Have you ever stood up too fast and felt dizzy? Maybe even saw some sparkling dots or silver spots? Don't worry, you're not alone! Many people experience this phenomenon. In fact, it's so common that there's a medical term for it - orthostatic hypotension.
What is Orthostatic Hypotension?
Orthostatic hypotension occurs when blood pressure drops suddenly after standing up from a sitting or lying down position. This sudden drop in blood pressure can cause dizziness and light-headedness, as well as those shimmering silver spots you may have seen.
Causes of Orthostatic Hypotension
There are several reasons why someone may experience orthostatic hypotension:
- Dehydration
- Medication side effects
- Prolonged bedrest
- Pregnancy
- Aging
If you're concerned about your symptoms, make sure to consult with your healthcare provider to determine the underlying cause of your condition.
Anatomy of the Eye
Now let's dive deeper into what causes those glimmering silver spots!
To understand why we see these mysterious sparkles, we first need to know how our eyes work. Our eyes are complex organs that detect light and send signals to our brain about what we see.
The retina is responsible for capturing images formed by incoming light rays through the pupils. The retina has two types of photoreceptor cells responsible for detecting light - rods and cones. Rods specialize in dim-light vision while cones deal with color perception under bright daylight conditions.
The role of Cones
Cones contain three pigments that enable us to differentiate between colors - red (long), green (medium) and blue (short). These pigments absorb different wavelengths of visible light which creates a range of colors perceptible to humans usually referred as ROYGBIV.
The role of Rods
Rods, on the other hand, are responsible for detecting light intensities. They are long and slender compared to cones which makes them more sensitive towards ambient lighting conditions. Due to their high sensitivity, we tend to notice shimmering silver spots in low-light circumstances as our rods pick up flashes of light that sneak past our brain's filtering mechanisms when sensing sharp contrasts.
Causes of Seeing Silver Spots
Now that we have a better idea about how our eyes work let's go over some common reasons why people may see silver spots:
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
- Migraines
- Retinal detachment
- Eye floaters
- Occipital epilepsy
Regardless if you experience these symptoms occasionally or chronically, you should get your eyes checked by an optometrist who can perform appropriate tests like an electroretinogram or assess retinal imaging results from Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scan. Don't underestimate the importance of ocular health!
Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
Age-related macular degeneration is one of the most prevalent causes behind vision loss with aging population in western countries such as America and Europe mainly due ethnicity background genetics factor variations associated . It’s a progressive condition affecting certain cells within retina resulting color perception alterations as well visual hallucinations known by formal reference coined Charles Bonnet Syndrome CBS .
AMD often leads to distorted central vision and seeing things such as gray blanks or ghost images around normally perceived objects. Additionally, it causes fluid buildup beneath retina which plays part into appearance shimmering silvery stars alongside regular visual field distortions further underpinning aforementioned points regarding metal-like flickering glistenings blips.
Migraines
Migraine headache sufferers sometimes experience flashing lights during periods where they're experiencing symptoms - this phenomenon is formally dubbed 'Aura'. These dazzling lights may manifest in the shape of zig-zagging lines or even dazzling rainbow-like forms that brush peripheral section of visual cortex as part of aura. Even though migraines have been correlated with occipital lobe activities - a part responsible for processing these spotty visuals- there is still room for research necessary to better understand mechanisms behind these hallucinations.
Retinal Detachment
The retina can be detached from an eye's inner layers and become separated partially, if not wholly, from blood vessels which provide it oxygen-rich nutrients. Patients may experience either floaters drifting by their vision field alongside seeing metallic shining sparks overlying them as well.
Disorders Associated With Seeing Silver Spots
The following conditions have been linked to experiencing silver spots:
- Neurological disorders
- Ophthalmic migraine
- Posterior Uveitis
Let’s go over what each disorder may result in and how they relate back to seeing silver spots.
Neurological Disorders
Various neurological disorders have exhibited a range of (at times weird) psychiatric symptoms such as encountering hallucinations i.e non-existent figures/things/ sound voices inside their minds. Researchers haven't comprehensively established correlations yet between seeing silver glittering chromatic effects outside those lapses into perception but assumptions circulate around changes within neurochemistry amount signaling disruptions broken connections thalamus - sensory relay center sending/mitting information visual center aka V1 convolution.
Occipital Migraine
Ophthalmic /classical/ migraines influence the nerves associated with ocular function resulting headache thralls closer magnified objects blurred perceptions often accompanied zigzagged flashes dot-filled concentric circles described 'like kaleidoscope". These types migraines most likely occur due unregulated serotonin levels via constricted/dilated cranial arteries causing changes signals being processed optic fibers . On occasion, during longer-lasting stabs reports mention observing metallic pools flicker across field endeavoring signify migraine may be approaching.
Posterior Uveitis
Posterior uveitis is an inflammation of the posterior section if the uveal tract - a segment including iris, ciliary body and choroid with relevant blood vessels/nerves . This infection could lead to blurry vision but patients have also noted seeing silver-like sheenings longside hazed-upling similar that of fore-mentioned examples.
Curing Shimmering Spots
If you've found yourself bothered by silver spots there are a few ways you might attempt to reduce or prevent symptoms:
- Adjust your lighting
- Consider using glasses
- Try supplements or medications
- Iron supplement for iron-deficient individuals (Iron helps make red blood cells)
- Vasopressors drugs such as Midodrine help constrict blood vessel walls which improve circulation keeping us balance.
- Salt tablets (well.. only after consulting healthcare provider )
Even though simple advice in this paragraph could work well, unique cause should always determine approach together with appropriate therapy .
Conclusion
At one time or another, you've probably experienced those funny shimmery stars sparkling around during low-light conditions. While often harmless , these shimmering effects can sometimes be indicative of more serious problems like retinal detachment or neurological disorders setting in . Don't brush off any concerning visual abnormalities especially without medical consultations reviews dawning proper diagnosis enabling adequate treatment moving forth!