Do I have a brain tumor?

[KarMar]

I know this isnt emet related, but I haven't been able to find a reliable place to vent about other, general health phobia... I have this scary sensation that the vision in my left eye is weird. Like theres a hole in my field of vision in the left eye. But then when close my other eye, I can see everything normally out of my left eye. So it's more just like a sensation. I went to the opthamologist today and he did a full exam and didn't find anything abnormal. Which is now making me worried it's something more neurological. This has been happening intermittently for about a week and a half. It's possible that my fixating and panicking over it might be making it worse. Also last night my left pupil was slightly bigger than my right, but my opthamologist thinks its because I used allergy eye drops. He said my pupils today looked fine.

Someone please reassure me that I don't have a brain tumor or some other neurological issue. Or tell me if you think I should be worried.

[TryingToBeBrave]

It could be migraine aura. I would request an MRI just to be sure, but that is what it sounds like to me. You can get aura without head pain.

[mdgirl1977]

I was gonna say aura migraine too. I get them and they are exactly as you describe. but see a dr-- neurologist.

[andee]

It's not floaters, is it? I think your eye doc would have noticed. Also, he probably would also tell you to go to a neurologist if he thought it was anything worse. So I think you're probably okay. Just see how you do, and if any other symptoms occur, then go see a doc.

[CharlieCat666]

Yeah, I've gotten migraine auras just like that. I've had them at about that level, where I'm aware that there's something in front of me but it feels like I can't see it. And then I've had them so bad that I literally went blind.

Are you in your teens? Most people start getting migraines around their early to mid teens. People who consume a lot of caffeine or MSG (found in Ramen, Chinese food, and a lot of fast food) are also at a higher risk. Oddly enough, caffeine is also a common remedy for migraines. Other factors that can increase your risk of getting a migraine are hunger and lack of sleep.

The bad news is, there isn't much you can do about migraines. There are various medicines you can take to alleviate the symptoms (some people have more success with them than others) but really the best thing you can do when you have one is sleep. And aside from limiting your caffeine and MSG intake and making sure to get enough sleep and eat breakfast, there isn't much you can do to prevent them.

The good news is, most people gradually stop getting them once they move into adulthood. I used to get them a lot in high school but now I only get them around once a year. In fact, it's actually been over a year since I last had one.


You should still visit your primary care physician, but if you did have a neurological problem, it would likely be more apparent.

[Afdpt]

I also agree with aura migraine. That's always how I know I'm having a migraine. Sometimes I have the head pain with it but other times it's just the aura without a headache so that may be what you're having as well.

I know migraines come in a range of severities and everyone reacts differently but for my Excendrin migraine with a large glass of water and a little rest is usually very helpful at decreasing or eliminating my symptoms.

Either way, if you're worried it may not be a bad idea to have further examination by a neurologist.

[kaiilyn_23]

Aw I'm sorry you're experiencing this. Like everyone else has mentioned, I would say aura migraine. I actually started getting these when I was 10. They're brutal, and alarming because they're not like a regular headache. Best to sit down with your doctor and have an exam; that way he/she can do proper scans to put your mind at ease, and perhaps recommend some treatment for the pain.