Through the eyes of ‘visual snow syndrome.’ A condition that affects 2–3 % of the population…
“I can see static in my vision, it’s like every single atom is visible. This follows with blurriness, floaters and things can appear closer or further away. It also happens when your eyes are closed so you can’t escape it”
Visual snow syndrome (VSS) is a rare neurological condition that affects how a person sees the world. This condition is characterised as a continuous television-like static which is often accompanied with prolonged after images, black floaters, and flickering dots. This makes normal everyday life extremely difficult. People from over 93 countries have reported experiencing similar symptoms. Visual snow is difficult to diagnose, which has resulted in 85% of people being misdiagnosed or not at all. Consequently, the medical industry is not educated enough on this subject which leaves people to self-diagnose with no solution and cure. The severity can vary from person to person. For some, it may be a minor annoyance, while for others it can be a disease that significantly affects their daily life. Reports that certain activities, such as exercise or exposure to bright light, can exacerbate symptoms.
Many people who suffer with visual snow do not know that what they are seeing is not normal, especially if it’s something they’ve had since childhood. It’s only when reading articles like this one, or when talking to other people who suffer with it, that they begin to realise their vision might be affected.
Scott Whitney a 40-year-old businessman from Manchester was diagnosed with VSS a few years ago after realising that not everyone can see the way he can. Scott believes he’s had this condition since birth: “I just thought it was a normal thing that everyone gets.”
After numerous eye tests and brain scans nothing showed a cause or reason as to why this was occurring. Until one night in 2017, Scott was unable to sleep and decided to google his symptoms. After reading multiple online forums and discovering groups on Facebook he states: “it was a light bulb moment.” However due to the lack of research he began to tell me how frustrating it can be when explaining his symptoms to a doctor who knows nothing about it: “When I mentioned it to my GP (general practitioners), he had to go study it and come back, he’s not recommended any course of treatment.” He explained that due to the condition lacking awareness most people will be unknowingly undiagnosed as doctors can be quick to dismiss.
I asked Scott what advice he would offer for anyone who has just developed VSS: “keep pushing your GP and have a positive mindset. Keep speaking about it until it’s recognised. The more you focus on it the worst it gets and when anxiety increases, symptoms will also increase.”
After hearing Scott’s story, I decided to conduct my own research and find out exactly why this condition exists. I joined multiple Facebook groups such as ‘visual snow’ and ‘visual snow group’. Over 20,000 people are members of these groups, which conveys that this affects people from all over the world. From reading some posts I discovered the impact it has on people’s lives can be severe. Many users said they now suffer with depression and disassociation.
As a result of my findings, I emailed every doctor in the UK who can officially diagnose and acknowledge this as a genuine condition. Dr Bhavin Shah, a neurologist from London, has numerous patients with this issue and has over 5 years’ experience in this field. He agreed to explain why this happens and if there is any treatment available.
He reveals that visual snow syndrome is related to the brain, located at the back of the head where the visual information is processed. If something is obstructing the blood flow to this area, signals from the brain to the eyes will be disrupted which then affects the vision system. Another interesting cause is that some people’s eyes have low stamina, therefore symptoms are more likely to worsen. Things like staring at a screen for too long can tire your eyes out the same way you get tired after running a marathon.
Dr Bhavin states “I’ve seen an increase in patients in the last year or two due to social media creating more awareness.” Many of his patients developed this later in life, which can be due to a stressful period or an injury. However, they believed that a mild case was apparent since birth. In terms of treatment and helping patients manage: “Every patient is different so it’s very much trial and error. However different coloured/tinted lenses can be beneficial. We can also alter the lenses which is called ‘prism’ which shifts the direction of light which helps the visual system process images better.” Other treatments such as lifestyle changes, reducing stress and avoiding coffee or energy drinks have also shown to reduce symptoms.
After speaking to Dr Bhavin Shah, I was happy to learn that doctors who recognise the condition have a range of treatments and options to help reduce symptoms. Unfortunately, most doctors in the UK still lack awareness which can be debilitating for a patient.
A way to show your support is through funding research into visual snow. As increased awareness of the condition can help improve diagnosis and treatment for those affected. An organisation named ‘Visual Snow Initiative’ pushes awareness on multiple different social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Click here to donate.
