Information on Ocular Migraines
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Defined Tag: Migraine Headache.

Information on Ocular Migraines

Ocular migraines are a very common type of migraine even though some people haven’t heard of them. Ocular migraines also known as eye migraines or optical migraines, or the more obscure name, acephalgic migraines.

How Can You Recognize an Ocular Migraine?

The first sign of an ocular migraine is usually a small blind spot in the vision, as if you’ve looked at a bright light for too long. However, instead of going away, it grows larger, often becoming more colorful and shimmering. The most common shape seen is a zig-zag curved shape, which is known as a "fortification spectrum" because it looks like the plans for a fort.

The visual disturbance may last only a few minutes, or up to an hour, during which it moves to one side until it eventually disappears. For some, ocular migraines involve only the visual aura without a headache, although this is not true for everyone. Even without the headache, ocular migraines usually result in a tired or sick feeling afterward as the migraine recovery period takes place.

What Causes Ocular Migraines?

Scientists are not yet certain exactly what causes migraines, or why some people experience the ocular type while some experience the complete "classical" migraine, with both visual aura and headache. However, ocular migraines are believed to be triggered by stimulation of the nerves at the back of the brain. Studies have shown that in classical migraines, the surface of the brain shows changes in the blood supply, while in the ocular type, the brain’s visual cortex and the eye itself are affected.

Can Ocular Migraines be Predicted or Prevented?

Like most types of migraines, ocular migraines do not recur on a patterned basis, but rather irregularly and unpredictably. Some sufferers might have several episodes a month, or just one or two a year. However, many patients have discovered that they can predict when they are about to have an ocular migraine, as there are sometimes warning signs such as an extra sensitivity to light, food cravings or tiredness. Some people find they can prevent the ocular migraine from progressing by moving to a dark room.

It can be very important to recognize when an ocular migraine is about to occur, as it can be very dangerous to experience one while driving, for example. It’s also important to get your ocular migraines correctly diagnosed to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms, such as stroke or blood clots in the retinal arteries.

How are Ocular Migraines Treated?

In many cases doctors do not prescribe any treatment for ocular migraines, as they are considered more of an inconvenience than an actual painful condition. If you also experience other kinds of migraines with headache, you may find that your medication for that is also useful in treating ocular migraine, but check with your doctor to be sure that’s all right. Certain types of migraine medications that contain triptans can be dangerous and even cause blindness when used for ocular migraines due to their effect on blood vessels in the retina. Medications containing triptans include Imitrex (generic name Sumatriptan),  Zomig (Zolmitriptan) and Amerge (Naratriptan.)

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