I hope you learn to do what I have and just embrace the static and the negative images and the floaters and the starbursts as part of you. :)
I'm a 24 y/o RN from Indiana. I have had vs for as long as I can remember. I just thought everyone had the same vision until I found myself in tears and explaining to my mom why I didn't want to go play in the snow. At first I described it like looking through a sheet of siran wrap or oil when the sun hits it but that isn't really it... Then I described it like coloured static that never goes away which is more accurate, but not really. I also see after images floaters and halos. But my eyes, my brain, and my nerves are "healthy" according to every specialist I've been to. The neurologist asked me if i was psychotic, the eye specialist if I was psychic and the optometrist swore I was lying. The symptoms seem to be worse in the dark. I suffer from episodes of insomnia because I don't like to close my eyes. I see disturbing images sometimes.Mainly,I just get a headache from all the spinning colours. I hate snow. The rainbow of colors causes severe headaches. I have to wear sunglasses or it isn't bearable. I don't like to drive in the dark because of the halos around lights and how difficult it is to see through the colors then. I can't stand patterns because that makes my vision worse as well. I am depressed a lot. And I know when I am but I can't make it stop. A lot of times I will lay on the cold linoleum because its comforting.But still not a cure. I also have recently started having anxiety attacks. It is extremely hard to be successful when I am so fatigued all the time. I've had to retake classes because I couldn't focus long enough to understand the material in time. I just want to know that I'm not crazy. When I have the overwhelming feelings of dread I want to be able to stop it. I'm tired of sleeping on the kitchen floor. I want a normal life. I'm trying to do that but somedays I just don't want to deal with it anymore - Shelena
I have had a history of seeing floaters, visual disturbances, migraines etc, and on top of that anxiety, and neck/back issues. This year I gave birth to my beautiful son, but unfortunately with being a new mother and not having a lot of sleep, all of the above conditions took on a whole new level.
I find the visual snow extremely prevalent at nighttime along with tinnitus. Waking up in the night to snowy vision and ringing in my ears often accompanies a panic attack. For a long time I didn't realize what panic attacks were - I just felt like my entire body was overheating. I make the mistake of taking my blood pressure during these episodes and was terrified by the readings that were showing 170/120 and extremely fast heartbeats.
Although I have learnt to understand and breathe through nocturnal panic attacks, I still struggle with the visual snow as it's a constant presence in my life. I really do think it has something to do with anxiety, but also the neck and back tightness that has plagued me for many years.
I feel it's far worse when my neck and back are tight, and I'd be interested to know if anyone else has this same issue? Perhaps pressure on a nerve or bunch of nerves that lead up to the eye. I am seeing both a chiropractor and a opthamolagist this week to see if I can start to get some relief. If I knew for sure that there is no other serious issue causing the snow, then I would be able to relax a little and just accept my vision for what it is. But the anxiety just seems to add to me noticing the snow and being unable to block it out.
thanks for letting me share my ongoing story - Craig
I find the visual snow extremely prevalent at nighttime along with tinnitus. Waking up in the night to snowy vision and ringing in my ears often accompanies a panic attack. For a long time I didn't realize what panic attacks were - I just felt like my entire body was overheating. I make the mistake of taking my blood pressure during these episodes and was terrified by the readings that were showing 170/120 and extremely fast heartbeats.
Although I have learnt to understand and breathe through nocturnal panic attacks, I still struggle with the visual snow as it's a constant presence in my life. I really do think it has something to do with anxiety, but also the neck and back tightness that has plagued me for many years.
I feel it's far worse when my neck and back are tight, and I'd be interested to know if anyone else has this same issue? Perhaps pressure on a nerve or bunch of nerves that lead up to the eye. I am seeing both a chiropractor and a opthamolagist this week to see if I can start to get some relief. If I knew for sure that there is no other serious issue causing the snow, then I would be able to relax a little and just accept my vision for what it is. But the anxiety just seems to add to me noticing the snow and being unable to block it out.
thanks for letting me share my ongoing story - Craig
Hi my names Courtney and Im currently 16 years old. I found your website and I think it is amazing and Ive decided to share my story.
I have had visual snow for as long as I an remember. I always thought it was normal, until a couple of years ago. When I discovered it was not normal I went to an optometrist who sent me to an ophthalmologist. Neither could give me an answer as to what was happening, so they sent me to a neurologist. My neurologist sent me for an ECG, EEG, ultrasound and an MRI. All these tests showed nothing. I felt so alone without any answers, until I found others on the internet who are suffering as well. My visual snow is the worst at night time or in low light areas. I hope one day there will be a cure and we will be able to see the world just like everyone else.
I have had visual snow for as long as I an remember. I always thought it was normal, until a couple of years ago. When I discovered it was not normal I went to an optometrist who sent me to an ophthalmologist. Neither could give me an answer as to what was happening, so they sent me to a neurologist. My neurologist sent me for an ECG, EEG, ultrasound and an MRI. All these tests showed nothing. I felt so alone without any answers, until I found others on the internet who are suffering as well. My visual snow is the worst at night time or in low light areas. I hope one day there will be a cure and we will be able to see the world just like everyone else.
Well I have put this off enough and well I guess, I need to let it out to the only people that can understand my situation.
MY STORY - I have dealt with VS all my life, I just have gone through the symptoms slowly. I have seen black dots and lines since i was a kid, as for the static, it was only real noticeable when I closed my eyes. I have been checking my vision since I was 6 years old, when I got first bad eye infection, which has left me light sensitive ever since. Forwarding to 25 years of age. My symptoms have slowly progressed. I go to see a doctor which ends up explaining that I have Lattice Corneal Dystrophy in both eyes. This puts me in my first of two corneal transplants, meaning in each eye, I have donor tissue in front of them. After my first surgery, was when I first realized how bad my eye sight has become. It was like my vision was scratched and dull, before and now I can see clearly now. It felt like I was able to see real colors and people faces. It was really beautiful and amazing at first. Then the static kicked in full effect, really bright stars everywhere, just scattered all throughout my vision. I couldn't believe how bright they have became since I noticed them as a kid. But surprise, that wasn't the worst part, I finally saw what I had thought was blurriness around objects and numbers, was actually me seeing things in triples. I was shocked and terrified. For every one light a normal person sees, I see 7 scattered lights in different directions, depending on which eye I use. Its like I see Christmas lights everywhere and I am just going down a street with a bunch of street lights. I can't go outside without sunglasses because I am very light sensitive now and if someone takes a picture with flash, the afterimage doesn't go away for a couple of minutes. I am now 32, have had 4 total eye operations and if it wasn't for Matthew Shotton and his amazing video, I wouldn't know that that I have VS because my doctors don't know what I am talking about. So call me the lucky one because I have 2 very rare eye diseases, VS and Lattice Corneal Dystrophy.
Which brings me to today in which I have to keep taking pressure relief eye drops in my right eye because if it doesn't work I will end up with a fifth eye surgery and a great chance of glaucoma. I have waited for so long and have taken so many medications. I just hate the waiting and the feeling of no control.
So finally, this is my statement: People have harder roads in life then others, I guess we just have to stay stronger because we see our enemy at all times down this dark path, whether we like it or not -FREDDY
MY STORY - I have dealt with VS all my life, I just have gone through the symptoms slowly. I have seen black dots and lines since i was a kid, as for the static, it was only real noticeable when I closed my eyes. I have been checking my vision since I was 6 years old, when I got first bad eye infection, which has left me light sensitive ever since. Forwarding to 25 years of age. My symptoms have slowly progressed. I go to see a doctor which ends up explaining that I have Lattice Corneal Dystrophy in both eyes. This puts me in my first of two corneal transplants, meaning in each eye, I have donor tissue in front of them. After my first surgery, was when I first realized how bad my eye sight has become. It was like my vision was scratched and dull, before and now I can see clearly now. It felt like I was able to see real colors and people faces. It was really beautiful and amazing at first. Then the static kicked in full effect, really bright stars everywhere, just scattered all throughout my vision. I couldn't believe how bright they have became since I noticed them as a kid. But surprise, that wasn't the worst part, I finally saw what I had thought was blurriness around objects and numbers, was actually me seeing things in triples. I was shocked and terrified. For every one light a normal person sees, I see 7 scattered lights in different directions, depending on which eye I use. Its like I see Christmas lights everywhere and I am just going down a street with a bunch of street lights. I can't go outside without sunglasses because I am very light sensitive now and if someone takes a picture with flash, the afterimage doesn't go away for a couple of minutes. I am now 32, have had 4 total eye operations and if it wasn't for Matthew Shotton and his amazing video, I wouldn't know that that I have VS because my doctors don't know what I am talking about. So call me the lucky one because I have 2 very rare eye diseases, VS and Lattice Corneal Dystrophy.
Which brings me to today in which I have to keep taking pressure relief eye drops in my right eye because if it doesn't work I will end up with a fifth eye surgery and a great chance of glaucoma. I have waited for so long and have taken so many medications. I just hate the waiting and the feeling of no control.
So finally, this is my statement: People have harder roads in life then others, I guess we just have to stay stronger because we see our enemy at all times down this dark path, whether we like it or not -FREDDY
I have VS about damn 11 years with negative after images, starbursts and halos around lights at night, floaters, tinnitus, fatigue, anxiety attacks, myopic (4.5 - both eyes), and fuckin' snowy vision ( worst type ).
I won't tell other problems what I have but I don't need any advise from who doesn't have these. I just want to see world more clear, feel energetic.. I don't want to feel fatigue, see fuckin' snows and hear tinnitus anymore.
I was really successful student before my vs got worse. I'm at universtiy now and last class. But I can't go to lessons because of this. I'm looking on board and reading what Professor wrote on it and wanna see bottom line but all visions getting shit I'm seeing after images from first line! How can I focus on my lessons? I just wanna sleep, sleep, sleep. Although it is my last year on university It won't finish this year. My exams are really bad. My family has expectation on me. Combine all of these and tell me what should/can I do?
I have no target with my sentences. I don't want to be misunderstood. - Anon
My visual snow is getting worse. I am myopic I noticed that i was myopic when I went to my ophthalmologist due to my VS, around 4 years back. My power has been constant for these 4 years, except for a bit increase in cylindrical, but my VS got worse over time. My doctor insisted that I wear specs, since I had migraine.
My VS worsens when I wear my specs. I got rid off them and I feel a bit better. I see floaters at times, and find it difficult to look into microscopes. I feel some weight is placed over eyes. Doctors say its just migraine. But their medications did not do any good. I feel acute strain. I find it hard to look at far distances like classroom projector screens even with my specs. Its been draining me, and my eyes feel tired all day because of this strain and I cant even read my books for long. I noticed my VS around 4 years back when I was 16. I didn't do much about it then. Now my VS is starting to get worse. Now I am in Med School, and have to stay up for long hours and i really feel my VS getting worse when I do so. It subsides a bit when I take a bit of rest though. I tried searching for info, but none of our professors, nor books could give me anything on VS. - Anon
My VS worsens when I wear my specs. I got rid off them and I feel a bit better. I see floaters at times, and find it difficult to look into microscopes. I feel some weight is placed over eyes. Doctors say its just migraine. But their medications did not do any good. I feel acute strain. I find it hard to look at far distances like classroom projector screens even with my specs. Its been draining me, and my eyes feel tired all day because of this strain and I cant even read my books for long. I noticed my VS around 4 years back when I was 16. I didn't do much about it then. Now my VS is starting to get worse. Now I am in Med School, and have to stay up for long hours and i really feel my VS getting worse when I do so. It subsides a bit when I take a bit of rest though. I tried searching for info, but none of our professors, nor books could give me anything on VS. - Anon
Visual Snow is horrible, and the related symptoms don’t help either. I have the static, dots in the sky (or against anything bright really), anxiety, floaters and a non-existent night vision. Worst, however, is the palinopsia. It’s hard to describe heavy afterimages if you have never had a real-life positive afterimage – imagine seeing what you just looked at, but in another place. For a split second there, you freak out. Unable to comprehend.
Most of you know what Visual Snow is, obviously. And the range of other symptoms it covers and relates to. Mentioning every single visual artifact and deviation would be a waste of your time. Back then you had to know how to use a search engine in order to find Visual Snow and information about it. Now we have been covered in studies, newspapers, television, forums, web sites and social networks. I’m filled with both joy and pain every time another individual joins this group. I believe it’s great that we can exchange stories and information, but it pains me to know that there are more people out there who suffer from this.
Visual Snow was (and is) the worst thing that has ever happened to me. It took so much away from me, and gave me so little in return. Where some hardships give you experience and personal growth, Visual Snow left me with nothing more than a sense of constant anxiety and seeing myself become less of a person. I dare say the non-visual side of Visual Snow is by far more harming than the visual artifacts.
I found that the intensity of my symptoms is decided by three factors. The first is the baseline, the intensity that I simply cannot control. The second is the added intensity that relates to anxiety, stress, unhappiness, and other negative emotions. The third is focus, either passively or intentionally. “The more you look for it, the more you see it” is indeed very true, but it’s also true that the more you think, read, write and describe it, the more you see it. Not thinking about Visual Snow makes it better. That said, it’s not that easy to stop noticing something that’s bothering you around the clock.
At times I’m almost free of the burden. I’ve learned to stop paying attention to the abnormalities, and I’ve come to accept this as my reality. I admit, I still have issues with accepting that in a way, I am flawed. From time to time I sit down and read what’s going on over here in the group, on forums or perhaps fetch a research paper related to Visual Snow or migraine through my university account – but I don’t dwell on it.
There’s nothing wrong with searching for the answer, but being a keyboard jockey won’t ever assist you in dealing with your troubles. Neither will creating or believing myths or pseudo-truths about Visual Snow or the human body. And if you were to take one thing from this page-long post – please let it be the value of critical thinking and source verification. It pains me to see people spending money online on scams or believing far-fetched connections that lacks correlation.
Finally…
those who suffer from Visual Snow – perhaps even yourself, experience incapacitating anxiety. I don’t know if anxiety is caused by the same thing that causes Visual Snow, or if Visual Snow causes the anxiety…. but I can tell you that you can feel better. Working on anxiety and the issues *around* Visual Snow made my life easier. I still see the snow, but it’s easier to wade through now.
I reckon I still have a long way to go until I’m back where I started. Perhaps I’ll never get there. Perhaps it’ll get worse for me. I don’t know, but I’ll be damned if I stop fighting it. I condemn this Visual Poop-shit-storm of a vision!
Thank you for reading.
-ANON
Most of you know what Visual Snow is, obviously. And the range of other symptoms it covers and relates to. Mentioning every single visual artifact and deviation would be a waste of your time. Back then you had to know how to use a search engine in order to find Visual Snow and information about it. Now we have been covered in studies, newspapers, television, forums, web sites and social networks. I’m filled with both joy and pain every time another individual joins this group. I believe it’s great that we can exchange stories and information, but it pains me to know that there are more people out there who suffer from this.
Visual Snow was (and is) the worst thing that has ever happened to me. It took so much away from me, and gave me so little in return. Where some hardships give you experience and personal growth, Visual Snow left me with nothing more than a sense of constant anxiety and seeing myself become less of a person. I dare say the non-visual side of Visual Snow is by far more harming than the visual artifacts.
I found that the intensity of my symptoms is decided by three factors. The first is the baseline, the intensity that I simply cannot control. The second is the added intensity that relates to anxiety, stress, unhappiness, and other negative emotions. The third is focus, either passively or intentionally. “The more you look for it, the more you see it” is indeed very true, but it’s also true that the more you think, read, write and describe it, the more you see it. Not thinking about Visual Snow makes it better. That said, it’s not that easy to stop noticing something that’s bothering you around the clock.
At times I’m almost free of the burden. I’ve learned to stop paying attention to the abnormalities, and I’ve come to accept this as my reality. I admit, I still have issues with accepting that in a way, I am flawed. From time to time I sit down and read what’s going on over here in the group, on forums or perhaps fetch a research paper related to Visual Snow or migraine through my university account – but I don’t dwell on it.
There’s nothing wrong with searching for the answer, but being a keyboard jockey won’t ever assist you in dealing with your troubles. Neither will creating or believing myths or pseudo-truths about Visual Snow or the human body. And if you were to take one thing from this page-long post – please let it be the value of critical thinking and source verification. It pains me to see people spending money online on scams or believing far-fetched connections that lacks correlation.
Finally…
those who suffer from Visual Snow – perhaps even yourself, experience incapacitating anxiety. I don’t know if anxiety is caused by the same thing that causes Visual Snow, or if Visual Snow causes the anxiety…. but I can tell you that you can feel better. Working on anxiety and the issues *around* Visual Snow made my life easier. I still see the snow, but it’s easier to wade through now.
I reckon I still have a long way to go until I’m back where I started. Perhaps I’ll never get there. Perhaps it’ll get worse for me. I don’t know, but I’ll be damned if I stop fighting it. I condemn this Visual Poop-shit-storm of a vision!
Thank you for reading.
-ANON
Hello, everyone. I would like to share part of my story. When all this happened I was going through some hard times in my life. My dad my brother and I had moved from our family home to another home that was far from everything I knew, I was spending days alone and that scared me and made me feel uneasy about my surroundings. I wasn't sleeping well, I felt nervous all the time. I went to a friend's house one night, this friend believes in meditating, ascending, doing energy exercises and rituals. We had been seeing a bunch of videos about frequencies, vibration, energy and other things and had a very profound conversation, during a conversation she was talking about God, creation etc, all of the sudden I started hallucinating. saw her in a bright white light and rainbows around her. Ever since that day, I saw auras and hallucinating sometimes bright beautiful things, sometimes horrible dark things that looked sinister and mean. I was so scared and so alone. This lasted for about two months, I went to the US to live with a cousin cause no one in my family believed me, they thought I had lost it and wanted me committed to a mental hospital. They said I was saying this to get attention. The way they reacted depressed me and the symptoms got worse cause I was so afraid. It started getting better when I moved in with my then boyfriend (now husband). Now I am married, I have a wonderful son, and I am so happy, I am left now with the typical VS symptoms.. Visual snow, closed eye visuals. floaters, auras, my snow is dense and sometimes it seems like pixels, trails and light hurts my eyes.. I do feel that everything that happened to me had something to do with the anxiety I was feeling over losing my home and being alone and depressed, like something burst in my brain cause I couldn't cope. The days it happened I had the worse headache ever, went down my spine through my neck and my back. Like something exploded and everything that was left was trying to survive and heal itself. Thanks for reading, I hope someone can help us. :) -ALICIA
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The first time I saw a little static was after taking my first contraceptive pills. It was only in the dark and I though it would go away if I quit. But it did not. Instead it increased and suddenly I could see it on all single colored areas and in the sky. I also experienced Blue Field Entoptic Phenomenon for the first time and I remember seeing two white dots moving.
It was quite stable for a few years but has increased a lot the last three years. Today I cant count the dots in the Blue Field and I don't only see it in the sky, I see it everywhere. The static has also increased and I occasionally get swirling hallucinations. I have also developed faint afterimages, not from everything yet but we will see about that in time.
The first doctor I went to when it first got worse tried to find something but didn't I gave that up for several years and when I a year ago went to a new ophthalmologist she said she had heard of the phenomenon but did not know anything about it and told me to live with it. Now that I have found all the info on the condition, I e-mailed her. Do you think I got an answer?
It is a horrible condition and with it comes anxiety. Anxiety from having it and anxiety from knowing there is no cure, most doctors don't believe you and knowing that it might get even worse. I would give anything to make this end - Sarah
It was quite stable for a few years but has increased a lot the last three years. Today I cant count the dots in the Blue Field and I don't only see it in the sky, I see it everywhere. The static has also increased and I occasionally get swirling hallucinations. I have also developed faint afterimages, not from everything yet but we will see about that in time.
The first doctor I went to when it first got worse tried to find something but didn't I gave that up for several years and when I a year ago went to a new ophthalmologist she said she had heard of the phenomenon but did not know anything about it and told me to live with it. Now that I have found all the info on the condition, I e-mailed her. Do you think I got an answer?
It is a horrible condition and with it comes anxiety. Anxiety from having it and anxiety from knowing there is no cure, most doctors don't believe you and knowing that it might get even worse. I would give anything to make this end - Sarah
Hi my name is Lianne and im 25 years of age i too suffer from vs and static along with after images, halos, starbursting, and many more, i first noticed very mild vs 7 years ago which i was currently on anti depressants of which i think caused my vs well while on the anti-depressants i didn't really notice the vs and i started getting migraines with aura and sickness this continued for about 4y ears every 3 months like clockwork so i gradually came off the anti depressants thinking that would help and for 8 months life was amazing until i started getting stressed and had anxiety from then it went wild fire to the point of only 1week ago i wanted to kill myself and the thought of dying and being out of the life was all i could think about, i feel like I'm a new visual snow sufferer as my visual symptoms are hard to live with now i wake up every morning with vs and go to sleep with vs i started taking anti depressants again to no relief as they made my eye symptoms 10 times worse i feel let down by the system of which there is no cure, no light at the end of the tunnel i fear that its getting worse everyday and how much more can i take ..
Hi, my name is Andrew, and I've had VS for about 5 months now. The initial symptoms began way back in August 2012, when one day, I woke up early in the morning and suddenly start hearing ringing in my ears (tinnitus). I've had never experienced tinnitus before and I thought maybe it was caused by hearing loss, since I used to wear my headphone when listening to music. My tinnitus was not severe, I can never hear it during the day and it only bugs me when I sleep, but nothing too major, so I simply did not worry about it.
Then, things started to get worse. During early October, I was taking a walk outside after dinner, and I suddenly began to notice star-bursts around lights (street-lights, incoming car headlights, traffic lights, you name it). I was surprised by this, but it did not cause too much concern because I thought maybe I wasn't feeling too well and it will go away after a few days.
In early November, my symptoms had become more obvious. One day, I woke up in the middle of the night, and I noticed billions of electron-like dots (static) in my vision. Initially, I thought this was due to me getting up too suddenly and blood not rushing to my head in time, but the symptoms remained even after I've rested. I only see the static under poor lighting, but it still worries me greatly. As a result of the static, I couldn't see as far during night time, since the static would act as a "wall" which prevented my gaze to reach further into the darkness. Also, I sometimes see a blue lava-lamp effect when I close my eyes which would recede shortly after, but the static still remains. In addition, the halos/star-bursts I see around lights have gotten slightly bigger.
Wanting to have this issue addressed, I visited two optometrists, both conducted a thorough eye examination, but neither of them found anything wrong with my eyes AT ALL. I told them about my halos/static, but they were unable to come up with any explanation.
It's now February, and my symptoms have gotten slightly worse, again. In addition, I am now seeing trails behind objects, and occasional horizontal lines which appears for a split-second. Furthermore, I know that even for normal people, when you stare at a bright light source for a while, it will leave a "mark" which disappears after a short time. However, I noticed that my "mark" disappears much slower than it used to be. The tinnitus remains unchanged, the static gotten just a tiny little worse, and the halos/star-bursts have gotten slightly bigger again.
I have zero clue what caused my VS. I am relatively healthy and do not suffer from any chronic diseases (if you don't count VS as one). Although my life-style is not the healthiest (I spend ~8 hours on the computer daily, I rarely exercise, and I only go to bed at midnight which is pretty late), there is zero evidence that they caused my VS. I am certain that I do not have brain cancer or any other deadly diseases, and my vision is fine. All of my symptoms have appeared literally out of the blue, and is getting worse very very slowly.
Having done some searching on-line and stumbling across many VS stories, I have a lot of mixed feelings. For one thing, I am not depressed because I know that although this is a very rare disease, I am not alone. Also, I shake my head at the fact that very little is known about this condition, let alone finding out a cure. So it appears I have to live with this, and challenge accepted!
Now, I don't know how worse my symptoms are going to get. I don't know if this will shorten my lifespan, and if yes by how much. I don't know when, if ever, there will be a cure for this condition, or at the very least a thorough explanation and ways to prevent my symptoms from getting worse. The only thing I CAN do though, is to stand up, stand strong and live my life to the fullest. Challenges? Bring them on! (END)
Then, things started to get worse. During early October, I was taking a walk outside after dinner, and I suddenly began to notice star-bursts around lights (street-lights, incoming car headlights, traffic lights, you name it). I was surprised by this, but it did not cause too much concern because I thought maybe I wasn't feeling too well and it will go away after a few days.
In early November, my symptoms had become more obvious. One day, I woke up in the middle of the night, and I noticed billions of electron-like dots (static) in my vision. Initially, I thought this was due to me getting up too suddenly and blood not rushing to my head in time, but the symptoms remained even after I've rested. I only see the static under poor lighting, but it still worries me greatly. As a result of the static, I couldn't see as far during night time, since the static would act as a "wall" which prevented my gaze to reach further into the darkness. Also, I sometimes see a blue lava-lamp effect when I close my eyes which would recede shortly after, but the static still remains. In addition, the halos/star-bursts I see around lights have gotten slightly bigger.
Wanting to have this issue addressed, I visited two optometrists, both conducted a thorough eye examination, but neither of them found anything wrong with my eyes AT ALL. I told them about my halos/static, but they were unable to come up with any explanation.
It's now February, and my symptoms have gotten slightly worse, again. In addition, I am now seeing trails behind objects, and occasional horizontal lines which appears for a split-second. Furthermore, I know that even for normal people, when you stare at a bright light source for a while, it will leave a "mark" which disappears after a short time. However, I noticed that my "mark" disappears much slower than it used to be. The tinnitus remains unchanged, the static gotten just a tiny little worse, and the halos/star-bursts have gotten slightly bigger again.
I have zero clue what caused my VS. I am relatively healthy and do not suffer from any chronic diseases (if you don't count VS as one). Although my life-style is not the healthiest (I spend ~8 hours on the computer daily, I rarely exercise, and I only go to bed at midnight which is pretty late), there is zero evidence that they caused my VS. I am certain that I do not have brain cancer or any other deadly diseases, and my vision is fine. All of my symptoms have appeared literally out of the blue, and is getting worse very very slowly.
Having done some searching on-line and stumbling across many VS stories, I have a lot of mixed feelings. For one thing, I am not depressed because I know that although this is a very rare disease, I am not alone. Also, I shake my head at the fact that very little is known about this condition, let alone finding out a cure. So it appears I have to live with this, and challenge accepted!
Now, I don't know how worse my symptoms are going to get. I don't know if this will shorten my lifespan, and if yes by how much. I don't know when, if ever, there will be a cure for this condition, or at the very least a thorough explanation and ways to prevent my symptoms from getting worse. The only thing I CAN do though, is to stand up, stand strong and live my life to the fullest. Challenges? Bring them on! (END)
I've had Visual Snow for around a year now. It started when all of a sudden I got bad anxiety with chest tightness, dizzy feelings, etc. Visual snow is with me all day. Sometimes it gets very bad and blurs my whole vision with little dots floating around. It's been disturbing me for months now, making school hard very hard, I've not been able to concentrate on things because its messing my vision up and making things worse. I just wish there was a cure or even research into it. It really truly SUCKS. - Thomas
I first remember noticing visual snow when I was 3 or 4 years old. I thought initially that the air was dusty. I told my mom, and she thought that I was being silly.
The symptoms must have come on suddenly because I remember the first time that I experienced the bad night vision with heavy static, and the memory associates it with being something very frightening and out of the norm. I didn't sleep the next two nights.
Eventually, I got so used to the snow that I assumed that everyone else had it too. It wasn't until I got older that I realized that something wasn't right.
I am 23 now. I have adjusted to my snow (probably because it first appeared when I was so young), and it doesn't bother me much. I have to be very careful when I drive at night if I head out into the country where there is not a lot of light and the snow is thicker, but I live in a big city with lots of lights currently, so night driving is not so bad. I don't like reading in dim rooms because it's very "busy."
But I'm definitely not the kind of patient referred to in an article that I recently read: "Some can’t drive, some can’t work, some can’t read books, some can’t use computers. They are a wreck ..." I'm in grad school. I drive, work, read, use a computer.
I'd say that the only interesting thing about me is that because I can't see well in dark rooms, I am quite good at using spacial memory, object placement memory, and touch to find my way around and locate things that I need.
- Sylvia
The symptoms must have come on suddenly because I remember the first time that I experienced the bad night vision with heavy static, and the memory associates it with being something very frightening and out of the norm. I didn't sleep the next two nights.
Eventually, I got so used to the snow that I assumed that everyone else had it too. It wasn't until I got older that I realized that something wasn't right.
I am 23 now. I have adjusted to my snow (probably because it first appeared when I was so young), and it doesn't bother me much. I have to be very careful when I drive at night if I head out into the country where there is not a lot of light and the snow is thicker, but I live in a big city with lots of lights currently, so night driving is not so bad. I don't like reading in dim rooms because it's very "busy."
But I'm definitely not the kind of patient referred to in an article that I recently read: "Some can’t drive, some can’t work, some can’t read books, some can’t use computers. They are a wreck ..." I'm in grad school. I drive, work, read, use a computer.
I'd say that the only interesting thing about me is that because I can't see well in dark rooms, I am quite good at using spacial memory, object placement memory, and touch to find my way around and locate things that I need.
- Sylvia
Hello, I am a 14 year old boy, I started smoking weed for 5 months once a week .I smoked one night I I had a bad trip I got really scared and worried, I just went to bed. Next morning I woke up I felt different weird, confused I stressed more and more until I got anxiety and I had bad panic attacks, I found out I had a unbalanced brain from all the stress and worries so my chemicals in my brain caused this, but one morning I woke up my eyes were different it felt like Tv static I realized at night it gets worse and in low dim lights in a room and white walls, but my problem is sometimes goes when I am outside. I found out less stress and just forget out it makes it go away a bit i still have it tho. =(
-TONY
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-TONY
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Hi! I'm 16 and I have VS since March 23rd 2012. It started after my first aura and migraine appeared. My symptoms range from derealization to floaters, tinnitus and little spots that look like aura but stay for about 5 min. It is really frustrating for me to know that I reached my 16th year of life with this and I'm not living my life to the fullest. Specially because of DR. It is also very sad that I have it only from a certain age. I had to learn to deal with my anxiety which was very hard, and each time a migraine pops up my symptoms explode again. My vision spots are nearly invisible and that was why it was so hard to find out what I had. My doctors and family don't believe me. And that is how I live today, in the shadow of my own self - BRUNO
I am 15 years old. I have had visual snow for as long as i can remember. I remember back when i was 4, staring at the ceiling in my dark room and watching all the little dots blink and move around. It does effect my school work, aslo reading is kind of hard. It seems the words on the page are flashing. I also see floaties and lights look like funny orbs. I am still young, and i hope someday in my lifetime a cure is found. It would be nice to see things like everyone else does. :-) Kyle
I remembered experiencing VS when i was a kid at night but it seemed to have disappeared and was forgotten about up until i was 21, a year ago I decided to meditate out of the blue one day, all of a sudden I felt tingling feeling in the back of my head like nothing I had ever experienced before, a few days later I was walking along the beach and saw a small 1 metre by 1 metre cluster of orbs which we moving around and changing location. I then picked up on the visual snow and it became more and more powerful, now sometimes I see horizontal lines in my VS at night. I feel like this all happened because I became more in-tune with myself, who knows but I thought I would share my story :) peace out, god bless - Paul
I have probably had VS my whole life, I remember when I was 5 -10 looking at certain types of carpet and thinking I could see millions of microscopic insects jumping about but for a long time it never occurred to me it was a problem or noticed it in other situations. When I was 23 I suddenly got tinnitus and then approximately 3 years later I noticed visual snow 24 hours a day and a blue lava lamp effect when I tried to sleep.
The level of my VS was such that it made it a hard to read / write (which I had to do lots of as I was in the middle of studying for a PhD) but didn’t actually stop me. The VS and lava lamp effect made it very difficult for me to sleep. However, perhaps the biggest thing stopping me sleeping was the panic that the VS might get worse and worse and at 26 my life would effectively be over. I would regularly try to look at the VS through each eye, in different lighting condition to judge if it was getting more intense. I went to my doctor, my optician and a vision specialist at a hospital about it, but none had no idea what was wrong with me. At the same time I looked on the internet and soon realised that no medical people were likely to find anything wrong with me or provide anything that would help. After that I just conceded that it might get worse or better but there was nothing worrying would do about it. During the time I had been worrying I had done almost no research so was a long way behind on my PhD and knew I had to work through the VS to catch up or drop out.
I then started a busy daily routine going to the gym before work (improving my general health was the only thing that I could think of that might make the VS go), eating healthy, and worked at least 9 am to 7pm (often on weekends as well) to try and catch up with my work. Doing this I was so tired that when I went to bed I would fall asleep straight away no matter what which got rid of the main problem immediately. After doing this for about 6 months, I was walking home along a dark road drunk and noticed visual snow in the shadows. Then I suddenly realised that I hadn’t noticed my visual snow for months. I then had visual snow for a few days, perhaps weeks but then without realising it vanished again. Now it (also the lava lamp effect, and sometimes starbursts round lights in the corner of my eye) come and go when I do certain things (if I look for VS it is there, staring at things in poor lighting can bring it out, as does drinking alcohol and sometimes it just randomly comes back) but I don’t let them bother me and try to ignore them and soon enough I stop seeing them.
Unfortunately as I became comfortably with my VS my drive to live healthily faded and after catching up with work I began to work normal hours again but neither seem to have effected how much I notice the VS - from Ben
The level of my VS was such that it made it a hard to read / write (which I had to do lots of as I was in the middle of studying for a PhD) but didn’t actually stop me. The VS and lava lamp effect made it very difficult for me to sleep. However, perhaps the biggest thing stopping me sleeping was the panic that the VS might get worse and worse and at 26 my life would effectively be over. I would regularly try to look at the VS through each eye, in different lighting condition to judge if it was getting more intense. I went to my doctor, my optician and a vision specialist at a hospital about it, but none had no idea what was wrong with me. At the same time I looked on the internet and soon realised that no medical people were likely to find anything wrong with me or provide anything that would help. After that I just conceded that it might get worse or better but there was nothing worrying would do about it. During the time I had been worrying I had done almost no research so was a long way behind on my PhD and knew I had to work through the VS to catch up or drop out.
I then started a busy daily routine going to the gym before work (improving my general health was the only thing that I could think of that might make the VS go), eating healthy, and worked at least 9 am to 7pm (often on weekends as well) to try and catch up with my work. Doing this I was so tired that when I went to bed I would fall asleep straight away no matter what which got rid of the main problem immediately. After doing this for about 6 months, I was walking home along a dark road drunk and noticed visual snow in the shadows. Then I suddenly realised that I hadn’t noticed my visual snow for months. I then had visual snow for a few days, perhaps weeks but then without realising it vanished again. Now it (also the lava lamp effect, and sometimes starbursts round lights in the corner of my eye) come and go when I do certain things (if I look for VS it is there, staring at things in poor lighting can bring it out, as does drinking alcohol and sometimes it just randomly comes back) but I don’t let them bother me and try to ignore them and soon enough I stop seeing them.
Unfortunately as I became comfortably with my VS my drive to live healthily faded and after catching up with work I began to work normal hours again but neither seem to have effected how much I notice the VS - from Ben
Hello,I'm Prae. I've suffered from vs for a year.The story is,Last year when I was 16,My life is extremely under stress. Once I feel under stress,I got severe stomachache. I was sent to the hospital and the doctor prescribed me some medicines. After that 1 months,While I was studying I notice vibrating line and my vision was slowly blurred from the corner of my eyes. I closed my eyes for a while. After that 10 minutes,My vision turn back to normal. In that day,I got the severe headache that I'm pretty sure it's migraine. Everything fine,but after this happen for 1 week,I started noticing vibrating vision (shaky vision). And all the symptoms started .They included dots(visual snow),star burst ,flashing light ,sound in my ears(tinnitus). I don't know what the cause. I checked my brain and eyes. Everything is normal. But Vs still there. I hope that someone will know the cause and how to cure it someday.
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Hello,
I am a 66 year old Gentleman who has only one eye, due to an explosion in my earlier years, & three years ago I developed a pink eye in that only eye, which also has a 48 year old Corneal Graft as well as a 12 year old cataract. To keep the Graft from rejecting, the Corneal Specialist prescribed Lotomax steroid eye drops, & that cured the pink eye. After that, he put me on a low dosage of steroids, which I will have to take for the rest of my life as a precaution. But, right after I first started to use the steroid drops, I developed something I have never had before. I saw zillions of tiny flashing black dots in my vision & it was more noticable in the dark when those dots turned white in color. The size of the dots are about the size of a grain of sugar. No Eye Doctor I went to had any idea what the heck I was complaining about. I researched the net, & discovered that I now had Visual Snow. It is not bad, but annoying, but it really doesn't affect my vision much. I do take a low dosage of an anxiety pill to take the edge out of my fears. I live one day at a time with this, as at my age, how much longer do I have? I do pity the young people who have the snow, as they have their whole lives ahead of them. Will research find a treatment? Who knows? I've learned not to dwell on the snow, or it will get worst. So, that is my story. Barry in Pa.
I am a 66 year old Gentleman who has only one eye, due to an explosion in my earlier years, & three years ago I developed a pink eye in that only eye, which also has a 48 year old Corneal Graft as well as a 12 year old cataract. To keep the Graft from rejecting, the Corneal Specialist prescribed Lotomax steroid eye drops, & that cured the pink eye. After that, he put me on a low dosage of steroids, which I will have to take for the rest of my life as a precaution. But, right after I first started to use the steroid drops, I developed something I have never had before. I saw zillions of tiny flashing black dots in my vision & it was more noticable in the dark when those dots turned white in color. The size of the dots are about the size of a grain of sugar. No Eye Doctor I went to had any idea what the heck I was complaining about. I researched the net, & discovered that I now had Visual Snow. It is not bad, but annoying, but it really doesn't affect my vision much. I do take a low dosage of an anxiety pill to take the edge out of my fears. I live one day at a time with this, as at my age, how much longer do I have? I do pity the young people who have the snow, as they have their whole lives ahead of them. Will research find a treatment? Who knows? I've learned not to dwell on the snow, or it will get worst. So, that is my story. Barry in Pa.
Hello, my name is Jenny, and I have had visual snow for over a year. My life with Visual Snow Syndrome began after giving birth to my son. Due to a surge in hormones, I was bombarded with migraine aura after migraine aura. After about 6 weeks, the migraines stopped, but the visual problems did not. I am sensitive to light, have visual snow, afterimages, crystal worm and cell like floaters, halos around lights (halos around street lights actually touch the ground for me), and blue field entoptic phenomenon, while outside. At first, I was pretty much stuck in the house because I was so worried about getting another migraine aura. I wondered what I would do if I was in a store or driving. I was so sensitive to light that I needed the curtains closed most of the time. The “sparkly pixels” and afterimages were also very intense and I had no idea what was wrong with me. Once, I realized that I wasn’t getting the migraines anymore; I had hopes that my vision would return to normal, but it never has. It has been a very emotional time, realizing that I am stuck like this.
I have tried several medications that only made the symptoms worse for me. I have done several tests, all coming back negative. I feel like I sustained some sort of damage from the migraine auras, but because most doctors have little or no knowledge of this condition, there is no way of knowing. There is also no known treatment or cure at this time.
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I have tried several medications that only made the symptoms worse for me. I have done several tests, all coming back negative. I feel like I sustained some sort of damage from the migraine auras, but because most doctors have little or no knowledge of this condition, there is no way of knowing. There is also no known treatment or cure at this time.
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Greetings, my name is Adam
I have suffered from visual snow for as long as I can remember. My symptoms include blue field entoptic phenomenon, image burn-in, closed-eye hallucination, vertigo, tinnitus, light sensitivity, floaters, palinopsia, floaters, and "star bursts". I also am farsighted and must wear glasses; so much as a moment without my glasses on and my visual snow becomes worse than normal. Through MRI, CAT scan, and multiple doctor's visits, I had never been properly diagnosed. I'd like to talk about how this has impacted my life.
My vision is constantly crowded with colored dots - though primarily they tend to be black - as well as what can only be described as purple and white lightning. Occasionally, usually after sneezing, I will go entirely blind as black and white fireworks parade across my field of vision. My incredibly sensitivity to light has led me to a day-only travel basis, as I don't trust myself to drive at night (I am nearly blind at night). As a result of many years having VS, I discovered that certain levels of lighting will leave me more comfortable than others - for this reason I always have a lamp with a certain brightness and color (it has a yellow material behind it, giving it a yellow hue) on at all times. I am unable to sleep without this lamp on, as the light affects my closed-eye hallucinations in a positive way. Derealisation is a battle I fought constantly as a younger teenager, though now I am in more control of. Perhaps the most interesting issue I've encountered in my life is brightness. I am unable to explain this phenomenon, but when I remove my spectacles the world becomes several shades of color darker as it becomes swelled with black dots.
At the age of 16 I discovered that marijuana was a miracle cure for my anxiety caused by VS, but it also intensified every other aspect of my VS symptoms. I choose to smoke marijuana just enough to release my anxiety (medicinally, not recreational), as VS is more liveable even when more intensified. It should be noted that my closed-eye hallucinations are completely unbearable after marijuana use, and negate any positive effects that marijuana has on my anxiety. (Under a marijuana induced closed-eye hallucination I can recall seeing my own red blood cells travel across my eyes)
It's a life ruining eye condition that I have been stuck with, but I'll be damned if I let it define me. It will never keep me from work, college, or pursuing any passions I have. I am the master of my eyes.
I have suffered from visual snow for as long as I can remember. My symptoms include blue field entoptic phenomenon, image burn-in, closed-eye hallucination, vertigo, tinnitus, light sensitivity, floaters, palinopsia, floaters, and "star bursts". I also am farsighted and must wear glasses; so much as a moment without my glasses on and my visual snow becomes worse than normal. Through MRI, CAT scan, and multiple doctor's visits, I had never been properly diagnosed. I'd like to talk about how this has impacted my life.
My vision is constantly crowded with colored dots - though primarily they tend to be black - as well as what can only be described as purple and white lightning. Occasionally, usually after sneezing, I will go entirely blind as black and white fireworks parade across my field of vision. My incredibly sensitivity to light has led me to a day-only travel basis, as I don't trust myself to drive at night (I am nearly blind at night). As a result of many years having VS, I discovered that certain levels of lighting will leave me more comfortable than others - for this reason I always have a lamp with a certain brightness and color (it has a yellow material behind it, giving it a yellow hue) on at all times. I am unable to sleep without this lamp on, as the light affects my closed-eye hallucinations in a positive way. Derealisation is a battle I fought constantly as a younger teenager, though now I am in more control of. Perhaps the most interesting issue I've encountered in my life is brightness. I am unable to explain this phenomenon, but when I remove my spectacles the world becomes several shades of color darker as it becomes swelled with black dots.
At the age of 16 I discovered that marijuana was a miracle cure for my anxiety caused by VS, but it also intensified every other aspect of my VS symptoms. I choose to smoke marijuana just enough to release my anxiety (medicinally, not recreational), as VS is more liveable even when more intensified. It should be noted that my closed-eye hallucinations are completely unbearable after marijuana use, and negate any positive effects that marijuana has on my anxiety. (Under a marijuana induced closed-eye hallucination I can recall seeing my own red blood cells travel across my eyes)
It's a life ruining eye condition that I have been stuck with, but I'll be damned if I let it define me. It will never keep me from work, college, or pursuing any passions I have. I am the master of my eyes.