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Visual snow (VS) is the persisting visual symptom of seeing snow or television-like static across their visual field. The snow and static tends to be worse in the dark, but can be seen in all lighting conditions. VS should not be confused with normal entopic phenomena or vitreous floaters. While these two conditions also cause you to see spots and floating objects, this is not the same as VS. There is no known cause for visual snow. Through documented case studies illegal and legal drug usage can sometimes lead to VS, but little is known on the specific causes. A few connections between HPPD, auto-immune disease, and lyme disease have been found. However, far more cases of visual snow have no connection at all to another condition.  Although the vision is affected, very few people have had irregular eye test results. Most come back within normal range, leading doctors to believe that patients may be making their symptoms up. CT scans and MRIs also tend to come back normal, again stumping doctors. It is more likely to be an undetectable chemical imbalance in the brain.
The term visual snow is rather limiting for the condition as there are numerous symptoms that patients experience above and beyond visual snow. Many people also see after images, vitreous floaters, entopic phenomenon, glare, halos, starbursts, trails, palinopsia, double vision, odd colors and shapes. Many sufferers also have non-visual symptoms such as fatigue, tinnitus or depersonalization and derealisation. There currently is no established treatment for visual snow. Many patients have tried migraine medication with little to no success. Other have tried herbs, cleansing, acupuncture, and chiropractors, again with little to no success. It is important for you to realize that this is a 24/7 condition for these sufferers. The symptoms do not ever go away. Even with their eyes closed they see the static, afterimages and other disturbing visual images. With the help of a handful of caring doctors, the Eye on Vision Foundation strives to raise funds for research into finding a treatment. Currently there is a brain imaging study being conducted at UCSF to learn more about visual snow. Dr. Goadsby and Dr. Schankin from UCSF are 100% committed to this research, and are very motivated to help find the cause and hopefully a treatment plan.
To participate in this Visual Snow study you must:
1) Suffer from 24/7 visual snow
2) live in the U.S.
3) Be willing to travel to San Francisco for testing
4) complete a short, very simple phone interview to determine if you are eligible
5) Must be between the ages of 18 - 55 Contact details for the study can be found on http://www.eyeonvision.org or contact the doctors directly at
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These doctors 100% believe in this condition, and that is a great comfort to many patients.
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Visual Snow
