Diagnostic Criteria

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VSS Diagnostic Criteria

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. ↓

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What Is It Like Having VSS?

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)

Diplopia (double vision)

Visual distortions

Visual distortions

Photopsia (flashes of light or small floating objects)

What Is It Like Having VSS?

Non-Visual Symptoms of Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS)

Insomnia and other sleep disturbances

Depersonalization (a sense of detachment from oneself)

Derealization

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 sensations)

Sensory disturbances, such as "brain zaps" or electric shock-like sensations

Susceptibility to sensory overload (the brain receives more sensory input than it can handle, triggering a “flight-or-fight” response)

Increased susceptibility to sensory overload (the brain receives more sensory input than it can process, often triggering a “fight-or-flight” response)

Sensory hypersensitivity

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

Signs & Symptoms

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:

*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)

VSI News

Articles Discussing Symptoms of Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS)

Conclusion

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

Non-Visual Symptoms of Visual Snow Syndrome

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