Eye flicker

Appearances in the field of vision

We do not always see the world clearly, not even when the view is clear. Sometimes obstacles or phenomena affect our field of vision. It can be lightning, flashing light, transparent spots that move with the eye, zigzag lines or even loss of field of view. We have some of these phenomena for a lifetime, they are completely normal. Other cognitive disorders occur suddenly and can be a warning sign. They often frighten those affected and can cause panic.

Doctors differentiate between the following phenomena in the field of vision:

• gray, trickling down particles (soot rain)
• Flashes of light (photopsias)
• seeing a black wall
• blind spots in the field of vision (visual field loss, scotoma)
• the perception of dark point, line or snake-shaped structures (so-called floaters, French for whirring flies)
• Arched flicker (eye flicker, medical term: Flimmerskotom).

It is advisable to have the visual disturbances clarified by a doctor. Because there can be serious diseases such as a vitreous detachment, retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage or a stroke behind it. Ophthalmologists, on the other hand, judged the floaters to be harmless.

The fibrillation of the eyes, doctors also call it a shimmering scotoma, occupies a kind of intermediate position. It can be harmles, but it can also be dangerous. When the eyes flicker, a bright point of light suddenly appears in the field of vision. It spreads to larger light phenomena, flashes of lightning or zigzag lines and wanders through the eye. Sometimes glowing arches also appear.

Anyone who notices such phenomena should watch them carefully. Usually the cause is relatively harmless. For example, it may be due to poor circulation, the onset of migraines or overexertion during exercise. Hypoglycaemia or pregnancy poisoning can also cause a shimmering scotoma and require a visit to the doctor. If the symptom do not go away after about an hour, there is an emergency. Those affected should then consult an ophthalmologist at the latest. Because the disturbances can also be caused by a detachment of the retina and there is a risk of blindness . Under no circumstance should you drives or operate machines during such visual problems, as your perception is severely restricted.

 

What is eye flicker?

Doctors call eye flicker points of light that spread out in the field of vision in an arc or zigzag shape. They wobble and flicker in the eye. The points can only appear at the edge of the field of vision, then wander and become larger. Vision usually remains normal outside of the affected areas. Some sufferers also complain of the nausea and dizziness that are associated with ciliated scotoma.

The vision problems usually disappear after 15 to 30 minutes without any secondary diseases. But they can occur several times in a row.

It is not always easier to distinguish it from other optical perception disorders, so an ophthalmologist should be consulted if the ciliated scotoma lasts longer than an hour, recurs several times and cannot be explained, for example, with circulatory problems or a migraine.

These are the causes of eye flicker

In most cases, the flickering scotoma, the arched flicker in the eye, is the harbinger of the onset of a migraine. Women are three time more likely to experience this than men. Before puberty, however, it is evenly distributed in children of both sexes. The neurological disease triggers an attack-like, very severe headache, which is accompanied by nausea, vomiting , sensitivity to light and noise. Sometimes patients can speak poorly or move with difficulty.

Above all, the ophthalmoplegic migraines can be behind it, from which mostly children suffer. This form of migraine affects one or more oculomotor nerves, which are responsible for supplying and moving the eyes. Often the headache begins shortly after the onset of the vision problems - a sharp, throbbing pain that determines everything. Ten percent of Germans suffer from this neurological disease. Many of them know the flickering eyes as an unmistakable sign that a migraine attack is looming.

In rare cases, the flickering eyes can also indicate an approaching epileptic seizure or a stroke can be the reason. Usually this is also accompanied by coordination problems, nausea, dizziness and physical failures.

Also thyroid diseases like Hashimoto and Diabetes mellitus can cause a shimmering scotoma. They disrupt the body's nutrient balance and the circulation, so that intermittent perception disorders can occur in the eye.

If the eye flicker occurs only once, it may be caused by hypoglycaemia or a circulatory disorder caused by too low or too high blood pressure.

Exercise can also trigger the flickering in the field of vision - intense physical exertion causes the pulse and blood pressure to rise. At the same time, too much overload can lead to hypoglycaemia, which results in tremors, Feelings of weakness and flickering eyes. The reason: a slight undersupply of the brain tissue with glucose and oxygen. Isotonic drinks can help bring the water and electrolyte balance back into balance.

In the morning after getting up, especially in women, the blood pressure is often too low - this can also cause vision problems and eye flickering. Those who tend to do so should get up slowly: first sit on the edge of the bed, move feet and arms to get the circulation going, and then get up.

stress, long car journeys, long work at the computer screen and a high level of nervous stress in everyday life can strain the eyes, leading to visual problems. However, these usually disappear after a few minutes if you allow yourself some rest. If your eyes flicker after working on the computer, you should give them a break: maybe go for a walk or choose another activity.

In rare cases, eye flicker can be a side effect of various medications such as migraine preparations and antidepressants. A severe deficiency in the nutrients vitamin A and C, zeaxanthin and lutein also leads to problems with the retina. Other important nutrients for the eye are zinc , anthocyanins, vitamin B and omega-3 fatty acids.

The consumption of intoxicating drugs (e.g. cannabis and LSD) can also lead to flickering arcs in the eye.

The symptoms of fibrillation

The flickering points of light can appear anywhere in the field of vision - at the edge or in the center, on one side only on one eye or on both. They are visible even with closed eyes and do not disappear. Often the scotoma has an arch shape, sometimes there are many, small, flickering spots at the edge of the field of vision.

The arc moves from the outside in and then reverses. It is often surrounded and filled with flickering, glowing, jagged patterns. Some sufferers report nausea and dizziness that accompany their vision problems.
 

This is how to treat ciliated scotoma

The flickering usually disappears by itself after 15 to 30 minutes. In the acute case of a migraine, there is little you can do yourself - just wait and stay in a darkened, low-irritation room. Sometimes moisturizing eye drops and eye gels help. However, the subsequent symptoms of migraines should be treated by a specialist in the long term. With good medication control, the incidence of eye flicker will also decrease.

If the shimmering scotoma is caused by stress, relaxation exercises (e.g. autogenic training, yoga) help. Anyone who works a lot in front of the computer should take regular breaks to relieve the strain on their eyes. Experts recommend a 15-minute break after two hours of PC work.

However, if the eye flicker lasts longer than about an hour, it could be a sign of a serious eye condition such as vitreous detachment. Most of the time, however, it does not stay with flickering, but suddenly black and transparent points and spots appear in the field of vision.

The risk of vitreous detachment increases with age, as the vitreous shrinks. This creates pressure on the connection points between the vitreous humor and the retina. This pressure shows up in the eye as flicker and lightning. If the pull is very strong, the retina can peel off. If a doctor is not consulted immediately, the affected person becomes blind.

Eye flicker during pregnancy

Special attention should be given to eye flickering during pregnancy. In addition to high blood pressure , protein in the urine, headache , dizziness and epigastric problems with nausea and vomiting, it can indicate preeclampsia . Colloquially, preeclampsia is referred to as pregnancy poisoning, whereby the maternal organism is overloaded by the pregnancy. This disease is extremely dangerous for both mother and child and often leads to embryo death. Preeclampsia also threatens the mother's life.

Eye flicker and cataracts

A special case of eye flicker can occur after cataract surgery, in which an artificial lens is inserted into the eyeball. Some patients notice a flickering or trembling of the image in the operated eye in the first time after the operation. This is caused because the artificial lens is still shaking. The edge of the lens can also cause fine crescent-shaped or crescent-shaped reflections with certain incidence of light. These phenomena are completely harmless and disappear when the artificial lens is completely ingrown. Eye drops or eye gels can alleviate the symptoms somewhat.

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