Photophobia, or light hypersensitivity, is a common symptom of migraine, and sunlight, bright light, and changing light levels may trigger migraine episodes or worsen existing symptoms. Using migraine sunglasses may help because they filter out specific wavelengths that may trigger or worsen migraine episodes.
Sunglasses with dark, polarized lenses (with or without FL-41) are another good option for bright sunlight, as they reduce scattered light, which causes glare. Wraparound frames can shield your eyes from the effects of light on your peripheral vision as well.
If you seem to experience headaches frequently, there is no harm in visiting your local optician to find out if there is a problem with your vision. If you suffer headaches as well as blurry vision, double vision or difficulty seeing at night, it is very likely you need to wear glasses.
Treatment options
If your attacks are frequent, the doctor may recommend calcium channel blockers, antiepileptic or tricyclics medications to reduce the number of ocular migraine attacks. During an ocular migraine attack, you can: Lie down or sit in a dark, quiet room.
To tell whether you are experiencing an actual or a visual migraine, cover one eye and see if you notice a problem with your vision. Then cover the other eye and check again. If the vision problem is just in one eye, then it is an ocular migraine. If it is in both eyes, then it is a visual migraine.
Common triggers include stress, hormonal changes, bright/flashing lights, drinking alcohol (red wine), changes in the weather, skipping meals/not eating enough, or too much or too little sleep.
Looking at a computer screen or reading for long periods of time. Certain foods like nitrates or MSG. Changes in weather or barometric pressure. Hormonal changes.
Most ocular and retinal migraines don't require treatment. They will go away on their own. It helps to rest and avoid triggers such as loud noises or bright lights. If ocular or retinal migraines occur frequently, your eye doctor may suggest medications, including those used to treat other forms of migraines.
The optometrist serves to guide patients to the appropriate care when it comes to ocular migraines or one of their differentials. In order to do this, we need to take a good history and do a thorough exam. Ask about location and duration of symptoms.
For many years, blue light blocking glasses have also been thought to help with headaches, eye strain, dryness, and blurred vision. However, newly published research suggests that they actually aren't effective at reducing headaches and other symptoms related to digital eye strain.
Ocular migraines and stroke are two conditions that share similar symptoms and can often be confused. Although an ocular migraine alone does not indicate a stroke, studies show that those who suffer from ocular migraines may be at a higher risk of experiencing a stroke.
If you have visual symptoms that have not previously been evaluated by a health care provider, you should see a provider if you have any of the following: Visual changes in only one eye. Visual changes that last less than five minutes and more than 60 minutes. Visual changes without a headache.
A retinal migraine a rare phenomenon that usually affects monocular vision transiently. Duration of symptoms on average is 5 to 20 minutes. The prognosis for an ocular migraine is good. The frequency and intensity of the headache typically decrease.
Curiously, migraine aura tends to increase with age and often presents without headache. This correlates with other studies that show that visual aura and other disturbances (such as zig zag lines known as scintillating scotoma) are more common in older headache patients.
How common is a migraine aura? Only 25% to 30% of people with migraine headaches experience migraine aura. Of that population, approximately: 90% to 99% of people develop visual aura.
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.
Types of visual migraine, or ocular migraine, include migraine with aura and retinal migraine. Both of these are neurological conditions wherein a person may experience visual disturbances or vision loss alongside a headache.
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.
Usually, brain tumor headaches are described as headaches with features more similar to ten- sion-type headaches than to migraines. therefore, it is strongly suggestive that the mechanism of spreading depression can initiate the symptoms of visual aura even in occipital brain tumors.
Harsh lighting, long screen time, other visual strain, stress, dehydration, food additives, and other causes all may trigger an ocular migraine, a subtype that focuses in the eye and causes vision changes.
Some people get retinal migraine every few months, although the frequency can vary. Retinal migraine is a separate condition. It shouldn't be confused with headache-type migraine or migraine with aura, which usually affects the vision of both eyes.
Learn more about the signs and symptoms of a retinal migraine, as well as the possible risks. If a person does not receive prompt treatment for migraine conditions, they may become more sensitive to the symptoms each time they occur. This process can lead to chronic daily headaches or migraine episodes.
Research suggests that the answer is yes. Migraines can cause lesions, which are areas of damage to 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.