Visual Snow

‘Visual snow’ is a condition where patients perceive ‘dots’ or ‘pixelated fuzz’ or ‘bubbles’ or ‘static’ in their vision such as might be seen when looking at a tuned out television screen. Researchers who have examined patients have found that ‘visual snow’ is either constant or can just occur from time to time.

Patients may also see after-images (palinopsia), that is images created after looking at a bright light source such as a car headlight at night or a camera flash as well as images that have been created from within the visual system such as the vitreous floaters that are sometimes seen like ‘small flies’ moving through your vision.

Patients can also have light sensitivity, reduced night vision, see lights in their vision, get migraines, have a fear of loud sounds (phonophobia), have an increased sensitivity to sound (hyperacusis), have tinnitus, have balance problems or have a tremor.

They can also show a ‘pain’ response to otherwise ‘normal’ stimuli impacting on the skin (cutaneous allodynia). An example of this would be an increased sensitivity to their glasses resting on their face.

It is important for patients to realise that ‘visual snow’ is a relatively benign and non-progressive condition assuming that any neurological and eye related causes have been ruled out.

It has been hypothesised that ‘visual snow’ is a result of the patient being ‘hypersensitive’ to visual stimuli.

Researchers in America have found that specifically tinted lenses can help reduce the symptoms of ‘visual snow’ though the mechanism by which this treatment works is not known.