Are you seeing persistent visual static... or are you experiencing visual aura of migraine?  

In Episode 87 of The Eye-Q Podcast™, neuro-ophthalmologist Dr. Rani Banik, MD, sits down with Caryn Hartglass to explore the differences between Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS) and migraine aura through both medical expertise and lived experience.  

Caryn has experienced visual snow since childhood. She also describes several episodes of scintillating scotoma, including one that occurred while she was performing onstage—when she suddenly saw an arc of vivid, geometric, colorful shapes filling her vision.  Dr. Banik also shares her own experiences with Visual Snow Syndrome and migraine-related visual symptoms.  

In this episode, we discuss:  

• What Visual Snow Syndrome looks like 

• Why visual snow can remain visible with your eyes closed 

• How VSS differs from migraine aura 

• What a scintillating scotoma may look like 

• Why migraine and Visual Snow Syndrome can occur together 

• Tinnitus and sensory-processing symptoms that may accompany VSS 

• Stress, dehydration, caffeine, and other possible triggers 

• Meditation, hydration, sleep, and nervous-system regulation 

• When persistent or unusual visual symptoms deserve further evaluation 

Caryn’s experience with visual snow since childhood Her ovarian cancer journey and the role nutrition, meditation, and community have played in her life  

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Caryn Hartglass is the co-founder of Responsible Eating and Living (REAL) and host of It’s All About Food on the Progressive Radio Network. She is a longtime plant-based food advocate, cancer survivor, speaker, and author who has spent decades educating people about nutrition and healthy living.  In this conversation, Caryn joins Dr. Banik not as a clinician, but as someone with firsthand experience of both visual snow and migraine aura.  

QUESTIONS ANSWERED  

What is Visual Snow Syndrome? 

What does visual snow actually look like? 

Is visual snow the same as migraine aura? 

What is a scintillating scotoma? 

Can you have visual snow without migraine? 

Can migraine aura happen without a headache? 

Why do I see visual static with my eyes closed? 

When should visual symptoms be evaluated by a neurologist or neuro-ophthalmologist?  

Subscribe to The Eye-Q Podcast™ for conversations about eye health, brain health, migraine, nutrition, healthy aging, and integrative medicine.  If you experience Visual Snow Syndrome, migraine aura, or both, leave a comment and share what your symptoms look like.  

Supplement mentioned in episode: NeuroCalm 

** Disclaimer: This episode is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical diagnosis or treatment. 

 

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