Bourieva's Visual Difficulties. Bourieva has what is known as a visual snow syndrome; 2% of the population has that problem, some more serious than others. There is a hearing problem equivalent, known as Tinitus. Luckily, she has no hearing problem. That "snow" or "dust" is always moving around; it is like seeing through snow or sand storm. Those who are born with that problem, if it is not too invasive, might not be aware that their sight is problematic. She became aware of it, at 14, when it became much more invasive after her head had hit the pavement following aggression from a bullish student at school. Illustrated above is what Bourieva sees when looking at her sister Nova, compared to what people with normal vision will see.