A scotoma is a blind spot that blocks a portion of your vision. These blind spots are known as scintillating scotoma flash and waver between light and dark. Usually, scintillating scotomas are not permanent. But people might also observe signs of something more serious.
What are Scintillating Scotoma Diseases?
Scintillating scotomas diseases are similar to other scotomas in that they present as dots, floaters, or blind spots in the field of vision. Scotomas smear and blur the vision, but they are not bits of dirt or grit that have accidentally fallen into the eye.
Scotomas are linked to the neurological signals that the eye sends to the brain. When someone looks at the environment around them, anomalies in these neurological signals to the brain appear as glitches or blind spots.
Scotomas are a common form of aura and visual phenomenon. Scintillating scotomas might be wave-like or alternate between growing darker and lighter. The spot person sees often has ragged edges.
The person suffering from Scintillating scotomas can see a luminous appearance including arc-shaped form, zigzag, shimmering, or flickering in front of the eyes.
Different Types of Scotomas:
- Central Scotoma
- Paracentral Scotoma
- Scintillating Scotoma
What are the Scintillating Scotoma Causes?
Scintillating Scotoma causes include cortical spreading depression. Essentially, it is an electrical activity that is abnormal and moving via the brain. These electrical activities highly relate to inflammation, blood pressure, hormonal fluctuations, and many other abnormalities.
The different scintillating scotoma causes are mentioned as follows:
- Stroke
- Stress
- Hypertension
- Head Injury
- Preeclampsia
- Seizure
- Food Allergies
- Migraine with Aura
- MS
- Glaucoma
- Pregnancy
- Certain Medications
- Sclerotherapy
- Metastatic Cancer
- Macular Degeneration
- Diabetic Retinopathy
- Diabetic Macular Edema
- Optic Neuropathy
- Optic Atrophy
- Glaucoma
- Diabetic Retinopathy
- Ocular or Visual Migraine without Headache Pain
What are the Symptoms of a Scotoma?
Symptom varies depending upon the causes of the scotoma.
- A Blind Spot (It can Be One or Multiple)
- Vision Loss (Permanent or Temporary)
- Floaters or Dots
- Possible Headache
- Trouble Reading Details
- Difficulty Seeing Specific Colors
Which People Prone to Scintillating Scotoma Diseases?
People with the below-mentioned problems can be more prone to scintillating scotoma diseases:
- Diabetes
- Anxiety
- High Blood Pressure
- Glaucoma
- Stroke
- Cardiovascular Disease
- History of Migraines
- Multiple Sclerosis
- High Levels of Stress
Is There Any Treatment for Scintillating Scotoma?
- Understanding the symptoms, relaxing, and taking an interest in the illness are the first and best forms of treatment.
- The person might be able to prevent some episodes of paying attention to what appears to be their causes. For instance, some patients get migrate attacks after eating particular meals (sugar, MSG, and what products).
- Some people only experience episodes on Mondays, during angry moments, or when looking at specific visual patterns.
- When taking birth control pills or while pregnant, women have additional symptoms.
- Keep a diary of the time of day, duration, and related activities if person experiences recurrences say once a month, so that person can examine the frequency and underlying causes.
What Else Should Person Do?
Even if everything currently appears to be absolutely normal, the person should let the doctor know if the person detects any changes in their own typical pattern or frequency of symptoms.
On rare occasions, people must escalate their research by using specialized neurological consultations, x-rays, etc.
Do not ignore the signs of scotoma if you are pregnant. Hormonal changes, such as those that take place during pregnancy, can cause scintillating scotomas. For the same reason, you can get migraines for the first time ever when pregnant.
However, scintillating scotomas can also be a sign of severe preeclampsia in its early stages. Scotomas can result from high blood pressure during pregnancy and 25% of those with severe preeclampsia have visual symptoms.
When to Consult Doctor?
Do not try to drive or operate machinery if you have a visual disturbance. If you can sit down, lean back, and take a nap, do so. Most likely, the scotoma will go away on its own.
Some signs and symptoms of scintillating scotoma require medical attention from a qualified individual. Immediately get medical help if you suffer any of the following symptoms:
- Severe and Sudden Headache
- Muscle Weakness
- Slurred Speech and Difficulty Speaking
- Nausea and Dizziness
- Numbness in Arms, Face, or Legs
- Confusion or Disorientation
Final Say
We hope that you comprehend all the information regarding scintillating scotoma diseases. Personal Care N Heal also delivers other health-related information for the betterment of health.
