Eye flicker (flickering scotoma)

Sudden visual disturbances are perceived by many people as very frightening. However, they can also be completely harmless. Kick that Eye flicker repeatedly and if there are further complaints, an ophthalmologist should be consulted as a precaution to rule out a serious illness. Eye flicker should be distinguished from eye twitching and eye tremors.

What is eye flicker?

If the eye flickering occurs again and again and there are further complaints, an ophthalmologist should be consulted as a precaution to rule out a serious illness.

The eye flicker (flickering scotoma) is a visual disorder in which it comes to the loss of part of the visual field. The medical term of the shimmering scotome is derived from the Greek word "Skoto", which means darkness.

A zigzag-shaped area with a light edge can no longer be perceived on one side or in both eyes. In addition, there are flickering light phenomena or flashes that occur on the same side of the eye. The symptoms occur in loose succession or at regular intervals and can be signs of the onset of a migraine with aura. A characteristic of this is that it lasts between 20 and 30 minutes.

If the phenomenon only lasts for about five to ten minutes, however, it can be an ocular migraine. Very often there is also an increased sensitivity to light during the fibrillation of the eyes. Nausea and vomiting and headaches can also occur during the flickering of the eyes. The glaucoma also begins with flickering eyes.

causes

The causes of eye flicker are still largely unknown. It is believed that circulatory disorders in the brain trigger the symptoms.

In addition, there are factors such as stress and other stresses of a physical or mental nature as well as prolonged work on the computer screen, which in the long term can favor the symptoms. Taking medication can also cause your eyes to flicker at times.

The first sign of glaucoma (glaucoma) is a headache on one half of the head, accompanied by flickering eyes. If left untreated, the glaucoma leads to eye blindness and is therefore one of the most common causes of blindness in people worldwide.

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Diseases with this symptom

• stroke

• migraine

• Glaucoma (green star)

Diagnosis & course

Eye flicker is best diagnosed by an ophthalmologist. A detailed record of the patient's medical history is particularly important. This already gives the doctor indications of the possibly underlying disease.

To rule out glaucoma, intraocular pressure is measured. In addition, there is always an examination of the eye to check whether there is inflammation of the vessels or the retina. This examination is known as a fundoscopy or an ophthalmoscope and is completely painless. The ophthalmologist looks into the patient's eye through a magnifying glass using a lamp. Depending on the examination method, he can recognize individual sections or the entire fundus and assess whether deviations are responsible for the eye flicker.

In glaucoma there is increased intraocular pressure and a clearly visible detachment of the optic nerve head in the fundus. Further examinations are necessary to further clarify the glaucoma. Based on the results of the examination, the doctor can decide whether the fibrillation of the eye needs treatment, but this is always the case with glaucoma.

Complications

Eye flicker is often associated with impaired vision, it scares most people. But it can also be quite harmless, a visit to the ophthalmologist will provide information. If it occurs more often, however, a serious illness can no longer be ruled out. However, eye twitching or trembling should not be confused with eye flicker.

When the eyes flicker, some of the images can no longer be seen. There are also lightning bolts, each on the same eye. These seizures can occur regularly, but also in loose succession. This can also be a sign of the onset of migraines, even if the visual disturbances last for 20 to 30 minutes. However, if the eye flicker lasts only about five minutes, then it is an indication of eye migraines. During the fibrillation of the eyes, the eye is very sensitive to light and headaches can occur, as well as nausea and vomiting have often been observed. The green star also announces itself like this.

It has not yet been researched where eye flicker comes from, but it is believed that circulatory disorders in the brain are responsible for it. The flickering of the eyes is favored by stress, high loads and long work on the screen. Sometimes medication also causes eye flicker. For the glaucoma, the signs are that the flickering eyes are accompanied by a one-sided headache. If the glaucoma is not treated, it will inevitably lead to blindness.

The ophthalmologist will quickly determine the cause of the fibrillation of the eyes, he will include the entire medical history of the patient for a correct diagnosis. The glaucoma can be diagnosed quickly with an intraocular pressure measurement. With an ophthalmoscope, the doctor can determine inflammation of the retina or blood vessels. This examination is completely painless. He can thus recognize the entire fundus and can quickly assess whether deviations are the cause of the fibrillation. If there is glaucoma, it must be treated.

When should you go to the doctor?

Eye flicker often appears out of nowhere. This has a very frightening effect on those affected, which often increases the flickering of the eyes. First of all: keep your nerve! Eye flickering is often harmless and can be traced back to a specific cause such as overexertion of the eyes from long work on the PC. Then it's time to let your eyes wander into the distance, for example with a look out of the window, and things will get better.

Tension in the neck and shoulder area can also trigger eye flicker. If eye flicker, also known as flickering scotoma, occurs several times, however, possibly in connection with additional complaints, a doctor should definitely be consulted.

For example, the dangerous eye disease glaucoma typically starts with flickering eyes. If you do not visit your ophthalmologist immediately to stop the disease, you will go blind. Diseases of the eye retina are also dangerous. Circulatory disorders, including those in the brain, are further triggers for flickering eyes. Migraineurs often experience flickering eyes as a harbinger of the next migraine attack.

The ophthalmologist should therefore be visited first in the case of flickering eyes. If he can rule out an eye disease, he already knows which specialists are best to continue: the internist, cardiologist or neurologist.

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Treatment & Therapy

The fibrillation of the eyes as part of a migraine or ocular migraine usually does not require treatment by an ophthalmologist. The focus here is on relieving pain.

If necessary, the patients are referred to the neurologist to further clarify the migraine symptoms. If the visual disturbances occur while working with machines, the work must be interrupted immediately.

Parking should also be sought immediately in traffic. The journey may only be continued when the seizure has subsided and visibility is no longer impaired.

When working in the office, you should also take a break if possible, because the flickering of the eyes threatens to strain your eyes while working on the screen or reading documents.

Outlook & forecast

The prospects and prognoses for the occurrence of fibrillation or fibrillation scotoma can only be made with regard to the course of individual attacks. As a rule, the fibrillation of the eyes lasts around 20 to 30 minutes, regardless of whether treatment is attempted.

However, it is difficult to assess whether it is a singular event or a regularly recurring symptom. Circulatory disorders and vascular spasms in the brain are discussed as causative factors.

It is noticeable that the ciliated scotoma often appears in connection with an incipient migraine with aura. If, in this case, the migraines can be contained through targeted treatment, the restricted field of view or the seeing of flashes and the increased sensitivity to light will also disappear.

The connection with vascular spasms in the brain gives rise to the assumption that stress factors of a psychological or physical nature are also possible causative factors. Therefore, relaxation exercises that have an anti-cramping effect are seen as preventive measures against the occurrence of eye flicker.

In some cases, ciliated scotoma is associated as an early indicator of the onset of glaucoma. This means that it is not the scotoma itself, but the cause of the glaucoma (glaucoma) that needs to be corrected to prevent blindness. In most cases, it is necessary to take appropriate measures and interventions to reduce the increased intraocular pressure to normal so that the optic nerve can be supplied again regularly.

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prevention

If the fibrillation occurs in the run-up to a migraine, it is often helpful to analyze the triggering factors and, if possible, to avoid or remedy them. When working with a monitor over a long period of time, it is important to take regular breaks to relax the eye. Loosening the shoulder and neck muscles is also important, because permanent tension can also lead to long-term fibrillation.

You can do that yourself

Because the exact causes for the occurrence of the flickering eyes or shimmering scotoma are not yet sufficiently understood, a directly effective self-help is not known. In most cases, however, the short-term visual disturbance can be associated with acute stressful situations, with tension and tension. The symptoms that occur are often associated with migraines.

One of the most important measures to overcome ciliated scotoma is active relaxation and relief for the eyes. Above all, the eyes have to be temporarily relieved of concentrated screen work and bright light has to be avoided. If no organic ailments such as glaucoma (glaucoma) can be held responsible for the intermittent symptoms, active relaxation techniques serve not only to overcome acute fibrillation, but also to prevent it. Regular massage of the shoulder and neck muscles not only counteracts ciliated scotoma, but also prevents tension headaches and migraines.

Since the symptoms are often triggered by overtiredness and general overexertion, healthy sleep with alternating REM and deep sleep phases also serves as a preventive measure and helps to improve the handling of stressful situations. If the eyes flicker while driving, it is recommended to activate the hazard warning lights if necessary and to bring the car to a stop as quickly as possible for reasons of road safety.