OK here's an odd one - figured I'd throw it out to you ladies and see if anyone has any experience or ideas. My step-daughter (age 13) recently told me that a few times a month, she has "flashing" in her peripheral vision, followed by random image that will then just pop into her vision. Sometimes that vision will then be related to something that happens later, kind of like a premonition. So I let her know that I know what she's talking about with the flashing, because I used to get it while I was pregnant and it was related to a sudden change in position, like standing up quickly or straightening up after bending over. I also told her that we/she should keep a journal of when it happens so that we can figure out if there's a pattern and from that, if this is anything that we should look into. She moved in with us recently and we got her caught up on physicals and an trip to an eye specialist. She may have Von Willebrand's disease (a blood clotting disorder, which most of her mom's family has) and are awaiting the blood work on that. She also has amblyopia, strabismus, astigmatism, and is near-sighted. Although that's quite a list, her vision is actually not too bad and she just has to wear glasses.
Anyway, does anyone have any experience with the flashing lights? I will call her eye doc this week because it could be a sign of retinal detachment but that tends to be sudden on-set and this has been going on for years. I haven't found anything to suggest that it could be related to blood clotting, although she could easily be anemic or have low blood pressure from heavy menstrual cycles. I'll mention this to the pedi when her bloodwork comes back. There does seem to be a psychic element to flashing and sudden images (according to Google LOL), but I don't know how much I believe in that and hope that the diary can track whether or not there is anything to what she sees and what happens. Her mother claims to have dreamed or visualized things before they happened so I'm keeping an open mind and want to be supportive of whatever she believes is possible until there is clear evidence that it's a physical thing. She had flashing and then saw the number 5 today so I wrote it down but I don't think there has been anything that happened that's significant about the number.
So...any experience with this? Do tell!
No experience with this, but get her on a multivitamin asap - defincencies can cause weird problems. My daughter's ENT said that a lack of iron can cause her sleep walking issues, so I can only imagine what other issues can be caused.......
Flashing lights or halos around objects can be connected to migraines. I had a bad bout of migraines during perimenopause (they are not uncommon when hormone levels are changing), and then as my hormones leveled out, I didn't get actual headaches, but went on having the flashing lights for a couple of years.
And light effects can be associated to seizures, too, as can other phenomena like dreams and visions. It's possible the premonitions or quick images are associated with the flashes. It's also possible that your SD is just in a heightened state of attention because of the flashes, and she's just noticing whatever other images arise at the same time.
For at least some of us, I think it's not unusual for some part of our brains to constantly be running a movie, mulling over words or sounds, or otherwise processing incoming data, but it happens so quickly and is overridden by whatever we're consciously thinking about that we normally don't notice it. But when some surprising or alarming event occurs, like a light aura, then our brain may take a snapshot of whatever else it's thinking about, too.
If they are like sparklers or fireworks it could be a sign of a detached retina. She would need to see an ophthalmologist sooner than later.
Tell your eye doctor what she is seeing.
I have had flashings, I have a partially detached retina in my right eye and have lost vision. I have also developed glaucoma in that eye. If I see flashings I am seen immedately.
Or it could be just blood pressure.
This is a very interesting situation and I am just not sure how to answer. On one hand, I am in the health field and believe in science. So that would force me to answer that maybe she is having petit mal seizuers that are causing visual field disturbances or a more complex issue with the clotting behind her eye or any number of conditions mentioned by the other moms. But the spiritual side of me loves the thought of a psychic element to this that is in an immature state and is developing. I know this whole thing is somewhat controversial but my feeling is that some people are born with a gift that confounds science. I love that you are open to this and supportive to her.
I guess the safe thing to do is to continue to look for answers in the medical field but just keep an open mind to whatever she may be going through. She is talking to you about what is happening with her which is a huge step in the right direction.
I believe that some people with epilepsy or migraines can get flashing lights or other symptoms (called an aura) before the seizure or migraine starts. But I'm sure there are other possible causes too. I would not be surprised if it has to do with her other eye issues.
I don't know about her vision but about the premonitions, it could be that she hears her mom talking about it, we can always find things when we are looking for.
But I will talk about it with her doctor because it could be something wrong with her too.
Hopefully she is only repeating moms ideas. My mom told us that she was looking the clock every time it was 11:11 and that it was spooky for her. I never had that happen to me until she told me, then I start see the clock at 11:11 too (thanks mom!, lol).
I see there are several responses mentioning migranes. That is what I was initially thinking as well but the pain that follows is so intense I become nauseatingly ill. Since you mentioned nothing about pain following which you couldn't skip in your description if it were present I would guess that is not it.
Your journal idea makes sense as well as everything you are looking into medically. Unfortunately I think it will have to be wait and see what the professionals say.
Keeping a journal is definitely a good idea. The flashes of light could be an opthalmic or ocular migraine. I've had them a few times over the last few years and they were never associated with an actual headache. The only common denominator I could find is that I hadn't eaten in a while. Drinking a glass of juice has always helped, especially something like one of the Odwalla juices which are high in vitamins and minerals. They never last long and the doctor told me they don't know what the cause is. I think the trigger is different for everyone.
I, too, think migraine. My little sister would get the auras without pain. As far as premonition goes.... I do not believe this has anything to do with spirituality. I agree that she connects with what her mother talks about, plus any kind of non-specific vision (like the number 5) can be related to just about anything that happens in the future. If something happens, but she thinks she already had a premonition about it in the past (without having mentioned it before), it's like deja vu. Your brain hiccups and files the witnessed event in the wrong category, so to speak (tagging it as "I remember that" as opposed to "I will remember that"), creating a false memory. And I did have a very vivid experience with that as a child.
It seems like a lot of people think the premonitions are not real - I would say that keeping the journal is a great idea. some people are more in tune with their senses and I know that premonitions can happen. I never really mentioned them to people because I felt like they would not believe me but I have had dreams of places that I had never been before and at some point in the future I ended up at that place. this has happened with 2 different jobs that I have had. I had a dream of being pregnant at one of the places and I ended up getting pregnant while working there (note I had the dream before I was married and it took 8 years after marriage to have our child - I was also working at a different job when I met my husband) the other time I had a dream about a specific outfit and falling down a flight of stairs - a few years later I started working in the building where I recognized the stairs - I avoided wearing the outfit in my dream so never had the exact experience but instead was able to avoid the fall I had in the dream.
Flashing can also be a pre-migraine thing. As far as the premonitions go i would think that she is having some stress in moving in (change can be hard at any age) She may have seen her mom get some attention with the premonitions and it is her way of drawing some attention. It is nice to validate her, but I wouldn't give it to much credibility.
I get ocular migraines as well and the thing with them is they can come on so quickly sometimes and be so torturous that you mind can start to spiral a bit out of control. I just mean that since you get so over sensitive to everything (light, noise, etc) your mind kind of begins to race and sometimes you may think of weird or unpleasant things. It would be odd though if she hasn't mentioned the headache element - as migraine's are virtually impossible to ignore/not notice! But it might be something to look into. Good luck!
