Seeing green tint (chartruese color) in morning upon awakening

[camille9917]

This tint of green-overall not blotches, has happened before in the past a few times.  My vision is not deteriorating, but I'm trying to link it up to something in my diet (or lack of).  It occurs immediately upon awakening, but only lasts a few seconds, then everything is normal. I'm 50 y/o woman with no health problems (thyroid exception). My BP is usually normal between 120 -130 but can spike shortly a bit higher.  I take no BP meds.  Could it be a spike in BP? I had some unusually salty food last night.  Or could it be something else?

[Lmnopeas]

From another med site:
Your eyes have different color pigment which give you color vision. When light hits the retina, the pigment absorbs the light which produces the sensation of color, but the pigment is used up. (Goethe was among the first to discover this phenomenon)

If you wake to sunlight or bright light to your eyes when they are shut, your eyes will see red light through your eyelids. The green and blue pigments are not used up.

When you open your eyes, you will see a greenish-blue hue to everything for a time, until your retinal cells recycle the red pigment - that takes a few seconds.

[DrewGalloway]

This makes perfectly plausible and scientific sense. I always see green, and it is nearly always when I wake from a daytime doze in a sunny room.

[Robajewell]

That s really helpful to me too. And yes it s always waking looking at sunlight. I ve been quickly forgetting about it til this afternoon s nap. I take tablets for blood pressure and recently had valve replacement surgery. I m not diabetic  

[JohnHaganMD]

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[PTMom19]

well my son had it happen to him today at lunch, hes 8 yo. he said he wasnt looking at anything bright, lasted about a minute. if anyone else finds an answer, thanks. im sure its a random transient thing...but its my kid so of course, i worry.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[jwlegal125]

I'm 68 pre-diabetic and on thyroid medicine.  I am going to make an appt. next week with my optometrist if they will see me because COVID-19 is an issue right now.  I see colors  of green, red,  and pink .  These colors appear as lines and circles that actually move around while I am awake, they are quite beautiful but I need to know why it's happening.

[JohnHaganMD]

1. How long do they last?  2. Can you see them with your eyes closed?   3. Is it coming from both eyes?   4. When you have then do you have any other symptoms such as trouble moving arms or legs, trouble with speech or balance?  5. Is there any headache during, before, after they happen?  6. Have you ever been diagnosed by a MD as having migraines.   7. are you male/female?  Do you have access to see an MD ophthalmologist?

[jwlegal125]

1.  They last up to 15 seconds  2.  I  have never closed my eyes when I see them as I am so amazed   3.  Yes, I see the colors with both eyes  4.  No, I have no trouble with my arms or legs except a couple of times my arm was numb from what I thought was sleeping in same spot all night.  I have been a little stiff walking but it goes away after a few seconds ......I have gotten out of bed on one occasion walked to my bathroom set down and looked at the ceramic floor and saw the colors again  5.  I never have headaches, sometimes my eyes ache when I forget to take my BP pill.  6.  No  7.  Female  I can see an ophthalmologist.  I have Medicare and a supplement insurance as well.   Should I make an appt.?    Thank you.

[JohnHaganMD]

There are several things that concern me ESPECIALLY if this is something new that just developed in the last several months (if you said have been there for 10 years no problem unless something changes).   So assuming this is a new problem it does not sound like what are called ocular migraines.  You do need to see an eye MD ophthalmologist and I think need a test called a macular OCT. But these are not typical symptoms coming from the eye.  So what might cause them? You are 68 and pre-diabetic. If you have other risk factors: hypertension, elevated cholesterol, obesity, tobacco or marijuana use, bad family history of cardiovascular disease they could be a sign of disease of the heart/blood vessels or the Central Nervous system (brain). Start with the Eye MD. If that exam is normal ask the Eye MD to send report to your personal physician AND ask if you need to see a neurologist. It doesn't have to be serious but like someone that says they have chest pain the serious causes need to be ruled out.

[jwlegal125]

Dr. Hagan,
Thank you for your advice.  I will call my primary care doctor tomorrow and get a referral to see an ophthalmologist and request a macular OCT .  I will proceed from their findings and contact my primary care doctor with  the results.  I am presently on BP medicine however I do not smoke, drink or do any drugs and I am tall and thin.  I don't know about my cholesterol however but will schedule a complete physical as soon as possible.  Again, thank you so much, your opinion was greatly

appreciated.    Jo Ann Whitehead

[JohnHaganMD]

Sounds like you are taking good care of yourself,  keep it up. Best of luck.  Some of these things, often posted here, don't turn out to be an eye or body problem.  Some are awareness of entoptic phenomena but serious causes need to be excluded. If you find a cause as a learning experience for others please repost the findings   JHagan MD

[jwlegal125]

I certainly will...Thank you.

[JohnHaganMD]

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[RetiredWriter]

This has been bugging me for months now. I was afraid it might be a brain tumor or something equally hideous. How can so many people be having this happen without any eye care professionals knowing what it is?

[jwlegal125]

I agree.  I'm 68 pre-diabetic and on thyroid medicine.  I am going to make an appt. next week if they will see me because COVID-19 is an issue right now.  

[JohnHaganMD]

That posting is from 2015.    Please see my response to your other posting JHagan MD

[kynights]

Glad to here I'm not alone mine started 2012 yellow and blue I could not make Dr understand what I was seeing I'm 61

[jayhubbs]

i have been having green tinted vision alot here n their no matter what time of day last for a good while im 22 healthy beside leg n memory problems but im very curious on whats going on i have hazel eye's but i have what everyone calls mood eye's they change color depending on my mood the lighting and what i wear i dont know if its cuase my eyes turn green or what a friend said its bc i need a break n have to rest my eyes is that correct or whats going on please help  

[ScotlandPat]

I've just recently started having this same strange symptom - seeing everything bright green for 2-3 seconds after waking up from daytime snoozes. I'm a healthy 55 year old woman, on thyroxine but otherwise no health problems. I have a suggestion and wonder if others could comment.
For the past 3 years I've had to work a lot in sub-Saharan Africa, and find it difficult to re-acclimatize when returning to Scotland. As a result I've been drinking more tea (for warmth!) in Scotland and not much plain water - creating a problem of dehydration. The dentist also mentioned that my mouth is very dry. Could the problem be related to dehydration? I never have the vision problem when in Africa, where I drink plenty of water.

[jwlegal125]

I too have seen bright neon green lines after waking and are taking  thyroid medicine and awake sometimes with dry mouth.  I wonder if thyroid problems may be the cause.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[middleme]

For the past year whenever I wake from a daytime nap everything is yellow and green but quickly changes back to normal.  My EEG was normal.  My eye doctor does not know either.  About 5 years ago everything was turquoise then changed to other colors.  I wound up in a psych ward and was put on different meds....but after I came home the yellow and green thing started and slowly built up to everytime I nap.  Needless to say I did not complain
....smile.  It is nice to know I am not alone.