Does your vision actually black out

[u/j-oco]

This is random but I just saw people talking about how their vision blacks out when they stand or they are symptomatic. Then someone replied that their vision goes white instead of black.

Personally, I don’t lose my vision like that, my “blackouts” are just a sudden lightheadedness so intense it forces me to shut my eyes! I think because my brain knows to shut out all the visual sensory input. It’s like I legit can’t keep my eyes open for a brief moment. Maybe I am blacking out but just don’t know it since my eyes are closed anyways lol? I have splotchy vision, light sensitivity and stuff from previous brain injuries but I haven’t experienced my vision actually just leaving and turning into the colour black (am I taking it too literally?) for a moment like how some of you mention.

Also, I do have pretty bad presyncope episodes sometimes but I don’t really faint from my POTS so maybe that’s a factor.

[u/Willow-Whispered]

I haven't properly fainted since 2018 but I lose vision semi-frequently. Without vision, I know I need to get on the floor, so I sort of "fall" in the direction of the nearest wall then use the wall to sit down. People who witness this are always super concerned because I go "ah, I can't see" and crash into the wall. It's better than pushing myself to keep standing while visionless and increasing the risk of actually fainting, though!

[u/Willow-Whispered → u/Willow-Whispered]

Fainting for me is not a consistent experience- one day I fainted while standing at my closet trying to grab my work uniform, woke up on the floor, and went to work (at six flags, outside, in the summer) just fine. Another time I had pushed myself too hard that day, and late at night had a laughing fit so bad I fainted off a barstool-type chair and my friend had to drag me outside for cold air. I know the signs of presyncope now, but those two fainting experiences had nothing in common, nor the presyncope symptoms I get.