Ocular Migraines: Symptoms and Causes
At View Optometry we regularly see patients who have experienced an ocular migraine. Patients are often unsure about what happened to their vision and believe that they may have had a retinal detachment. This blog post details what an ocular migraine is and what steps you should take if you suspect you have had one.
What Is an Ocular Migraine?
An ocular migraine, also known as a visual or retinal migraine, is a rare type of headache. Ocular migraines begin with an aura with a wide variety of symptoms including visual disturbances which can be in one or both eyes. The aura of a typical ocular migraine lasts less than 20 minutes before your vision gradually reverts to its normal state but you may experience a lingering dull headache afterwards.
example of a ring visual disturbance
What Are the Symptoms of an Ocular Migraine?
Visual disturbances such as:
Flashes of light sometimes also described as “shimmering spots” or “zigzagging patterns” (often appearing in 360 degrees, like a ring)
Blind spots
Blurry vision
Tunnel vision
Temporary partial or total vision loss
Light sensitivity
Trouble focusing
A dull headache following the visual aura
Typical migraine symptoms such as: sound sensitivity, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue.
Neurological symptoms like slurred speech, confusion, weakness on one side of your body, or numbness in your face or arm, indicates more critical health concerns. Seek immediate medical attention if you experienced neurological symptoms in addition to the ocular migraine symptoms listed above.
Example of a ring visual disturbance
Example of tunnel vision with a ring visual disturbance
Example of a central visual disturbance
What Causes Ocular Migraines?
No one is sure exactly what causes ocular migraines, but doctors theorize that the ocular migraine aura symptoms could be caused by spasms of the retinal blood vessels. There is usually some sort of trigger for these types of migraines. Some examples of triggers include: caffeine, certain foods, inconsistent sleep, hormonal changes, stress, or bright lights.
How Do I Know if I Had an Ocular Migraine?
The diagnosis of ocular migraines is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning that your doctor needs to rule out any other cause of your visual symptoms. Because ocular migraine symptoms closely resemble more serious conditions like retinal detachments or strokes it’s important to schedule an urgent eye exam with an optometrist if you experienced the symptoms listed above and have not been diagnosed with ocular migraines in the past. Our optometrists can perform a dilated eye exam to check for retinal detachments and narrow down other potential causes.
What Should I Do If I Think I’ve Had an Ocular Migraine?
It’s best to stop what you are doing and lay down for about 20 minutes. Some people experience a headache after the visual symptoms so it would be wise to take a Tylenol or Advil to prevent the headache from coming on. If the visual symptoms go away in approximately 20 minutes you have likely had an ocular migraine. However, it is important to visit an optometrist to determine if there is another potential cause, since symptoms of ocular migraines closely resemble symptoms of serious conditions like strokes or retinal detachments.