To ask what this could be. Medical. Worried.

[Elizabethtattletale]

I know IABU posting this here but I’m worried and DH is being dismissive.

I have just had very sudden onset left hand eye visual disturbance - it was a semi circle in the far left that looked like it was under water. Moving and blurry.

It started after DH tried to massage my shoulder and caused a lot of pain.

I woke up with a really painful left hand shoulder in between my shoulder blade and spine. The pain is going down to my elbow and through to my chest. Wrong side for heart.

I’ve now got a headache on the right hand side and vision is back to normal.

The visual thing lasted around one minute.

Any ideas? I don’t want to call 111 as I’m ok. Headache and a bad shoulder is all now.

Im not usually anxious about health stuff but that scared me a bit!

Do you have migraines at all?

Optical migraine I get them it's like a flashy ball of light that starts at the side gets bigger then smaller and usually left with just a headache

I would have said the same, but the pain down the shoulder, arm and chest could indicate a nerve issue.

Honestly, instead of asking strangers I would be talking to 111. That's what they are there for.

Thanks all. Used to get tension migraines with nausea but never had the eye thing.

I don’t any to take up 111 time with this.

The eye thing sounds a bit like a floater? I get tons of them, they're harmless, perhaps google and see if that's the case?

When did you last have your eye sight checked?

Honestly, there are so many things that MIGHT be causing this. Most are benign but some are quite serious including a mini stroke, bleeding in the eye, retinal detachment, etc… I would get it checked.

My visual migraines are similar to this. The patch tends to move across my field of vision over the space of 20mins.

Luckily it's mostly not accompanied by headache, but sometimes it is. I first experienced them age 35 and they're exacerbated by hormones, dehydration and/or eye strain.

Bloody nuisance but not serious, but see an optician just in case.

You DEFINITELY need to get it checked out, however, my husbands MRI after kaleidoscope vision disturbance followed sometimes.by headache and sometimes not, was clear and he has been diagnosed with optical migraine.

Luckily it's very rare and he gets vision disturbances before it comes on worse which gives him plenty of time to "mark himself safe".

I'd book a GP appointment

111 is non emergency, I wouldn't call 999 but 111 may be able to point you in the right direction, I imagine they'll tell you to see your GP so maybe cut out the middleman and just get it checked.

Anything visual I would deffo be getting checked out, if it is migraines, they may be able to find a medication to help. I get migraines and it took 5 years of MRI's and trialling different meds to get it under control.

Google retinal detachment. If you think that's what your eye disturbance might be then you need to seek urgent medical help.

Sounds like a migraine to me. My first one was like that, visual disturbance and then a headache, not the debilitating pain friends get. I get them about once a year since.

I expect the shoulder is unrelated although it could be tension. Maybe you body knew it was coming.

I called 111 with my first one. They referred me to my optician. Had another and doctor confirmed migraine.

This is new and worrying for you so ring 111

Most likely a migraine OR you could have very high blood pressure. They can both lead to visual disturbance . Might be worth seeing if you can get it checked.

I get flashes of light when a floater is about to break away. However, you do need to get it checked and (kindly) stop the 'dont want to waste peoples time' nonsense, it's what they are there for.

Sounds like a migraine to me too. I get the semicircle of wierd vision, also pain in my neck and shoulder etc.

Ring 111. And your husband shouldn't be practicing massage if he's not qualified.

111, no one can advise you otherwise and those that know they have migraines are also been ruled out other things.
Rare causes like damage to blood vessels in the neck can cause this, your DH is dismissing this as he doesn’t want to feel bad, but you need to phone up.

@Elizabethtattletale So sorry to read this, but your problems could have many causes. 111 is there to provide advice - they are not an 'emergency only' service, so my strong advice would be to ask them for their advice and see what they say. I had pain in my left shoulder a few years ago which spread during the course of the day down my left arm and across to my chest and neck as the hours went on. Eventually my husband took me to A & E as I was in increasing pain. Turns out I had pneumonia which was causing problems with my heart. I was in hospital for a week.

You really can't be too careful

Ring 111.
I had very similar and rang out of hours who told me to go to AE (I'm shortsighted). I did and it was a migraine (had many many more since) but no one ever said I was wasting time: I was told I was right to get it looked at.

I don't know if this is any help but this is what mine looks like when I'm about to get a migraine within a few hours. It's a recent development as I didn't get any visual aura when younger.
If in doubt though, get yourself checked out

Ring 111. That’s what it’s there for.

I would ring 111 too, it's something you've not experienced before

Optical migraine. Sound exactly the same as mine.

The first time I had a visual migraine (no pain for me, but some do get them with painful headaches) it scared the life out of me, especially as I'd once had a bleed in my eye.

I saw my optician and was reassured there was nothing of concern.