It temporarily alters blood flow to different parts of the brain and causes symptoms, but we don’t totally understand why or how it happens,” Blankshain says. “The blood vessels can spasm a little bit. While nobody knows for certain what causes ocular migraines, researchers suspect they involve a contraction or spasm in blood vessels in the brain’s vision center, or occipital lobe. “The classic thing is that it is in both eyes, lasts for a few minutes to an hour, and then just sort of goes away as quickly,” Blankshain says. Typically, the visual disturbance lasts from 15 to 30 minutes. Sometimes people see unusual shapes or colors, zigzags, a kaleidoscopic pattern, or wavy lines that look like heat waves coming off a grill. “The most common thing people see is sort of an arc in their vision that looks like a rainbow that’s shimmering,” says Kimberly Blankshain, MD, a neuro-ophthalmology fellow at UI Health. And good news: They’re usually not a cause for concern instead, they’re just a short-term, blingy inconvenience. One study estimates they affect 3% of women and 1% of men. Ocular migraines affect women more than men. Who knew you could get a migraine without a headache? And who knew the aura would look like sequins on a starlet’s dress? I had experienced an ocular migraine - also called a visual migraine or an ophthalmic migraine - which creates the aura associated with a migraine but without the telltale headache. Turns out, it wasn’t a torn retina, and I didn’t have to worry. And then, worried it was a retinal tear or detachment, I called my ophthalmologist. I put my head down in my arms because I couldn’t continue to work. A large crescent moon with shimmering silver sequins appeared in my eyes for about 20 minutes. As is the case with migraine headaches, avoiding triggers like aged cheese, too much caffeine, and dehydration should help.One December day, as I sat in front of my computer, a sparkling, glittery object took over my sight. The ocular migraine is usually short-lived, but if you find yourself getting them frequently, make a note of it on your calendar and contact your eye-care professional for a comprehensive eye exam. As will moving into a darkened room, especially if you’re light sensitive. Taking an over-the-counter pain reliever can also help. Lighting conditions (i.e., bright sunlight, computer screens).īecause ocular migraines can cause temporary obstructions, which may interfere with your everyday tasks like reading, driving, working, etc., the first course of action is to stop what you’re doing and rest your eyes.Other underlying issues or environmental factors may lead to the onset of an ocular migraine, such as: Causes of Ocular Migraineĭoctors and researchers are not absolutely sure what causes an ocular migraine, however, there’s evidence to suggest that they happen due to blood vessel spasms in the retina. Some people may experience an ocular migraine ahead of a full-on migraine headache. As with regular migraine headaches, you can also feel nauseous, vomit, and be light sensitive. That vision loss may be accompanied by moderate-to-severe pain and a throbbing or pulsating sensation in your eye that could get worse with movement. The main symptom of an ocular migraine is that your vision will be affected in one of your eyes for about an hour or less. (However, there is a condition called visual migraines that does affect both eyes.) Symptoms of Ocular Migraine Similar to migraine headaches, ocular migraines only happen on one side of the head and don’t affect both eyes. The light or waviness starts either peripherally and moves centrally, or the opposite.” Cheryl Roell describes them this way, “Most ocular migraines don’t cause total vision loss in one eye but rather a pulsing light or kaleidoscope-type of effect. They cause a temporary vision obstruction, usually lasting for less than an hour.ĭr. But ocular migraines are something different. That can happen, for example, when we’re out in the sun for long periods of time without sunglasses or staring at our digital devices for hours at a time without a break. Sometimes our eyes get sore, and they ache.
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