#513 peachesmakemehappy

"All right, to start off I'm 15 and this is the first time ever that I've heard about 'visual snow'. It's a shame really, because after reading this board it seems a lot of people suffer from this. I'm not sure if I do or not.

Ever since I was ten, give or take a few years, I've experienced 'tv noise' vision continously. Millions upon billions of dots flicker on and off rapidly with white and grayish lights. People glance at me strangely every time I look outside the window because I think it's always raining. It doesn't really impair my vision, but it is bothersome sometimes. When I was younger, I thought of them like molecules or atoms. The dots are always moving and sometimes I'll see random 'streams' of light. It's particularly active when I'm in a dark room. Whenever I close my eyes, I still see them. I never said a word to my eye doctor that prescribes my contacts (-1.50 if that matters; not very bad) because I thought that if something was wrong he could see it.

Now, I'm thinking I should get my mother to make me an appointment with a specialist. She knows about this, but we hadn't attributed to them to any particular disorder. I don't think I've ever experienced migraines, but I experience random heart pains.

When I was younger, I had a few heart tests and I think an MRI, but that was before I experienced the 'tv noise'.

I'm going to see a doctor, rest assured, but I just wanted to know your opinions."

(peachesmakemehappy [subject #513], Yuku forum Visual snow or static - General discussion - Does this sound like Visual Snow?, January 20, 2008)

"1. Name or screen name (optional): peachesmakemehappy

2. Email (optional):

3. Location (optional): USA

4. Age: 15

5. Sex: Female

6. Nationality and Race (optional): Caucasian

7. Do you have classic migraine (migraine with aura) or common migraine (migraine without aura)? When did it begin?

I don't suffer from either (or at least that I can tell so far).

8. What do you take for your classic or common migraine and does it help?

Nothing.

9. Have you been diagnosed with persistent aura (prolonged migraine aura status)?

No.

10. What is your visual problem and how long does it last?

I see continous 'tv noise' all the time. It is prominent against solid colors and in the dark.

11. Any other problems that you think might be related?

None that I know of.

12. What do you take or do for your vision problem and does it help?

Nothing so far.

13. Have you found a trigger for your vision problem?

No.

14. What tests have you had and the results?

None.

15. Drug history (pre VS): None.

16. Drug history (post VS - effect on VS - negative, positive, not at all): None.

17. Do you have a positive family history for migraine? If yes, who is affected?

My mother had a few migraines in the past, but I don't believe it was a family disorder.

18. Other information you want to provide?

I have yet to visit a specialist, but as soon as I do I might be able to better answer these questions."

(peachesmakemehappy [subject #513], Email to Klaus Podoll, January 20, 2008)

"It happened just all of the sudden. I remember I was very upset about something and I was in a room with my mother and all the sudden I just saw all this 'tv noise' vision. It stayed with me forever after that. I suppose the strength of it has increased somewhat, but it has been pretty much the same. I remember being very scared about it, not so much now. I treat it normal, because I just figured it was a scratch of the retina or something simple like that. It never occured to me that it was this serious. I just decided to research it today, because it has started becoming slightly unnerving when it finally registered in my mind that this might be something serious."

(peachesmakemehappy [subject #513], Email to Klaus Podoll, January 20, 2008)

"I remember I was very upset about something. The kind of stress - I'm pretty sure I was just upset about something. I can't remember what, but that was back in a period where I was very depressed. I started getting depressed in 5th grade (10 years old) about family matters, which led me to be diagnosed as clinically depressed either in that grade or sixth (11 years old), either way when I was still young. My mother's family history I believe has a past with depression.

Initial reactions - I was completely freaked out. I thought my eyes were broken. I remember telling my mom, but she doesn't remember it much. At the time, I know it sounds silly, but I thought it was something spiritual.

Well, I don't want to sound crazy, but then again this might play into one of the brain's many mind tricks. After seeing the 'tv noise' vision, I believe it was the same day, I remember sitting on my mother's bed, still upset, and that the dots kind of formed a figure in the doorway. It was a woman and she walked towards me and disappeared, then they formed a man in the doorway and he walked towards me, but disappeared. I'm not quite sure if I believe my original spiritual opinion, because I have no doubt that the brain is a powerful thing and that it can sometimes pull mind games.

Headaches - Not so much, though I do get them whenever it rains. I've had these headaches a little early on I believe. I think it was around some time in middle school when I complained one day my head was hurting and my mother said she got headaches too. She explained to me that she usually got them due to the weather change and I realized that I sometimes experienced the same headaches whenever it rained. In the past few weeks, I've noticed I've gotten quite a few headaches during the week near the end of the day. It usually happens in my 7th hour, around 2-ish. Whenver I get headaches, I do sometimes get nauseous and can't handle loud noises. My mother is especially sensitive to noise though, if that matters.

It finally registered in my mind that this might be something serious. I think that after coming across visual snow, I realized that this was an actual problem that other people had. It doesn't affect me terribly, but I had been wondering about it for a long time. It's sort of annoying though and it worries me that it might become worse (because although I'm not sure, it seems to have increased somewhat over the years), because I'll see 'streams' or small 'flashes' of light. I'm worried that because I'm 15 I'm about to take Driver's ED this might become a problem when I drive, especially at night since that's when it's usually most prominent. Although, my vision is fairly clear compared to other people who seem to experience this.

I had never experienced that kind of thing before. Although I was young when it happened, I'm sure I would remember it if it occured before the time when it stayed forever.

peachesmakemehappy [subject #513], Corona phenomenon, 2008. "I remember sort of seeing small trails around my teachers." © 2008 peachesmakemehappy

I've noticed sometimes though, when I'm in class (under fluorescent lights if that has anything to do with it) I'll often see a small trail of random color following a moving figure [corona phenomenon, as depicted in figure above]. It doesn't happen often and this may just be a normal perception of light, but I didn't want to leave anything that could be of significance to you out. I've experienced these attacks of seeing trails ever since sixth grade, which would put me around 11. I remember sort of seeing small trails around my teachers.

peachesmakemehappy [subject #513], Visual perseveration (atypical polyopia), 2008. "Today, I noticed a white rather long, but quite transparent one [trail] behind my teacher when he walked towards the other side of the room." © 2008 peachesmakemehappy

Today, I noticed a white rather long, but quite transparent one behind my teacher [actually a series of polyopic ghost images of the back contours of the body, as shown in figure above] when he walked towards the other side of the room.

I'll attach some images that I made in Photoshop. As for the visual snow, I'll make an animation. But, for now you can get an idea by using this simulation, which I found on the site and setting the Snow Density: 20 and the Flicker Rate: 2. Also, those simulations are really awesome. Thanks to the site, I can finally show my mom what I'm seeing and she gets a better picture. Because everyone thinks I'm insane whenever I try to explain 'tv noise' vision."

(peachesmakemehappy [subject #513], Email to Klaus Podoll, January 21 and 23, 2008; additions in square brackets by Klaus Podoll)

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