Ocular Migraine: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Used Medication

Ocular migraines cause vision loss or loss of sight in one eye that lasts less than an hour. You can have them in addition to or after a migraine headache. Professionals often call them visual, retinal, ophthalmic, or monocular (suggesting one eye) migraines.

This problem is uncommon. It affects about 1 out of every 200 people who have migraines. Some research recommends that in a lot of cases, the symptoms are because of other problems.

Routine migraines can likewise cause vision problems, called an aura, which can include flashing lights and blind spots in your vision. However these symptoms usually appear in both eyes.

See your doctor to learn if you have ocular migraines. He can dismiss other conditions that can cause comparable symptoms. Be prepared to explain your symptoms as entirely as you can– that will help your doctor know what’s really going on.

Ocular migraines are more typical in young women, and might happen more typically in those who have a history of migraine headaches with aurae (an aura could be a sensation like a breeze, or a vision such as a bright light, that takes place prior to a headache).

Symptoms of Ocular Migraine

Warning signs of an ocular migraine consist of:

Vision problems that affect one eye, such as flashing lights, blind spots in your field of vision, or loss of sight. You might have them for just a few minutes or as much as 30 minutes. These issues affect simply one eye, that makes ocular migraines various from other types.

It can be tough to tell the difference in between flashing lights or blindness in one side of your vision– however involving both eyes– and having these symptoms in only one eye. If you cannot tell, cover one eye then the other.

Headache that lasts from 4 to 72 hours. It tends to:

• Impact one side of your head
• Feel reasonably or extremely painful
• Throb or pulsate
• Feel worse when you walk around

Other symptoms consist of:

• Queasiness
• Vomiting
• Being delicate to light or sound

Pregnancy and Ocular Migraine

Pregnant women also experience ocular migraines. Some women might experience an aura together with nausea and vomiting. An aura is wavy or rugged lines or dots of flashing lights. You might likewise experience tunnel vision or blind spots.

Is It Dangerous for a Pregnant Woman to Have Ocular Migraines?

The only threat is when your headache may signify something else. You ought to ALWAYS call your health care provider when:

• Your headache is accompanied by a fever
• Your headache persists for more than a few hours or returns often
• You are experiencing blurred vision

Causes of Ocular Migraine

Experts aren’t sure what causes ocular migraines. Some feel that the issue is related to:

• Convulsions in blood vessels in the retina, the lining in the back of the eye
• Changes that spread throughout the afferent neuron in the retina

It’s uncommon, but individuals who have these migraines may have a greater risk of irreversible vision loss in one eye. Specialists don’t know if medications that avoid migraines– such as tricyclic antidepressants or anti-seizure medications– can assist prevent that vision loss. However if you have ocular migraines, even if they disappear on their own, it’s a smart idea to speak with your doctor about your symptoms.

How It’s Identified

Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and analyze your eyes. He’ll try to eliminate other conditions that could cause similar issues, such as:

• Amaurosis fugax, temporary blindness due to a lack of blood flow to the eye. It can take place since of a clog in an artery that leads to the eye.
• Spasms in the artery that gets blood to the retina
• Huge cell arteritis, an issue that causes inflammation in capillary. It can result in vision issues and loss of sight.
• Other blood vessel issues connected to autoimmune illness
• Drug abuse
• Conditions that keep your blood from thickening usually, like sickle cell disease and polycythemia

Treatment for Ocular Migraine

Ocular migraines typically go away by themselves within half an hour, so the majority of people don’t need treatment for them. It’s best to stop what you’re doing and rest your eyes up until your vision goes back to regular. If you have a headache, take a painkiller that your doctor suggests.

There’s been little research on the best way to treat or prevent ocular migraines. But, your doctor may suggest one or more medications:

• Aspirin
• Drugs that treat epilepsy, such as divalproex sodium (Depakote) or topiramate (Topamax).
• Tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline (Elavil) or nortriptyline (Pamelor).
• Blood pressure medications called beta blockers.