Ocular Migraine and You
According to the World Health Organization, most migraines have a genetic basis which explains why 70% of migraineurs have a family history of migraine headaches. Though there are no specific statistics for ocular migraines, about 18 percent of women and only 6 percent of men in the United States suffer from migraines.
Ocular Migraines, also known as Ophthalmic or Eye Migraines, as the name implies, concern vision. It is one of the most frightening type of migraine because one can experience temporary blindness for a short time from 5 to 30 minutes. By then, your vision will return to normal by itself without medications of any sort. This can happen to either one or even both eyes. What's more, it can be painful or painless.
When you are stationary, the temporary blindness might be harmless. Just imagine how dangerous it is if the ocular migraine strikes while you are driving.
In some ocular migraine cases, one experiences symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue and numbness after the visual disturbances.
An ocular migraine happens when a blood vessel in the brain spasms, affecting the blood flow and the oxygen flow to the part of the brain responsible for the vision. This explains the temporary blindness and the visual disturbances.
Here is a list of triggers of a migraine attack including ocular migraine:
- Aged cheese - Caffeinated drinks - Red wine - Smoked meats - Chocolate - MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), artificial sweeteners - Odours such as perfrume or cigarette smoke - Glare or flickering lights - Emotional stress
What you should do if you experience symptoms of ocular migraines is consult a doctor immediately. A comprehensive eye examination with an ophthalmologist can also rule out a retinal tear or a retinal detachment as they have the same symptoms too. Once diagnosed with ocular migraine, the doctor can then recommend the latest medications for migraine treatment as well as prevention.
If stress is the cause of the trigger, taking up yoga or massage is a good alternative to medications. Common sense will tell you to avoid those food or drinks if they are the culprits. Same goes for glare and flickering lights if they trigger your migraine.
It's good to always keep a small notebook with you so that you can write down the environment you were in, the food you were taking or even the activities you were engaged in, prior to the episode of the ocular migraine. This will help you to isolate the possible triggers to avoid in future. It's just like detective work where you have to gather evidence to find the murderer.
Ocular Migraines, also known as Ophthalmic or Eye Migraines, as the name implies, concern vision. It is one of the most frightening type of migraine because one can experience temporary blindness for a short time from 5 to 30 minutes. By then, your vision will return to normal by itself without medications of any sort. This can happen to either one or even both eyes. What's more, it can be painful or painless.
When you are stationary, the temporary blindness might be harmless. Just imagine how dangerous it is if the ocular migraine strikes while you are driving.
In some ocular migraine cases, one experiences symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue and numbness after the visual disturbances.
An ocular migraine happens when a blood vessel in the brain spasms, affecting the blood flow and the oxygen flow to the part of the brain responsible for the vision. This explains the temporary blindness and the visual disturbances.
Here is a list of triggers of a migraine attack including ocular migraine:
- Aged cheese - Caffeinated drinks - Red wine - Smoked meats - Chocolate - MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), artificial sweeteners - Odours such as perfrume or cigarette smoke - Glare or flickering lights - Emotional stress
What you should do if you experience symptoms of ocular migraines is consult a doctor immediately. A comprehensive eye examination with an ophthalmologist can also rule out a retinal tear or a retinal detachment as they have the same symptoms too. Once diagnosed with ocular migraine, the doctor can then recommend the latest medications for migraine treatment as well as prevention.
If stress is the cause of the trigger, taking up yoga or massage is a good alternative to medications. Common sense will tell you to avoid those food or drinks if they are the culprits. Same goes for glare and flickering lights if they trigger your migraine.
It's good to always keep a small notebook with you so that you can write down the environment you were in, the food you were taking or even the activities you were engaged in, prior to the episode of the ocular migraine. This will help you to isolate the possible triggers to avoid in future. It's just like detective work where you have to gather evidence to find the murderer.
