Visual disturbance when tired/stressed

[2in2022twoyearson]

I've been under a lot of pressure the past 6 months or so. I've also been getting these grey or blurry floating speck things visual disturbances, when I'm tiered or stressed often in the peripheral and lower half of my vision. Today they were more obvious/more of them, went away with a coffee. I didn't sleep well last night. I also got less annoying but more unusual ocasional purple flashes more high, possibly always left but there's very quick and I can't remember. I get the purple flashes occasionally since I took qutiapine for anxiety (not for halusions which I never had). I take them as a warning sign that I need to improve my mental health.

My life at the moment, I can't remove the stressors... does anyone else get these floaters or flashes, I'm wandering if there's the beginning of a migraine? I had awful headaches and insomnia, which qutiapine helped for. I'm not sure if I need to see GP or I can control and look after my mental health myself/ with help from family and friends.

You should always check when something changes, especially anything involving your sight - and a checkup with an optician might be an idea - but it is fairly common to get visual disturbances with migraines and some people don't even get pain with migraine, just visual disturbance and other symptoms like light sensitivity, nausea, or exhaustion.

Thanks, I think I had a check up fairly recently with my option, all fine.

If you've only recently started seeing floaters speak to your optician.They can be normal if you've always had them but if they are new or becoming more pronounced it could be a symptom of something more serious.

You can get what are called silent migraines where you get an aura but no pain. It tends to be a zig zaggedy curved shape, if you google images of 'silent migraine aura' you can see what I mean.

How recently?

I have terrible insomnia (since I was a teen)

there was one place I worked where I got visual disturbances that ended up being me seeing spiders on the back stairs carpet. It had a weird pattern on it and then I would see the spiders and then I would be sitting at my desk trying to work and I would see these spider shape floaters.

It was nothing, just the results of insomnia. But I would check just in case. Working long hours on sleepless nights means it's not that uncommon apparently.

Thanks, I can't actually remember when I had the options, but I do think it's associated with lack of sleep. And they're not progressing as such, I don't get them all the time. I may keep a diary of them over the next week, and if they are really frequent I'll see the opticians. And I don't think it's a silent migraine. I googled it and it doesn't obscure that much of my vision.

Definitely go and have a chat with your optician but it potentially sounds like a visual migraine. I get these is I go too long without food. They aren't serious although annoying. However there are serious things with similar symptoms so it is important to talk to an optician.

Anyone get the purple flashes specicly? It's normally just one but an unnatural colour.

If I get a marked increase in floaters, I pop along to A&E to ask to be checked out at the Flashes & Floaters clinic - this is what the optician has told me to do, as I am very short sighted and this comes with more risks for retinal problems.

I would go and get checked out at the optician if things have changed.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/floaters-and-flashes-in-the-eyes/

I think they’re called floaters and I pretty sure everyone has them. You start to not notice them anymore bc your brain has become used to them. I remember when I got my firsts floaters, I was bending over and saw stars. They eventually go away bc you vision becomes accustomed to them. I think I had a few veins in my eye pop too. I haven’t had another episode with them in a long time but they’re very common. Though, if it they get really bad see an eye specialist.

Get it checked but I had this when pregnant due to crazy hormones. GP said it was migraines with visual disturbance

Have you had your blood pressure checked?

@Devianinc it's really interesting how your vision adapts. If I get them again I'll get it checked. I did read that NHS page. @WonderingWanda I do check my blood pressure. It can be slightly on the low side which I know can cause the visual disturbances and spots. I had those white flashes and dizziness when I bent down when pregnant now to think of itm I think last time I checked it was slightly higher. But below the average 120/80. It was 120/80 when I was pregnant.

Anyone specificly have purple ones?

When I was stressed I had a migraine aura without the headache. Was very scary, as I’ve never had a migraine before.

Google image search “visual disturbances migraine” and you will see some examples of how they look.

Overall I would say go to your GP immediately and request that they actually do something!