For Individuals Seeking A Diagnosis
Increasing Clinical Awareness of Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS)
If your physician is unfamiliar with Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS), you can refer them to our website. Providing accurate, evidence-supported resources helps improve recognition, understanding, and management of VSS within the healthcare community.
Suspect You May Have VSS?
If you are experiencing symptoms consistent with VSS, consider sharing the Official Diagnostic Criteria with your current physician. Developed by VSI in collaboration with physicians and VSS researchers, this resource can help determine if you meet the diagnostic criteria based on your symptoms, alongside a thorough neuro-ophthalmological evaluation, and assist in ruling out other potential conditions through appropriate diagnostic protocols.
Locate a Physician with Knowledge of VSS
The Visual Snow Initiative’s Global Physicians & Specialists Directory includes clinicians with expertise in Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS) and its associated symptoms. This resource can help you connect with a healthcare provider better equipped to understand and address your concerns.
If a qualified provider is not available in your area, you can share the Official Diagnostic Criteria and VSI’s resources with a local medical professional, such as a neurologist, neuro-ophthalmologist, and/or neuro-optometrist, to support a comprehensive evaluation.
For a comprehensive list of Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS) symptoms, including both visual and non-visual symptoms with visual aids/photos, please refer to the sections below. ↓
Visual Symptoms of Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS)
Visual snow (dynamic, snow-like dots across the entire visual field)
Palinopsia (continuing to see an image after the stimulus has been removed)
Excessive floaters
Photophobia (sensitivity or intolerance to light)
Enhanced entoptic phenomena (excessive floaters and rings of light shooting across the entire visual field, more noticeable when looking at bright surfaces like the blue sky)
Nyctalopia (impaired night vision)
Starbursts
Migraine aura (may occur with or without an accompanying migraine headache)
Halos
Diplopia (double vision)
Visual distortions
Photopsia (flashes of light or small floating objects)
Non-Visual Symptoms of Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS)
Insomnia and other sleep disturbances
Depersonalization (a sense of detachment from oneself)
Derealization (a feeling that the external world is unreal or distorted)
Frequent migraines, brain fog, and confusion
Dizziness and nausea
Paresthesia (tingling "pins-and-needles" sensations, commonly experienced in the arms, hands, legs, and feet)
Sensory disturbances, such as "brain zaps" or electric shock-like sensations
Increased susceptibility to sensory overload (the brain receives more sensory input than it can process, often triggering a “fight-or-flight” response)
Sensory hypersensitivity (or hyperesthesia), characterized by heightened sensitivity to stimuli such as sights and sounds
Balance issues (difficulty maintaining body position and stability)
Tremors (involuntary, unintentional, rhythmic movements of the body)
Cutaneous allodynia (where non-painful stimuli, such as a hairbrush on the scalp or glasses on the nose or ears, trigger a painful sensation on the skin or scalp)
Hyperacusis (increased sensitivity to sounds, especially those with specific frequencies)
Anxiety and/or depression
Tinnitus
Diagnostic Criteria Summary: Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS)
Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS) is diagnosed based on a combination of persistent visual phenomena and associated symptoms, in the absence of other identifiable causes. The core diagnostic criteria include:
- Dynamic, continuous tiny dots across the entire visual field, persisting for more than three months
- Additional visual symptoms of at least two of the following four types:
- Palinopsia (persistent recurrence of a visual image and/or trailing images after the stimulus has been removed)
- Enhanced entoptic phenomena*
- Photophobia (sensitivity or intolerance of light, which can cause some people to avoid sunlight, computers, fluorescent lights, and car headlights)
- Nyctalopia (impaired night vision)
- Symptoms are not consistent with typical migraine visual aura
- Symptoms are not better accounted for by another medical condition
*excessive floaters in both eyes, excessive blue field entoptic phenomenon (uncountable little grey/white/black dots or rings shooting over the visual field of both eyes when looking at homogeneous bright surfaces such as the blue sky), self-lighting of the eye (colored waves or clouds perceived when closing the eyes in the dark), and spontaneous photopsia (bright flashes of light)
Articles Discussing Symptoms of Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS)
Diagnostic Criteria: Authors And Summary
These criteria were developed through multidisciplinary collaboration among experts in neurology, ophthalmology, and patient advocacy. They emphasize clinical evaluation, exclusion of secondary causes, and recognition of the syndrome as a distinct neurological condition.
Peter J. Goadsby, MD, PhD
Professor of Neurology, King’s College London
Owen B. White, MD, PhD, FRACP
Professor of Neurosciences, Monash University, Australia
Victoria Susan Pelak, MD
Professor of Neurology and Ophthalmology, University of Colorado, Denver
Yasser Khan, MD, FRCSC
Specialist in Oculoplastic, Orbital, and Ophthalmic Surgery
Sierra Domb
Founder, Visual Snow Initiative
The Visual Snow Initiative website is for informational purposes only. The contents do not constitute medical advice; the content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. This website does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Site. Reliance on any information provided by this website is solely at your own risk.
Visual Symptoms of Visual Snow Syndrome
- Visual snow (dynamic snow-like dots all over the field of vision)
- Photopsia (flashes of light) or small floating objects
- Excessive floaters
- Photophobia (sensitivity to light)
- Palinopsia (continuing to see an image after it is no longer in the field of vision)
- Enhanced entoptic phenomena (seeing images within the eye itself)
- Diplopia (double vision)
- Nyctalopia (impaired night vision)
- Other visual effects, such as starbursts and halos
- Visual distortions
Non-Visual Symptoms of Visual Snow Syndrome
- Tinnitus (ringing, buzzing, or humming sounds in the ears)
- Depersonalization (a sense of detachment from oneself)
- Derealization (a feeling that the external world is unreal or distorted)
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Frequent migraines
- Brain fog and confusion
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Insomnia and other sleep disturbances
- Paresthesia (tingling "pins-and-needles" sensations, commonly in the arms, hands, legs, and feet)
- Sensory disturbances (such as "brain zaps" or electric shock-like sensations)
- Sensory hypersensitivity / hyperesthesia (increased sensitivity to stimuli, such as sights and sounds)
- Susceptibility to sensory overload (when the brain receives more sensory input than it can process, triggering a "fight-or-flight" response)
- Balance issues (difficulty maintaining body position or stability)
- Tremors (involuntary, rhythmic movements of the body)
- Cutaneous allodynia (painful sensation on the skin or scalp from innocuous stimuli, such as a hairbrush on the scalp or glasses on the nose or ears)
- Hyperacusis (increased sensitivity to sounds, particularly those with certain frequencies)
Support VSS Research Today
Every donation to the Visual Snow Initiative funds critical Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS) research. Your tax-deductible contribution drives global research efforts and creates a meaningful impact on the lives of those affected by VSS.
