Question on eye health- "blackouts" or temporary losses of vision?

Question

Hello yahooanswers community, I have a potentially important question regarding my vision?

I will try and be as detailed as possible, but PLEASE READ.

The question is- is it normal and/or common to have temporary losses of vision? (or "blackouts" as I call them").

And If it's not- is it anything worth going to the doctors for?

Let me explain, ever since I can remember I'd get these "blackouts"- temporary total absenses of vision.

It can occur at any time throughout the day, but it happens in more pronounced frequencies when

1) I look at light

or

2) wake up and get out of bed.

It never happens with much warning and when it does happen I always have a headache previously and during the episode.

Normally I will look at something after getting out of bed, and within seconds/without warning- I feel this sharp pressure behind my eye, it is a stingy pain.

Like a reflex, It causes me to shut my eyes tight until the pain gets less intense.

it is a very intense type of pain, albeit sort of a unique/different one; it's almost like staring at the sun.

When I reopen my eyes everything is still pitch-black like my eyes are still closed.

Sometimes I will see this purple hazy thing in the center of my vision like colored dots after staring at a lightbulb.

While I am in this state of not being able to see, I feel EXTREMELY dizzy like I'm driving a plane and experiencing vertigo.

The only way I can tell which direction is which is by knowing where my legs are (that might sound weird).

Additionally- my eyes, the front of my head, and especially the temples feel this weird burning sensation like a migraine headache.

the feeling goes from moderately annoying, to very very intense.

It usually only lasts about 4 or 5 seconds before I slowly regain vision again.

For analogical purposes, when I regain vision it is like those light switches where you increase and decrease the amount of light by moving the switch up or down.

It's just like that- after an episode my vision will go from pitch black and slowly return to normal.

Also, even after I regain vision the migraine-like headache remains for a good 5-15 minutes afterwards. It is not nearly as intense though.

Any ideas on what it may be caused by or what it may mean?

Hopefully some other people get this too because people I've mentioned it to generally have no idea of what I'm talking about.

I appreciate it and thank you in advance!!!

Answer 1

good qsn. i've got the same thing.

=]

well, its kinda like a stage before you faint.

normally, we only go through blackout and dont often faint though.

a sudden, and generally momentary, loss of consciousness, or blacking out caused by the Central Ischaemic Response, because of a lack of sufficient blood and oxygen in the brain. The first symptoms a person feels before fainting are dizziness; a dimming of vision, or brownout; tinnitus; and feeling hot.

it happens also because of taking in too little food and fluids, low blood pressure, hypoglycemia, growth spurts, physical exercise in excess of the energy reserve of the body, emotional distress, and lack of sleep. Orthostatic hypotension caused by standing up too quickly or being in a very hot room.

=] its a normal thing, though try to keep a balance diet to stay healthy.