Dark Vision

[Foggy01]

Does anyone notice their vision is sort of "dark" when they feel the worst with pots? My vision seems to be "dark" all the time now. It's hard to explain. Anyone kind of know what I mean?

[pianoman]

My vision's never gotten dark, except right before I pass out. It gets gray and fuzzy, and I then my ears' make a high-pitched electric buzz thing.

Sorry your going through that! I hope some other people can shed some more light on it!!!!!!!!!

[puppylove]

Kind of. For me everything has kind of dark haze but lights look really bright.

[HopeSprings]

Does it feel like everything is about to go black, but doesn't? It feels like my peripheral vision is about to close in on me and everything is going to go black. It does not accompany a feeling of being faint. It's very weird and is definitely worse when everything else is worse. Also, everything looks kind of hazy, not blurry, but hazy. This is very hard to explain to an eye Dr. when my vision tests perfect.

[Foggy01]

Does it feel like everything is about to go black, but doesn't? It feels like my peripheral vision is about to close in on me and everything is going to go black. It does not accompany a feeling of being faint. It's very weird and is definitely worse when everything else is worse. Also, everything looks kind of hazy, not blurry, but hazy. This is very hard to explain to an eye Dr. when my vision tests perfect.

It sort of is like that. But it's also dark all the time now as well. But gets darker temporarily like you describe. I guess "dim" would be the word, not dark.

[HopeSprings]

Silly question I'm sure - have you been checked out by an Eye Dr. just to be sure it isn't your eyes?

[Foggy01]

Silly question I'm sure - have you been checked out by an Eye Dr. just to be sure it isn't your eyes?

I'm fairly sure it's just related to the general problem I have with blood and flow and tachycardia and all that. Just was wondering if others with POTS ever got anything similar. What you describes sounds similar enough that I guess I've got that question answered.

[CarrieJessica]

I just wrote about vision and dysautonomia!

http://justmildlymedicated.blogspot.com/2012/12/retraining-my-eyes-mfbf-monocular.html

[HopeSprings]

Carrie - that's so interesting what your eye Doctor told you about the ANS and vision! I don't know how people find Doctors to have real conversations with. I'll be very interested in the outcome of your vision therapy - please let us know if it helps.

[jknh9]

I don't get this sensation, but bright artificial light bothers me. Also, if I close one eye, the vision in the other gets very dark, with lots of black visual snow. I wonder if that could be related to ANS issues?

[Foggy01]

I don't get this sensation, but bright artificial light bothers me. Also, if I close one eye, the vision in the other gets very dark, with lots of black visual snow. I wonder if that could be related to ANS issues?

It's hard to know. But since we're all sort of reporting visual disturbances of some sort, even if they aren't exactly the same, it's probably safe to say visual disturbances are associated with pots. I think the doctors might agree it's associated. It was mentioned in one article I think.

[Kellysavedbygrace]

YES! That's it! I've tried to describe this before but have struggled. But as you've said it is almost as if it is dim or dark.

I don't think it is a true vision problem but more of a vision processing problem (neurological.). It is as if I can't see normally, even though I can see. It's like I am walking outside and I can see only the thugs I need to see- not that the others things like trees, colds, etc. Are not there but it as if my mind doesn't register them. It as if the whole world is dark or dim and I only see the things that are relevant to me functioning. It is the very minimum of processing sight.

I also get grey outs, red outs, black outs, blurred vision and other visual disturbances but this is different. This is an everyday, ongoing symptom that worsens the more symptomatic I am and gets better the less symptomatic I am.

[HopeSprings]

I don't think it is a true vision problem but more of a vision processing problem (neurological.). It is as if I can't see normally, even though I can see. It's like I am walking outside and I can see only the thugs I need to see- not that the others things like trees, colds, etc. Are not there but it as if my mind doesn't register them. It as if the whole world is dark or dim and I only see the things that are relevant to me functioning. It is the very minimum of processing sight.

Yes, perfect description. I find myself feeling around for objects when I'm looking for something because it feels like I can't see. Or I find myself squinting trying to focus even though my vision is perfect. It's like being partially brain blind - if there is such a thing. I can't believe others have this same problem.

[badhbt]

I also have dim or dark eyesight that gets worse when my symptoms are worse. It is like someone turned the knob on my internal contrast button. Bright colors in stores stick out like neon signs, also.

[icesktr189]

Tip I have the same thing too. Every thing is.dim and dark and I only notice certain things that I am really looking at. This is also a big reason I can't drive. Do you also have problems looking at things that are higher up in your vision field? For instance, IM sitting in front of my Christmas tree and I only notice the bottom part. I have to squint my eyes to look up. This happens in grocery stores and pretty much everywhere. It's really hard to explain. I notice some relief.when I tilt my head back. I think organs to due with not enough blood flow to the vision center of the brain.

[Foggy01]

I also have dim or dark eyesight that gets worse when my symptoms are worse. It is like someone turned the knob on my internal contrast button. Bright colors in stores stick out like neon signs, also.

Sounds exactly like what I have. Thanks for sharing. Thanks to everyone for sharing.

[jknh9]

I don't get this sensation, but bright artificial light bothers me. Also, if I close one eye, the vision in the other gets very dark, with lots of black visual snow. I wonder if that could be related to ANS issues?

It's hard to know. But since we're all sort of reporting visual disturbances of some sort, even if they aren't exactly the same, it's probably safe to say visual disturbances are associated with pots. I think the doctors might agree it's associated. It was mentioned in one article I think.

Interestingly, I just saw a new doctor today, and one of the first things she asked me was "How has your vision been?" I was shocked, haha! I didn't even mention anything before she asked, but it's great to have found a doctor who believes that all these seemingly unrelated symptoms are actually related to POTS/ANS problems.

[k&ajsmom]

I have several visual changes since all this got worse. AT times things do seem dim or dark. They also just seem off? It is hard to describe for sure. Kind of like things are moving too fast or Im looking through a fishbowl...but yet I see fine. My night vision got much worse and in one eye I am blind at night cant see my hand in front of my face in a dim room. With that said, my biggest problems are outside or in artificial lighting, especially fluorescents. I dont know how to describe it other than a visual seizure...?? my eyes feel jumpy and cant focus on anything or hold still, it makes me feel ill and forbid I mix look at a busy pattern at this time. Outside everything seems muted and distant. This was one of my first symptoms and I went to the eye doctor and my vision had deriorated slightly and my astigmatism had gotten a lot worse, explaining the night blindness. Now, I would say usually this would be unrelated to pots, however, this happened very suddenly, like literally overnight, so ???

[badhbt]

Posted Yesterday, 09:46 PM

I have several visual changes since all this got worse. AT times things do seem dim or dark. They also just seem off? It is hard to describe for sure. Kind of like things are moving too fast or Im looking through a fishbowl...but yet I see fine. My night vision got much worse and in one eye I am blind at night cant see my hand in front of my face in a dim room. With that said, my biggest problems are outside or in artificial lighting, especially fluorescents. I dont know how to describe it other than a visual seizure...?? my eyes feel jumpy and cant focus on anything or hold still, it makes me feel ill and forbid I mix look at a busy pattern at this time. Outside everything seems muted and distant. This was one of my first symptoms and I went to the eye doctor and my vision had deriorated slightly and my astigmatism had gotten a lot worse, explaining the night blindness. Now, I would say usually this would be unrelated to pots, however, this happened very suddenly, like literally overnight, so ???

I can totally relate to the looking at a busy pattern. I was in the Doctor's office and they had this horrid rug and I was looking at it, I swear the pattern was moving. My eyes were jumping all over the place trying to figure out how to look at it. I don't like the eye symptoms.

[Kellysavedbygrace]

Busy patterns effect me too! Hotel hallways seem to be the worst.

[CuriousThinker]

@badhbt @1234567890 @puppylove @badhbt This is very interesting you say this! I think this is what I have too! I've tried to explain it but nobody ever knew what it was, not even neuro-optomologists.

Ever since I was young the earliest symptoms I had started having these unusual electrical shock sensations in my chest and my vision would do this weird thing like the contrast got turned up! (not at the same time).

The visual effect was like contrast, things would sort of be dark, but also bright at the same time and also the colors were sort of muted or different a little. It would last for several minutes and I think getting up and walking around would make it go away faster. I'm not totally sure what causes it, but it would seem to happen when brain fog would come on. Sometimes I thought neck posture was related to it. We could never figure out the cause. It was not like a brown out and closing in before syncope. Syncope didn't start until decades later. It was totally different.

Fast forward about 30 years after that with no diagnosis and I've been having very bad health problems for the last 12 years including muscle pain, fatigue, tinnitus, shaking vision, neuropathy sensations like cold wet water or burning sensations all over body, and in the last year or two the symptoms have spread to many body systems including lack of tear production and digestive system not moving and some kind of reflux. Syncope, on and on.

Somehow I got referred to a cardiologist because I wanted to have testing for my autonomic nervous system the neurally mediated hypotension etc. I then found out this cardiologist runs a dysautonomia center and I'm getting all the tests now. I was calling my condition Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, but that is a neuro-immune condition and is within dysautonomia, but I'm just learning more about dysautonomia now and how it effects the tears, digestion and all of that.

I think I've had this all my life and it has just gotten worse and never could get diagnosed. I often asked neurologists for autonomic nervous system testing because they would never bring that up. I knew in recent years that my sympathetic nervous system was all messed up because I was extremely sensative to choline from eggs as well as any plant that contained a choline esterase inhibitor (there are many, blue berries, potatoes, on and on). It would cause much anxiety, function like a strong stimulant and also cause insomnia.