

- #Seeing glimpses of things that aren t there how to
- #Seeing glimpses of things that aren t there Patch

It causes a reduction in central, or detailed, vision – that which is used when looking directly at something. The inherited eye condition affects the macula – a tiny part of the retina, the light sensitive film at the back of the eye. 'The only way I can describe my vision by that point is that I could make out shapes, but none of the detail – like when you're driving and can see a sign coming up, but can't read what it says. 'She thought I was being a typical teenager, but it wasn't that at all. She said: 'It all came to a head one day when I was in town getting lunch on my break at school, and my mum walked past – only I completely ignored her. But the condition went undiagnosed at an optician appointment.įrom there her vision deteriorated rapidly and within months she struggled to recognise family members in the street. The then-13-year-old said she struggled to read the blackboard properly.

#Seeing glimpses of things that aren t there Patch
Those who have had the condition for a number of years may have a blank patch in the centre of their vision.Īble to see perfectly until her teens, Mrs James said she first experienced symptoms in school in September 2003. The macula is crucial for sight and is responsible for what you see straight in front of you and your ability to appreciate colour. I shouted, "Hello?" but as quick as it had appeared, it was gone.' 'Then, a few weeks later, I was in my living room when I suddenly saw a figure standing there. I thought it was strange, but I didn't have anyone to confirm it with. 'I remember looking out one night and seeing loads and loads of cars.
#Seeing glimpses of things that aren t there how to
I'd always been an independent person, a free spirit who loved socialising – but suddenly, I didn't even know how to talk about what was happening to me. Mrs James said: 'I felt really insecure and embarrassed. The main cause of CBS appears to be the brain trying to piece together what it's seeing as a result of the loss of vision. It occurs in people who have lost over 60 per cent of their eyesight from a range of problems such as Stargardt, cancer, a stroke, diabetes or an injury. It wasn't until 2011 that Mrs James was diagnosed with CBS - which is common among people who are losing their sight.ĬBS causes people who've lost part of their vision to see things that aren’t really there – medically known as having a hallucination. Mrs James had been diagnosed with Stargardt - a genetic eye condition which affects the central part of the retina - aged 13.ĭoctors warned her from an early age that she would eventually go blind, but she never connected her hallucinations with her failing sight. Mrs James, from Caerphilly in Monmouthshire, South Wales, 'cried with relief' when she discovered the hallucinations were caused by Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS), which she developed because of her Stargardt disease. Kirsty James, 29, questioned her own sanity when she began seeing strangers in her living room and imaginary cars parked outside her house.īut the charity worker suffered in silence as she feared people would think she was 'mad'. Kirsty James, 29, questioned her own sanity when she started having terrifying hallucinations in 2010Ī woman who feared she was going insane after having terrifying hallucinations was actually losing her sight due to an eye condition.
