Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Most commonly the term "ocular migraine" had been used to describe what is now called migraine with auraMigraine with aura (also called classic migraine) is a recurring headache that strikes after or at the same time as sensory disturbances called aura. These disturbances can include flashes of light, blind spots, and other vision changes or tingling in your hand or face.https://www.mayoclinic.org › symptoms-causes › syc-20352072
Retinal migraine (ocular migraine) is an eye condition that causes brief attacks of blindness or visual problems like flashing lights in 1 eye. These episodes can be frightening, but in most cases they're harmless and shortlived, and eyesight goes back to normal afterwards.
Frequent ocular migraines are usually the result of a trigger of some type. Like migraines, ocular migraines can be triggered by a variety of things. Some examples include: Lights, sounds, or smells.
Retinal migraines are rare, affecting 1 in 200 migraine sufferers. Retinal migraines should be suspected if repeated temporary blindness or vision loss occur in one eye. This occurs due to sudden changes in tiny blood vessels in the back of the eye, known as the retina which transfers visual signals to the brain.
Ocular migraine, or migraine with aura, and stroke are two different conditions. Having an attack doesn't mean you're having a stroke or are about to have one. However, research has shown that people with migraine with aura are at an increased risk of stroke.
Like other types of migraine, harsh lights and electronic screens can be triggers. Straining your eyes by staring at a screen for long periods of time, spending time in fluorescent or other harsh lighting, driving long distances and other taxing visual activities can increase your risk for attacks.
Ocular Migraine Treatment
The visual portion of an ocular migraine usually lasts less than 60 minutes, so most people don't need treatment. It's best to stop what you're doing and rest your eyes until your vision goes back to normal. If you have a headache, take a pain reliever that your doctor recommends.
You should rest and avoid triggers such as bright lights until the vision disturbances are gone. There are both over-the-counter treatments and prescription medications that you can use to treat recurring migraine flares. Over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen or Excedrin Migraine may also help reduce the symptoms.
Understanding Ocular Migraine
The symptoms get worse when you start doing strenuous activity. Ocular migraines are a rare condition that can be defined as a headache followed by vision changes. You may see lines, shimmering lights, stars, or at times blind spots.
Ocular migraines and prolonged auras may indicate a more serious, life-threatening condition such as a migrainous infarction. If you experience a severe headache accompanied by facial drooping or another stroke symptom, with or without visual disturbance, call 911 immediately.
Stress is a common trigger of migraine headaches, including ocular migraine headaches. Since anxiety causes stress, anxiety is a common cause of migraine headaches, including ocular migraine headaches.
In general, migraines likely involve alterations of blood flow to certain regions of the brain. In the case of ocular migraines, the involved area is the vision center of the brain.
People with ocular migraines can have a variety of visual symptoms. Typically you will see a small, enlarging blind spot (scotoma) in your central vision with bright, flickering lights (scintillations) or a shimmering zig-zag line (metamorphopsia) inside the blind spot.
Diagnosing an Ocular Migraine
If you are experiencing any kind of impairment to your vision similar to the symptoms above, it is always important to discuss those with your doctor. A neurologist can help a patient distinguish between whether they are experiencing migraine aura or more serious retinal migraines.
But during a migraine, these stimuli feel like an all-out assault. The result: The brain produces an outsize reaction to the trigger, its electrical system (mis)firing on all cylinders. This electrical activity causes a change in blood flow to the brain, which in turn affects the brain's nerves, causing pain.
Dehydration. Though often overlooked, dehydration is one of the most common causes of migraine headaches—and thus, of visual and ocular migraines. For some especially migraine-sensitive folks, even mild dehydration can trigger a migraine event.
Dehydration is one of several triggers that can exacerbate migraine headaches, including migraine variants like the one you are experiencing. Maintaining good hydration should help reduce the frequency of these visual migraines, which are also known as acephalgic migraine.
The most substantial evidence for magnesium's effectiveness is in patients who have or have had aura with their migraine. It is believed magnesium may prevent the wave of brain signaling, called cortical spreading depression, which produces the visual and sensory changes in the common forms of aura.
In participants with migraine with visual aura in late middle age, increased risk of cardioembolic stroke was observed. Migraine with visual aura was linked to increased stroke risk, while migraine without visual aura was not, over the period of 20 years. These results are specific to older migraineurs.
The causes of ocular migraines differ from person to person, and sometimes they are just unexplainable. Some say chocolate or caffeine triggers them, while others believe stress and certain medications are a factor. Still, other sufferers say they experience ocular migraines randomly.
Can I have a visual migraine without a headache? Definitely. It is actually very common to have a visual migraine without any headache. The medical term for this is “acephalgic migraine,” which literally means migraine symptoms without headache.
When the vitreous gel inside your eye rubs or pulls on the retina, you may see what looks like flashing lights or lightening streaks. You may have experienced this sensation if you have ever been hit in the eye and see "stars." These flashes of light can appear off and on for several weeks or months.
Focal seizures and seizure aura can mimic migraine aura. Visual migraine aura can be confused for occipital seizures and vice versa, although symptoms are classically distinct.
If you get bad migraines or you have them often, you may worry that if you don't already have a brain tumor, the migraines might cause one. But research can help put your mind at ease. There is no evidence migraines cause brain tumors.