visual "disturbances" after much diving

[opalobsidian]

Hello!

I've been diving recreationally for 4 years, and have always had this phenomenon when I have a dive vacation in which spend a couple of days in a row doing 3 or more dives. I just finished a week at Sipadan doing 3-5 dives a day, and the symptoms were quite pronounced...

what happens is that when I come up from the dive the periphery of my visual field gets "swirly" rather like looking through water. When I close my eyes I see swirling patterns. This oddness tends to intensify 1-5 hours after finishing the dive for the day, usually until I go to sleep.

and no, I'm not under the influence of psychedelic drugs! Kinda reminissant of the feeling tho...

Are the visual disturbances a symptom I should be alarmed about?

Thanks so much!
PS Castle

 

[cutlass]

I might not be using the terms precisely (not my field) but I've heard the description of watery peripheral vision used in a case of an ocular or ophthalmic migraine. This possibility can be evaluated by a neurologist who would likely also consider other possibilities such as epileptic or stroke-like activity. Consideration should also be given to ophthalmologic examination for conditions such as glaucoma or other eye disorders.

 

[vladimir]

.....

 

[Lopaka]

Sounds like what is known as an "Aura", a shimmering visual disturbance associated with migraine headaches.

You may want a neurologist to check on things.

Do a search for "aura" here and the dive medicine forum.

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

Unless you have had a history of migraine since adolescence, ocular migraine seems unlikely. The sudden appearance of visual auras in late adulthood seems odd.

You state that these reproducibly occur after sessions of multiple dives over a short period. This is awfully suspicious for being somehow connected to nitrogen load. In other words, this may be a manifestation of DCS and probably should be treated as such until proven otherwise.

ANY reproducible neurological disturbance after repeated diving, especially one that is distressful and actually increases for hours after a dive, must be taken very seriously. From what I can find, visual symptoms occur in 8 to 10% of DCS cases.

Get checked out before doing a dive profile that you suspect might cause this again.

 

[opalobsidian]

Thanks for the input....

Shakey, yes the visual disturbance thing is replicable, and seems definately connected with offgassing- my hands and feet feel tingly as well- but what sort of doc would I go to to get "checked out"? My GP knows FA about diving. Would I ask for a specific sort of test?

Also, in my 30s I used to have a lot of allergy related? migraines with visual disturbance aura- mostly a widening spiral of blinking lights and sort of pixilated vision, but that's not the same as the diving visual disturbance- guess I'm a visual disturbance prone kinda gal.

Thanks!
Shivaya

 

[Doubler]

Get checked for a PFO. There are a lot of strange symptoms associated with this type of defect, auras, headaches, skin bends etc and you could be well within NDL limits and still take a DSC hit. I could be out in left field with my suggestion but I would dam sure stop diving until I got this figured out.

 

[opalobsidian]

Thanks Doubler!

I did get splotchy red areas on my upper legs which looked like a rash but didn't itch and went away after sleeping at night. I have a heart murmur...could that be indicative of a PFO?

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

Definitely, a PFO is a possibility. Perhaps DAN could be of assistance in finding someone with dive medicine familiarity in your area. The tingling in the extremities and rash are also somewhat disturbing. It might be wise to stay out of the water until the situation is clarified, especially a potential PFO.

 

[TSandM]

Yipes! Visual disturbances, tingling, a skin rash and a murmur? You may not have a PFO, but you may have some other type of right-to-left communication in your heart that would have the same effect. I would DEFINITELY go get worked up. You need either a transesophageal echocardiogram or a transcranial Dopper -- and if the latter is positive, an echo to follow it.

I would either not dive or be EXTREMELY conservative about it until this is sorted out. The consequences of a more major bubble load on the arterial side can be really devastating -- search on Kimber's accident for an example.