Small quick spots of light?

Question

I am afraid that something is wrong with my eyes. I will see an eye doctor when I get around to it. (my schedule is very busy) But I want to know what you all think. Ok this happens everywhere, at work, school, home...everywhere. I will see a small speck of light that lasts for only like a second. Sometimes its blue sometimes its white and sometimes its purple. It's actually really brilliant and very pretty. No light bulb could make light like this. No matter where I am it happens, so its not just florescent lights or anything like that. It happens every single day several times a day if not more. It happens outside too not just inside. I do NOT have high blood pressue. I very rarely get migraines like almost never. What could this be? Should I be worried? Has this happened to anyone?

Answer 1

Well I think what your describing is a neural thing.. (I have a neuroscience degree). I personally get something called a visual migraine. Lots of people get this but its not mentioned much in the media so not everyone has heard of it.

Its where you get vascular spasms in the blood vessels that flow to your occipital lobe where vision is perceived. So effectively, neurons there reduced blood and oxygen temporarily. This causes symptoms like what you experience. I have had them myself...like a brilliant shimmering after-image type thing.

When you have a full on visual migrain the dot starts small, but then grows, untill it takes up your entire visual field and you basically can't see anything for about half an hour!!! Its scary but its not serious.

I don't have full blown visual migrains vey often but when i do the days before and after i will have your symptoms, where i have little shimmering dots appear breifly and disappear. Oh, and i'm healthy, and have blood pressure on the low side if anything.

Visual migrains ALMOST NEVER are accompanied by a migraine headache. The fact that you said that you rarely get migraines makes me think that it is even more likely to be a visual migraine because people who get the visual migraines will also OCCASIONALLY get 'typical' migraines.

It could of course just as easily be something else so you need to get it checked...but untill then don't get too stressed over it...

Heres what a full on visual migraine is like (kind of)

http://www.knownjohnson.com/?p=73