Eye flicker

definition

Eye flickering or rushing eyes is a visual phenomenon that has not yet been medically explained and has hardly been described in the specialist literature. A precise definition of eye flicker is therefore hardly possible. Reliable information on possible causes, accompanying symptoms and frequency or distribution in the population does not exist. According to their own statements, those affected permanently perceive many small, rapidly flickering points at the edge of the field of vision, even with their eyes closed.

General

In technical jargon, these flicker perceptions are called, depending on the source Scintillations or Ciliated scotomas designated. The exact appearance of the Scintillations can vary individually in color, size and number. In most cases, this perception, described in English as "visual snow", is compared with the snow-like image noise of a television.

From a medical point of view, this clinical picture is mostly viewed as a persistent perception disorder and must therefore be differentiated from the so-called eye migraine (ophthalmic migraine), which is also understood to be bilateral, but temporary and in many cases with headaches.

The following article deals with the perception disorder of eye fibrillation, which has hardly been recorded medically. Most of the time, eye flicker is not caused by any dangerous diseases. However, if eye flickering occurs frequently, a doctor should be consulted who can determine the cause and treat it.

The reasons

As mentioned above, no causes for the eye flicker have been identified with any certainty. Possible triggers include psychological stress, the consumption of the drugs LSD and cannabis, as well as an amino acid and / or vitamin deficiency. Furthermore, side effects of certain antidepressants (especially from the group of SSRIs), fungal diseases of the intestine and infectious diseases such as borreliosis could play a role in the development of eye fibrillation. Excessive consumption of alcohol or coffee could also be important here.

In many cases, eye flicker is associated with mental disorders, especially anxiety and panic disorders. It is unclear to what extent there is a causal connection, i.e. whether the flicker perceptions preceded the psychological disorders and possibly caused them or vice versa. However, many sufferers actually report that the eye flicker has existed their entire life, which is why a genetic cause is also not unlikely.

One of the most widespread explanations, on the other hand, is based on vascular spasms of the retina, comparable with the assumed mechanism of origin of migraines.

Yet another explanation is based on a deficiency of the neurotransmitter GABA in certain brain regions. The occipital lobe, which is located in the lower back of the brain and contains the visual center, can be affected by GABA deficiency. This can lead to malfunctions that cause the eyes to flicker. The latter theory is supported by the symptom-relieving effects of certain drugs that target the GABA receptor in some patients.

Also read the article: Circulatory disorder of the retina.

The stress as a possible cause

As already mentioned, stress is also suspected to be the cause of persistent eye flicker. For example, it is sometimes described that those affected were able to improve their complaints by making adjustments to their lifestyle. Triggers of the eye flicker could therefore include the heavy consumption of alcohol and coffee, which in turn can be associated with psychological stress. Furthermore, relaxation exercises and autogenic training seem to have a positive effect on the intensity of the eye flicker.

Those affected who spend a lot of time in front of a computer monitor in their free time or for work are also recommended to take regular breaks. For example, a 15-minute break after two hours of work in front of the PC is appropriate.

The cycle as a possible cause

The fibrillation of the eyes caused by a circulatory disorder is in most cases caused by a circulatory disorder in the brain. If there is temporarily insufficient blood with nutrients in the brain due to a dysregulation of the circulatory system, the visual cortex, which is located on the back of the head, can also be affected by the nutrient deficiency. As a result, visual disturbances such as flickering eyes, blackening in front of the eyes or the typical “star vision” occur.

The circulatory system can rarely trigger eye flickering that originates directly in the eye. The circulatory system can also cause a circulatory disorder in the eye itself. If the retina is briefly not adequately supplied with blood, light signals cannot be passed on to the brain, so that the eyes can also flicker.

Circulatory disorders that cause eye fibrillation are typically seen with low blood pressure or heart failure. In this case, the body cannot always pump a sufficient amount of blood against gravity to the eye and brain, so that a short-term circulatory disturbance occurs. If the circulatory disorder is particularly pronounced, it can lead to reduced blood flow to the entire brain. This can lead to fainting (syncope). Other disorders of the heart such as cardiac arrhythmias lead to a temporary reduced blood flow and thus trigger eye flicker.

Neck tension as a possible cause

Just like long-term stress, neck tension and other spinal complaints are widespread problems in our society. They are mostly the result of an unhealthy posture, such as that caused by sedentary activities and a lack of exercise.

In addition to well-known diseases such as the herniated disc, incorrect loading can also lead to the so-called cervical spine syndrome. This term, which is very vague in itself, encompasses a large number of neurological and orthopedic symptoms and symptom complexes that affect the shoulder-neck region. The most common symptoms are pain and muscle tension in the respective region, which can also be accompanied by a number of side effects. These can include headaches, ringing in the ears, dizziness or visual disturbances.

In addition, headaches can also lead to faster fatigue of the ability to concentrate due to tension. This, in turn, is quickly noticeable in the eyes and vision. Affected people have to work very hard to fix objects with their eyes and see clearly. If the muscles in the eyes and the lens are tired, this can lead to flickering and other visual disturbances such as blurred vision.

Various therapeutic approaches are available for treating eye flickering in the context of neck tension. In addition to physiotherapy exercises under supervision and alone at home, learning back-friendly behavior is essential in everyday life. Drug pain therapy is also important. Medicines such as ibuprofen and diclofenac not only have a pain-relieving effect, but also anti-inflammatory and can help the irritated nerves to recover. Local pain therapy and thermotherapy can also be helpful.

Read more on the subject at: Treatment of cervical spine syndrome.

The thyroid as a possible cause

Eye flickering caused by the thyroid indicates a malfunction in the thyroid. An underfunction can downregulate the circulation. This can lead to visual disturbances including eye flickering as a result of short-term circulatory disorders. An overactive thyroid, on the other hand, is associated with higher muscle tension and better nerve excitability. Tension but also small false stimuli of the nerves can lead to eye flickering.

If the thyroid function is permanently poorly adjusted, the increased or insufficient amount of hormones can also cause permanent damage to the eye, which can also lead to eye flicker.

Also read the articles:

• The hypothyroidism
• The overactive thyroid

Hypoglycaemia as the cause

With hypoglycaemia, there is briefly a reduced supply of sugar molecules in the blood. This can occur if an affected person has not eaten for a long period of time. Blood sugar disorders (diabetes) can lead to hypoglycaemia as a result of a bad attitude.

The reduced supply of the nutrient sugar in the blood can lead to eye disorders such as fibrillation. Circulatory regulation also plays an important role in hypoglycaemia. In addition, the brain is particularly dependent on a constant supply of sugar. In the case of hypoglycaemia, malfunctions in the brain can also lead to eye flickering.

You can find more information on this topic at: The hypoglycaemia.

The symptoms

The headache as an accompanying symptom

Ciliated scotomas can occur in the context of various clinical pictures and be the expression of a number of disorders. For this reason, it is important to watch out for symptoms that accompany eye flicker. Often these are e.g. increased sensitivity to light or headaches.

If headaches occur in combination with eye flickering, this can indicate a so-called ophthalmic migraine or eye migraine: According to the definition, these are temporary, bilateral visual disturbances, which are often (but not always) accompanied by headaches. In addition to visual disturbances in the form of eye flickering, which persists even when the eyes are closed, flashes of light can also be perceived.
In addition, visual field defects and general dizziness are also observed. The symptoms usually last a few minutes, but rarely half an hour to a full hour. Young adults are particularly affected.

The causes of the ocular migraines have not been clarified, but it is assumed that there is a circulatory disorder in the brain tissue of the visual cortex, which is located in the occipital lobe. Since the ocular migraine itself is quite harmless and does not result in any consequential damage, treatment is hardly necessary. Many affected people find it pleasant and helpful to have a quiet and darkened environment during the attack. Pain medication such as ibuprofen or Aspirin® usually bring relief. If certain factors that trigger attacks are known, it is advisable to avoid them.

An ophthalmologist should be consulted if the ocular migraines recur, as more serious illnesses could be the cause of the eye flickering and the headache.

Find out more about the topic here: The migraines.

The tinnitus as an accompanying symptom

Tinnitus is an unpleasant noise in the ear that is perceived by the brain without a suitable acoustic stimulus. Eye flicker and tinnitus can occur with a migraine, for example. Migraines are a form of headache that can be accompanied by what is known as an aura. Visual disturbances such as flickering eyes or hearing impairments can occur. Afterwards or at the same time, severe headaches occur.

But brain diseases can also lead to eye flickering with tinnitus. Both phenomena can be based on the fact that the brain misjudges small stimuli due to disturbances in the transmission of nerve stimuli. Therefore, conditions that damage the nerves in the brain can lead to eye flicker with tinnitus.

Further information on this topic can be found at: The tinnitus.

The diagnosis

Those affected who try to get to the bottom of the cause of their eye flickering often encounter perplexity on the part of the doctors. Diagnoses range from migraines to psychosomatic causes to psychiatric illnesses as well as depression and anxiety disorders. Sometimes entopic phenomena are also held responsible for the visual impairment. The “entoptic phenomenon” is a term for visual effects that are caused by the refraction of light within the eye.

These diagnoses are often viewed by patients as insufficient, so that going to the doctor is often very frustrating for both those affected and the doctor receiving treatment.

The most promising of the wide range of attempts at explanation are ultimately two diagnostic images: hallucinogen-induced visual disturbance (HPPD), which, however, requires hallucinogen abuse, and visual disturbance known as "persistent migraine aura without cerebral infarction".

The therapy

Since the mechanism behind the fibrillation and its causes have not been clarified, all therapeutic approaches are based on empirical values ​​and the suspected causes.

Various preparations from the group of anticonvulsants (or anti-epileptics) such as valproic acid, lamotrigine and topiramate, as well as the benzodiazepine Xanax®, are used in drug therapy. Each of these four drugs works at least in part through its binding to the GABA receptors in the brain. Searching for the origin of the flickering in the eyes in a disruption of the GABA balance of the human brain therefore seems obvious and is discussed in specialist circles.

The appearance of the flicker of the eyes

Flickering eyes during and after exercise

Anyone who regularly exercises vigorously has likely experienced symptoms such as tremors, dizziness, headaches, weakness, and flickering eyes. All of these are symptoms of overload and clearly exceeding one's own performance limits. The symptoms are most likely due to low blood pressure and hypoglycaemia (Hypoglycemia). This results in a temporary slight undersupply of glucose and oxygen in the brain tissue and ultimately leads to the symptoms described above.

A vitamin and mineral deficiency, which is often blamed as a result of profuse sweating during exercise, is, however, rather unlikely as a cause of eye flickering during or after exercise. Nevertheless, it is important to keep the body's water and electrolyte balance - for example by drinking isotonic beverages - in balance. To counteract hypoglycaemia, quickly absorbable, short-chain carbohydrates - for example in the form of glucose - can be dissolved in the mouth in the case of fibrillation.

In addition, general tips on how to behave during sport are recommended. These include a sufficient intake of calories in everyday life and taking sufficiently long breaks during the exercise units.

What to do if you have hypoglycaemia Read more about this here.

Flickering eyes after getting up

If symptoms such as headache, dizziness, eye flickering or other visual disturbances occur in the morning after getting up, this can usually be attributed to the circulatory system: overnight, during which the heart has to do comparatively little work and the vessels of the body are dilated and relaxed low blood pressure sufficient to supply all organs with adequate oxygen and nutrients. If we get up too quickly in the morning, the blood sinks into the large veins of the legs. This results in a temporary undersupply of the brain, which is noticeable in the symptoms mentioned above.In particular, people with generally low blood pressure therefore need more time in the morning so that the cardiac activity and the tension in the vascular walls can adapt to the suddenly increased demands. Exercising and drinking enough fluids can help to some extent.

Read more on the subject at: Dizziness on standing up.

Eye flickering at the edge of the eye

Flicker at the edge of the field of vision occurs especially in older people with diseases of the retina. Typically, minor damage to the retina occurs over time. This can be favored by metabolic processes such as increased blood sugar (diabetes mellitus). Other risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking and alcohol consumption can also damage the retina over time. In addition, the weakness of the retina can also be a pure symptom of old age.
As it progresses, the retina becomes detached from the underlying layers. The acute detachment is usually accompanied by seeing flashes of light, as the nerve cells in the retina are falsely stimulated and thus send an electrical signal to the brain, which is interpreted as a light signal.

A detachment of the vitreous body in the eye can also be noticeable through visual disturbances at the edge of the field of vision. However, dark spots occur more often than seeing bright flashes of light. Other causes of eye flicker at the edge of the field of vision can be caused by the circulatory system. Especially when the circulation is slowly weakening (for example, when you have to stand for a long time), the visual field can narrow. At first, one can no longer see clearly at the edge of the field of vision and the eyes flicker at the edge of the field of vision. This fuzzy edge then moves from the outside to the inside until you finally see everything black.

The spikes at the edge of the field of vision

Spikes at the edge of the field of vision, like the flickering of the eyes at the edge, can indicate a detachment of the retina or the vitreous humor. The spikes are typically created by distortion lines.

Usually the retina rests against the wall of the spherical eyeball. Rays of light that fall into the eye are bundled by the lens in the front area of ​​the eyeball and then fall on the retina. There so-called photoreceptors perceive the incidence of light. They form an electrical signal that is transmitted via several nerve cells and the optic nerve to the visual cortex in the back of the brain. When the retina begins to peel off, it no longer lies smoothly against the wall of the eyeball. As a result, rays of light that reach the eye directly next to one another arrive at different locations on the retina. The brain can no longer put together a “smooth” and “straight” image. Instead, objects that are actually straight suddenly appear curved, bent or jagged.

More information on the topic Retinal detachment you'll find here.

Eyes flicker when eyes are closed

Eye flicker can also occur with your eyes closed. The causes for this can be found in various places in the brain, from the eye to the visual cortex. It can be in the eye itself due to small malfunctions in the retina or the nerves connected to it. Despite closed eyes, electrical signals are sent to the brain. The visual cortex of the brain interprets these electrical signals as light signals and projects an image from them, which is characterized by flashes of light and eye flickering.

Particularly in older people, flickering when the eyes are closed can be an indication of a retinal disease such as retinal detachment or circulatory disorders in the retina.

Diseases of the optic nerve or the visual pathways behind it can also lead to false reports in the brain and thus cause eye flickering when the eyes are closed. If the visual cortex itself is damaged, eye flickering can also occur when the eyes are closed. The visual cortex of the brain is constantly busy creating an image of our environment. Under certain circumstances, the visual cortex can try to create an image even if no real light signals reach the eye. This malfunction results in unclear images, which can manifest in the form of flickering eyes or other visual disturbances.

Also read the article: The circulatory disorder of the retina.

Is my eye flicker dangerous?

A final assessment of the potential risk of eye flicker is not possible due to the limited current studies. So far, eye flicker has only occurred in connection with benign clinical pictures or as an independent phenomenon, so that one does not assume a potential association with malignant diseases.

Eye flickering often occurs in connection with stress, physical or psychological overload or in conjunction with headache, especially as a harbinger of a migraine attack. The symptoms then mostly sit down after the end of the exposure or when the associated clinical picture subsides.

Can this be an indication of a stroke?

The term “flicker” is a very unspecific symptom, as the term “flicker” can be understood to mean many different visual disorders. Vision can also be impaired in the event of a stroke.

Strokes tend to come suddenly and are usually on one half of the brain. The visual pathways are interconnected in the brain in such a way that everything we see on our right side (not with the right eye!) Is absorbed by the left hemisphere. The other way around, the brain picks up everything in our left field of vision on the right side of the brain. If one of the two hemispheres of the brain is affected by a stroke, the visual disturbances in the field of vision can be felt on the opposite side. These complaints can range from slightly blurred vision to flickering eyes to pronounced visual field defects. In pronounced cases, affected people no longer perceive half of the room at all.

In addition, there are other characteristic symptoms such as weakness or paralysis of the arm and / or leg on one side. The face can also be affected. As with the eyes, the face, arms and legs are crossed with the brain, so that a stroke is noticeable, for example, in the right half of the brain on the left side of the body (weakness of the left arm and leg, weakness of the left half of the face and visual disturbances on the left side) power. Speech disorders can also occur in a stroke. The acronym "FAST" (face = face, arm, speech = language, time = time) is used to help you remember the symptoms of a stroke.

The signs of a stroke? Find out all about the topic here.

Can this be an indication of multiple sclerosis?

In some cases, eye flicker can also be a first indication of multiple sclerosis (MS). This is a disease in which the nerves of the central nervous system increasingly lose their insulating layer (myelin). Through autoimmune processes, the conduction speed of the nerve tracts is gradually reduced. It can also lead to malfunctions in the transmission of stimuli to the nerves.

A typical place where multiple sclerosis first becomes noticeable is the optic nerve. The demyelination (de-isolation) of the optic nerve can cause various visual disturbances (often fibrillation of the eyes).

You can find more information on this topic at: Multiple sclerosis.

Can eye flicker be caused by problems with the cervical spine?

Eye flickering, which is caused by problems in the cervical spine (Cervical spine), is mostly due to a circulatory disorder. The brain is mainly supplied by two different blood streams: The front and middle parts of the brain are supplied with blood via the carotid vessels (carotid artery). These vessels flow along the front of the neck. The rear and lower parts of the brain, on the other hand, are mainly supplied by the vertebral arteries. These are the vessels that carry blood to the brain along the spine.

If there are problems with the cervical spine, the blood flow to these vessels can be disturbed. This means that the back of the brain is poorly supplied with blood. Since the visual cortex, i.e. the part of the brain in which the electrical signals from the eye are processed, is located at the back of the head, this can also be undersupplied if there is a circulatory disorder in the vertebral arteries. An undersupply of the visual cortex in turn leads to visual disturbances such as flickering eyes, loss of visual field or flashes of light. Typically, the vertebral vessels can be damaged when the cervical spine is straightened, for example.

The flickering of the eyes during pregnancy

During pregnancy, eye flicker occurs due to various causes. A circulatory problem is often the cause of the symptoms during pregnancy. Eye flickering occurs in the first few weeks of pregnancy when the body has to get used to the hormonal and physical changes. So-called pregnancy sickness often occurs in this phase.

Women who vomit frequently can especially suffer from a lack of fluids and electrolytes (blood salts). This can also disrupt the circulation and lead to eye flicker. These complaints occur particularly frequently when changing positions. For example, eye flickering occurs when the affected women have to get up from sitting or lying down.

The circulatory system is also particularly stressed in the late stages of pregnancy. Often there is water retention in the legs, this fluid is withdrawn from the circulation and can lead to circulatory disorders with fibrillation of the eyes. The hormonal changes during pregnancy can also cause eye flicker. Pregnant women are more often exhausted and tired and need more breaks. This reduced physical performance can also be noticeable in cases of overexertion through flickering eyes. In the rarest of cases, eye flicker during pregnancy is a disease of the eye itself.

Find out all about the topic here: The pregnancy.