This has been happening for the past say 3 years or so. Streaks of white spotlights across my face averagely, a few times a day. Initially I thought it had to do with parkinson's but now I'm having my doubts and I think it's something else but have no idea
Does anyone have an idea what this is or experienced it?
I also have to add that the spotlights are never visible to others. And even though I fully see/perceive them myself, I never see them when I look at the mirror... Really strange
I think you should seek medical advice on this Grumpy as I gather this could be a problem with your retina. Not an area I am at all qualified to comment on but I consulted Dr Google. Someone else may have a better answer or be experiencing the same.
Thanks for your advice, much appreciated. I also read something like that on the internet but I'm yet to be convinced it has to with the retina because a) i think there's a linguistics mix-up, as it is with certain searches b) my vision and eyes are checked and tested regularly and there are no problems c) the spotlights streaks occurrences proportional to how tremors has affected either side, which is why I originally thought it was PD related But the jury is still out on what this is
Are these lights more apparent when turning your head quickly to the left or right in a dark room?
Art
More apparent in a dark room- yes, though not exclusive to dark rooms, i often see it when I'm in brighter places too
I can't associate it's occurrences to when turning my head. With regards to the movements of my head, it occurs rather randomly
Also when I say across my face, it isn't across the center of my face but the white spotlights run up and down the sides of my face, up and down the side cheekbones in split seconds
It is a little confusing the way you describe the lights as being, "on your face", because the only way you could see lights on your face is if you were looking in a mirror or reflection, but you say you don't see them when looking in a mirror? Do you mean that you see lights in your field of vision as opposed to, on your face?
In a dark room, if you turn your head from full left to full right repeatedly at a quick pace, if the lights become more apparent, it might be dry eyes which are more common in PwP and more so with age. I wrote about that previously here:
healthunlocked.com/cure-par...
If you rub your eyes without realizing it, that could be one potential cause for the light flashes or streaks of light in your field of vision. Dry eyes can make the reaction to rubbing more noticeable. An ophthalmologist would be the best option to determine the cause.
umkelloggeye.org/conditions....
Art
Over 3 (maybe 4) years ago when these white spotlights first started, one of my first actions in getting to the bottom of this was to observe it in the mirror to see it and get a better understanding of what is happening.. But this tested my patience a lot bcos its occurrence is so random and unpredictable. Eventually though, with very long waiting and staring, I was able to be looking directly into the mirror when it occurred and I could never see it in the mirror. Neither could ppl looking at me. My conclusion was that the spotlights are microscopic, but bcos it was right on/under my skin and also being white spotlights, it was magnified enough for me to see it directly.
A rough theory I came up with is that like electrical sparks these white spotlights are some form of energy release from neurons
Btw i can confidently rule out 'rubbing eye cause effect' bcos I don't normally rub my eyes as a habit. The one off rub may occur occasionally but definitely no correlation with the occurrences of the spotlights
>>"It is a little confusing the way you describe the lights as being, "on your face", because the only way you could see lights on your face is if you were looking in a mirror or reflection, but you say you don't see them when looking in a mirror? "
The only analogy I can make is imagine a tiny ant walking down your cheekbones, I think you will be able to see it.. If its a white spotlight, even when its too tiny to see on the mirror you could still see it directly.
On the last paragraph of my immediate comment you replied to, I explained what I meant by "across my face" I meant along the side cheekbones
tracers, spots, bright lights, etc have had it and its getting worse...dopamine is criticakl for proper rod and cone function in the eyes...yet another thing pd takes away from us...hang tough.
What do you mean by "rod and cone function of the eyes"?
Dopamine is the principal catecholamine neurotransmitter in the CNS, where it modulates a variety of functions, including locomotion, cognition, emotion, neuroendocrine regulation, and positive reinforcement. Dopamine receptors are G-protein-coupled receptors that have been classified into two general groups, D1 and D2, on the basis of their effects on cyclic AMP (cAMP) production (Missale et al. 1998). Activation of D1 receptors increases cAMP production, whereas activation of D2 receptors decreases it.
Both D1 and D2 receptors are present in the vertebrate retina (Schorderet & Nowak, 1990). In the retinae of teleost fish and New World monkeys, the dopaminergic cells are interplexiform cells, a cell type that receives synaptic input from amacrine and bipolar cells in the inner plexiform layer and makes synaptic contacts onto horizontal and bipolar cells in the outer plexiform layer (Dowling & Ehinger, 1978; Yazulla & Zucker, 1988). Dopamine, by activating D1 and D2 receptors in the retina, affects a variety of phenomena, including gap junctional permeability (Harsanyi & Mangel, 1992; Hampson et al. 1992), retinomotor movements (Pierce & Besharse, 1985; Dearry & Burnside, 1986), glutamate-gated conductances (Knapp & Dowling, 1987), and light adaptation (Witkovsky et al. 1988a). The effects of dopamine on retinal neurones are mediated by second messengers, such as cAMP, and not by directly opening and closing ion channels. The widespread distribution of dopamine receptors throughout the retina, at synapses and also at a distance from the terminals of dopaminergic neurons, as well as direct measurements of dopamine efflux from isolated retinae, suggest that dopamine acts both synaptically as a neurotransmitter and by volume transmission as a paracrine neuromodulator (Besharse et al. 1988; Witkovsky et al. 1993; Puopolo et al. 2001).
Very complicated reading, but managed to grab the rough idea, thanks
if it’s like flashes in your peripheral vision, that’s very possibly the beginning of a detached retina, and needs emergency treatment. I had that and had to have it treated. Mire common with nearsightedness. Increase in floaters is another sign.
flashes of white light in my peripheral vision. I kept looking to see where the light was coming from. Then days later, i noticed a dark area on the outer left side of my vision. I immediately called an opthalmoligist, who saw me immediately (after hours) and referred me to a surgeon who saved my vision in that eye.
What you are most likely experiencing is an Ocular Migraine. Plenty of info on them on the internet. I have had them for years, even as a youth, and prior to PD diagnosis. They don't necessary lead to a "splitting headache" migraine mind you, but do fall under the classification of migraine. And in some individuals, yes, they can lead to a headache.
Mine appear as "squiggly lines, with a flashing prism effect" about them. They can appear anywhere within the range of vision. They can appear as a small line of flash, or in worst cases a major area that appears dark and flashing. In some cases I can continue functioning and go about my work until they go away. Or with the heavy and worst flashing incidents, I have to go and lay down until the migraine subsides. General length of time is 30-40 minutes, and then they slowly diminish.
The distraction also leads (at least for me anyway) to a loss of cognizance with your surroundings, or conversation. Carrying on conversations in some cases is disconcerting to me. To the other party, I probably appear to be involved, but I feel as though I am answering and engaging as a third person in the conversation. Somewhat like having too much alcohol.
If you've never had them, take the fingertips of one hand and point them at one eye, about 2-3 inches away. Now wiggle your fingertips rapidly up and down just a little. That's the distraction part of this sensation, but if you can envision the prismatic flashing light part of the issue as well, you can get a taste of what it's like.
Hopes this helps you Grumpy77.
Thanks for the detailed description. But how do you eliminate or reduce the effects
I have found that an ibuprofen or aspirin generally helps, but to be honest, laying down with my eyes closed, and/or a quick power nap, and they are gone. For me, it's just like a migraine others experience, although some folks get that pounding headache along with the flashes.
If you are asking for a cure or some magic supplement to control the conditon, there's nothing I am aware of. But as REBTAR suggested, get checked out by an opthamologist just to be on the safe side.
Mine occur about once or twice a year. Funny, I just had my "yearly one" about 2-hours ago (literally). Hence it prompted my to reply to your posting knowing any info may help you.
Hallucinations are cardinal to PD. Could these 'white spots' be that? I saw a big, black bug sitting on the rim of the toilet. I tried pushing it into the water with my foot and it disappeared.
The 3 most likely possibilities are:
1) Vitreo-retinal traction. Jelly in the eye shrinks with age & gives the occasional tug on the retina (to which it is attached by a velcro like interface). This is perceived as a flash of light. Very common, not usually problematic but increases risk of retinal detachment. If you start seeing lots & lots of new floaters, flashing that won’t stop &/or a feeling of losing peripheral vision go to A&E same day…possible retinal detachment, fixable if dealt with quickly (48 hrs max).
2) Visual migraine. Muscular wall of carotid artery goes into spasm reducing blood flow to the eye causing a perception of lights/zig-zag/waterfall patterns in the peripheral vision. Usually lasts 20 mins. Not known to be associated with anything worrying. There’s often a trigger, stress or a particular food.
3) Asteroid hyalosis. Little reflective white balls of calcium floating in the vitreous humour. Harmless. Some people are metabolically prone to them. If you only have a very small number they’ll float in & out of your line of vision so sometimes you’ll see them & sometimes not. Similarly they can be out of your optometrist’s field of vision while you’re being examined. This is because looking into a persons’s eye through the pupil is like looking into a room through a keyhole…you don’t get to see the bottom of the door on the other side.
Unfortunately there isn’t much that can be done about any of these things. They’re annoying but people find them less so over time. None of them are worrying (we see 1&2 pretty much every working day). Just be mindful of the advice relating to new floaters & flashing that won’t stop…A&E same day!
Best wishes
Steve.
Thank you. I find this the most valuable advice as I re-read now and I noticed something I missed before... "jelly in the eye shrinks as we age". This clicks perfectly with my self observation
So you say one should take urgent action if new floaters appear and flashing won't stop... leads me to two questions 1 which floaters do I consider as new 2. "Flashings that won't stop" is relative, roughly speaking what does continuous flashing look like? 30 minutes? Hour? Longer?
My experience: started probably 5 or 6 years ago. Spot Lights were much sharper and brighter back then than they are now. Flashings last for a couple of seconds... May occur in quick succession. Sometimes daily and can get very intense. Though the rate of occurrence seems to have dropped a little bit. But the brightness has dropped a lot
So this why I'm not sure wether they are new or not and wether I should consider the flashing as continuous or
Many thanks
I’m going to blame the spellchecker for humour instead of humor😂
Everybody has floaters. Some people notice them more than others. There are 2 types of “new” floater to be aware of. I’ll start by describing them & then I’ll explain how they arise. Before I do, please don’t go losing any sleep, nothing you’ve written is ringing any alarm bells.
1) Dozens & dozens of tadpole like floaters, a swarm of them which would not match what you currently think of as floaters. It will be intuitively obvious to you that something different, new, sudden & wrong has happened. These are caused when the “Velcro” interface joining the vitreous to the retina pulls away & tears the retina in doing so. The “new” floaters are pigment cells from underneath the retina and sometimes blood as well. It’s this situation which is likely give rise to the “flashes that just won’t stop”. The retina is no longer just being pulled on, it’s torn. Subjective experiences are different between individuals but fireworks or unremitting paparazzi flashbulbs may be reasonable descriptions.
2) This is the more favourable & FAR more likely outcome. The vitreous base (the Velcro) will happily separate from the retina without causing any damage. This can leave you with a single very big floater. It’s called a posterior vitreous detachment. Effectively it’s a big chunk of the velcro swimming in the vitreous. Amusingly this happened to me while I was explaining to someone what a PVD is! Looked a bit like an octopus. It’s as well to treat this second eventuality as urgent as a change has occurred inside the eye, but it’s likely that everything will be ok. The big floaters tend to reduce in size over time & the brain just learns to disregard them. They’re annoying but they get less so overtime.
If either of these happen you will recognise them as a very big change from your previous experiences. You won’t be thinking “I wonder if this is what Steve meant”.
If you’re unsure if this has answered your question book an eye test, ask for an OCT scan (usually a chargeable extra) & be prepared for the fact that the optometrist may want to dilate your pupils which will leave you unable to drive for a couple of hours afterwards. Advise the practice of the reason for your visit when booking using the words flashes & floaters.
Obviously there are limitations to advice which can safely be given on a forum like this, but you know that. It’s a sudden significant intuitively obvious change that you’re looking for. The kind that would naturally cause you to seek help. The purpose of my advise was to encourage you to do so same day & not leave it a week.
Hope this helps.
Cheers.
Many thanks 🙏🏾Very helpful indeed. Obviously I wouldn't want it to get to that critical state before I take action because of the predictable long waiting list for operations in the UK. Even if I get to the ER in good time, there will always be a backlog for the actual eye-saving operation which will slow things down
Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me, my pd, moved up into the left side of my face and mouth.
Me and my shadow (aka my stalker)
My Dad Seems to be Giving Up...
"My Father, My Brother and Me"
Supplements and leukopenia (low white blood cell counts)
