Eye Flicker in Sunlight

evona · 04-07-2009, 01:39 PM

Does anyone else have this problem? For a while now, when driving to work in the morning and evenings during this time of year when the days are getting longer so I catch the sun low on the horizon both to and from work I notice that my eyes flicker. This morning I had to pull over because I felt nearly in a trance while driving to work. Its mostly evenings that are hardest and I have been attributing it to the fact that my eyes are tired due to 8 hours of working at a computer. Usually its just an annoyance and doesn't affect my vision. It hasn't affected me in this way before and now I'm afraid to drive. I am thinking about staying late at work just to allow the sun more time to set. While at work I am fine and driving at any other time is fine. Its just driving when the sun is low on the horizon - as strange as that seems. Am I having mini seizures? I have never had history of seizures before. I do get migraines, but the flicker doesn't usually precede a headache. Is it possible I am just getting the photo sensitivity but no headache? I guess these are all questions for a doctor and I'm just venting here because it was so scary this morning.

saracidaltendencies · 04-07-2009, 10:26 PM

What exactly is it like, if you don't mind me asking? I get this weird eye thing sometimes that seems to be caused by looking at things too closely...It happens a lot when I read (especially frustrating while following a knitting pattern!) or do crosswords...anything really that involves a lot of eye concentration...The only way I can describe it is it's like my eyes just suddenly start crossing but it usually only lasts a few seconds. It's like they cross and go normal, cross and go normal, all very quickly and suddenly. It hasn't caused any problems so far, just been an annoyance...lol

evona · 04-07-2009, 10:59 PM

I do get like that sometimes too Demonica

Especially if I am looking at a certain type of pattern - like black and white checkered patterns for instance. My BF has a watch that has a curved face plate and the numbers and hands glow at night. Something about the curvature and the glow make my eyes funny when trying to look at that thing at night. I hate the thing, but I hate to tell him that because he spent quite a bit on it and he loves it

The thing that happens when I drive isn't like that though. I was just thinking about it earlier and I think it would be better to describe what my eyes do as fluttering. Usually it happens only once or twice in the evening when I drive home, but this morning it happened so badly that I felt like I might get into an accident. Plus it felt like I couldn't do anything but look straight ahead - like I was hypnotized. I pulled over for quite a while.

saracidaltendencies · 04-08-2009, 02:22 AM

No, that definitely isn't what happens to me...I'd talk to a doctor if it's having an impact on your ability to drive.

OffJumpsJack · 04-08-2009, 05:53 PM

By flicker or flutter, do you mean something like a muscle twitching that makes your eyeball move up/down or back and forth?

I've had twitches that affected my eyelids but can't say I've had any affecting the muscles that move my eyes (if that is what you mean).

Ask your doctor or an eye doctor about it.

It might just be stress or fatigue, but I've had migraines affect my vision. For me is is like a bright tunnel of light in the center and you can only see around the edges of your vision (and that isn't very clear or easy to make out).

Maybe you just need to take a health day (rest, visit a spa, or some other a "me" time event to relax)?

evona · 04-08-2009, 07:50 PM

Originally Posted by OffJumpsJack

It might just be stress or fatigue, but I've had migraines affect my vision. For me is is like a bright tunnel of light in the center and you can only see around the edges of your vision (and that isn't very clear or easy to make out).

Maybe you just need to take a health day (rest, visit a spa, or some other a "me" time event to relax)?[/color]

I would definitely say I need a health day and I would definitely say that at this point in my life I need some time to relax. maybe it is just fatigue.

I did make an appointment with my doctor so we'll see what's up. Unfortunately, the appointment isn't until the 21st (I have Kaiser and it is so hard to get appointments sometimes)

Mike · 04-08-2009, 08:20 PM

Twitching or vision flickering?

I get both and they are related to an oncoming migraine. The vision thing is like an analog TV signal that isn't coming in right but without the snow.
My migraine warnings have completely changed (or were more like added to) over the years.

I get the eye shaking that Jack mentions but that's not a migraine warning for me.

Oh yes, I can most definitely relate to a fear of driving because of vision issues. Becoming afraid to drive because of migraine blindness was one of the big triggers that turned me from panic attacks to agoraphobia.

Jan in CA · 04-08-2009, 09:10 PM

I suggest you visit your ophthalmologist for a complete eye exam. It's possible you need glasses and don't even know it. Eye strain can probably manifest itself in many ways.

evona · 04-08-2009, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by Mike

Twitching or vision flickering?

I get both and they are related to an oncoming migraine. The vision thing is like an analog TV signal that isn't coming in right but without the snow.
My migraine warnings have completely changed (or were more like added to) over the years.

Its actually something like what Jack said. Its a twitching of my eye, but its not just my eyelid - its more like my eyeball. But the other day it nearly felt like my eye was rolling up into my head. it was strange. I've never had that happen before.

Originally Posted by Jan in CA

I suggest you visit your ophthalmologist for a complete eye exam. It's possible you need glasses and don't even know it. Eye strain can probably manifest itself in many ways.

I do wear glasses and I just had an exam in January. It may jest be fatigue. I am going to my GP on the 21st. In order to get a more thorough eye exam than the usual yearly follow up she has to refer me so I'll ask her to do that.