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Tinnitus and visual disturbances

Question:

Hi all! I was wondering if a significant subset of T sufferers also see flashing sparkling lights and other visual disturbances. I have been getting many many more opthamalic migraines since I got the T and there seems to be some sort of connection with the frequency of the T and the frequency of the sparkle, though this could be purely subjective. And when I close my eyes there is a constant sparkle and oscillating pattern. I see this with eyes open in the dark but during the day I notice it about as much as my T. Only the opthamlaic migraines impair my functioning; I function adequately through the rest of the visual stuff. I’d been fairly stabilized and getting used to things, but the "panic response from audio-knives aimed direct to the brain" from high-pitched sound began again yesterday and my T ramped up and I noticed so did the sparkles. Now, I had a routine dental cleaning the previous day, but no ultrasonic stuff was used. There was something high-pitched that ran for about a few seconds in another unknown part of the practice that seemed to completely bypass my ears and go straight to the freak out part of my brain. It didn’t last long enough for me to home in on the source and ask about it. I have no idea if there is any connection with my ramped T or not as I didn’t notice the rampup until the next morning…. Lots of high-pitched things were running in the office, so I wonder what the characteristics were of the one item that I reacted to…. But all day yesterday I the sound of a co-worker’s hard drive was excruciating to listen to but nothing had changed in the machine from previous days and it hadn’t evoked that response previously….. I’m sorry folks, but in my case I maintain this is NOT a psychological phenomenon. I may learn to manage it better with psychological techniques, but it is not happening because today I woke up and decided "Today I will be a panicky fussbutt!" You know folks, people will probably think this sounds really dumb, but sometimes I swear I’m just a "sticky person". Hear a certain sound (high-pitched), it sticks in my head for days and days (and now with my T, possibly forever!). See a certain light (these halogen lights are excruciating and blinding — they think these in headlights are SAFER?), the black blots stick in my eyes for days. Sometimes certain smells do the same thing — I’ll suddenly experience a strong smell of something I smelled the day before, but when it recurrs I am totally away from any possible source of that particular smell. Maybe whatever part of the brain that lets go of sensory input is disabled, or maybe spastic? This is just too weird…. Patterns, dynamics — they’re there somewhere…. I’ve got to keep looking…. Of course (::tongue in cheek::), I’ll probably learn in 20 years this is all due to changes in the brain brought about by wearing progressive bifocals… The timing of the symptoms are about right….  ;-) Just venting/trying to keep a sense of humor, simultaneously. Thanks for your indulgence! For what it’s worth, the past few weeks of T have been quite managable so long as I don’t have a migraine, in which case all bets are off as to what I’ll be dealing with. Guess I’m getting used to being "wired for sound" but getting broadsided by it like I was yesterday is still difficult to manage. DT

Response:

> Hi all! I was wondering if a significant subset of T sufferers also > see flashing sparkling lights and other visual disturbances. I have > been getting many many more opthamalic migraines since I got the T > and there seems to be some sort of connection with the frequency of > the T and the frequency of the sparkle, though this could be purely > subjective. And when I close my eyes there is a constant sparkle and > oscillating pattern. I see this with eyes open in the dark but during > the day I notice it about as much as my T. Only the opthamlaic > migraines impair my functioning; I function adequately through the > rest of the visual stuff.

Not to sound alarmist or anything but have you been to the doctor recently?  Have you considered a CT-scan?  Maybe there is a connection. And maybe there isn’t.  You should probably also see an opthamologist if you haven’t been recently.  I had an eye scare recently and learned that flashing or sparkling sensations in the eyes can be an indicator of a problem with the retina, a tear or a detachment.  It can also mean nothing, but it’s always a good idea to rule everything out with the help of doctors. When in doubt, dump usenet and see your doctor I always say! Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/

Response:

I have just started seeing visual artifacts similar to what you describe. It happens that I have glaucoma and related these anamolies to that rather than to the "T."  In any event, my routine glaucoma check up is on Feb 2 and I intend to bring this all up with my eye doctor.  I’ll let you know what he says. Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/

Response:

If you find an eye doc, even an opthamologist, that knows anything about tinnitus, he will be extremely rare.   I would not get my hopes up that an opthamolgist will tell you about a relationship between your visual effects and tinnitus.  I have been to two of the finest (judging from where they got degreed and served residency), including one of the best from the Kresgie Eye Institute, he had a hard time diagnosing my episcloridis, let alone relating any of my eye problems to symtoms in the rest of my body.  If what I say is not true, I would like to hear about it for sure! Jeff Berk North Street, Michigan Jack Buick <jackbu…@my-deja.com> wrote in message

news:939250$v3b$1@nnrp1.deja.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I have just started seeing visual artifacts similar to what you > describe. It happens that I have glaucoma and related these anamolies to > that rather than to the "T."  In any event, my routine glaucoma check up > is on Feb 2 and I intend to bring this all up with my eye doctor.  I’ll > let you know what he says. > Sent via Deja.com > http://www.deja.com/

Response:

DT, I would definately see an opthomologist,a neuro-opthomologist, and a regular neurologist.  Your description is symptomatic of many different possible conditions. Thanks, Mike — To reply via email remove the (SPAM_BLOCKER) from my email address:     ae(SPAM_BLOCKER)neas@gw(SPAM_BLOCKER)is.com DTDerekson wrote in message

<20010106101343.12306.00000…@ng-mh1.aol.com>… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Hi all! I was wondering if a significant subset of T sufferers also see >flashing sparkling lights and other visual disturbances. I have been getting >many many more opthamalic migraines since I got the T and there seems to be >some sort of connection with the frequency of the T and the frequency of the >sparkle, though this could be purely subjective. And when I close my eyes there >is a constant sparkle and oscillating pattern. I see this with eyes open in the >dark but during the day I notice it about as much as my T. Only the opthamlaic >migraines impair my functioning; I function adequately through the rest of the >visual stuff. >I’d been fairly stabilized and getting used to things, but the "panic response >from audio-knives aimed direct to the brain" from high-pitched sound began >again yesterday and my T ramped up and I noticed so did the sparkles. Now, I >had a routine dental cleaning the previous day, but no ultrasonic stuff was >used. There was something high-pitched that ran for about a few seconds in >another unknown part of the practice that seemed to completely bypass my ears >and go straight to the freak out part of my brain. It didn’t last long enough >for me to home in on the source and ask about it. I have no idea if there is >any connection with my ramped T or not as I didn’t notice the rampup until the >next morning…. Lots of high-pitched things were running in the office, so I >wonder what the characteristics were of the one item that I reacted to…. But >all day yesterday I the sound of a co-worker’s hard drive was excruciating to >listen to but nothing had changed in the machine from previous days and it >hadn’t evoked that response previously….. I’m sorry folks, but in my case I >maintain this is NOT a psychological phenomenon. I may learn to manage it >better with psychological techniques, but it is not happening because today I >woke up and decided "Today I will be a panicky fussbutt!" >You know folks, people will probably think this sounds really dumb, but >sometimes I swear I’m just a "sticky person". Hear a certain sound >(high-pitched), it sticks in my head for days and days (and now with my T, >possibly forever!). See a certain light (these halogen lights are excruciating >and blinding — they think these in headlights are SAFER?), the black blots >stick in my eyes for days. Sometimes certain smells do the same thing — I’ll >suddenly experience a strong smell of something I smelled the day before, but >when it recurrs I am totally away from any possible source of that particular >smell. Maybe whatever part of the brain that lets go of sensory input is >disabled, or maybe spastic? This is just too weird…. Patterns, dynamics — >they’re there somewhere…. I’ve got to keep looking…. >Of course (::tongue in cheek::), I’ll probably learn in 20 years this is all >due to changes in the brain brought about by wearing progressive bifocals… >The timing of the symptoms are about right….  ;-) >Just venting/trying to keep a sense of humor, simultaneously. Thanks for your >indulgence! For what it’s worth, the past few weeks of T have been quite >managable so long as I don’t have a migraine, in which case all bets are off as >to what I’ll be dealing with. Guess I’m getting used to being "wired for sound" >but getting broadsided by it like I was yesterday is still difficult to manage. >DT

Response:

General reply to all…. Thanks to all who have shared their thoughts — please keep sharing!  Just some quick background — my main issue is getting the doctors to actually take any of this seriously. I don’t know if it’s the insurance dynamic or not, but I seriously doubt that if any of the doctors I have talked to were experiencing what I have been that they would take it as casually as if it were a nothing. That said, I am reasonably functional, so the primary issue for me is "What the heck is going on and is it going to get worse and is it destructive?" My PCP, previous opthomologist and last ENT essentially just shrugged. Well, I know, it isn’t easy to figure these things out and it takes time, something they don’t have. I appreciate the suggestions of the kinds of doctors to see. I upgraded my insurance for this year to cover in good part self-referrals, so I plan to utilize that option should I not meet with adequate concern on the current fronts. One question though — where does one go to get testing for tick-borne diseases? And how reliable is the testing (for example, some sorts of intestinal bacterial infections cannot be detected without a half-a-dozen tests and even then it might be missed. Is Lyme testing like this? Thanks again! DT

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