Break Up with Migraines - Chronic Ocular Migraines

You can't see me, I can cause throbbing pain, I can make you sensitive to light and sound, I can affect your vision temporarily, and I can even choose where I want to be and when — what am I? If you answered "a headache", Bingo!

So, A Headache - Isn’t Just a Headache?

Are you aware that there are many types of headaches? The throbbing and annoying pain of a headache can be distressing, and some are far more painful than others, so it’s important to recognize the difference. The team at Healthfully Fabulous wants you to learn about 10 of the most common types of headaches:

• Tension

• Cluster

• Migraine

• Allergy or Sinus

• Hormone

• Caffeine

• Exertion

• Hypertension

• Rebound

• Post-traumatic

According to the World Health Organization, nearly everyone experiences a headache now and then. Although headaches are mainly described as a painful area in your head, causation, symptoms, intensity, and duration will vary depending on the type of headache you experience. For example, chronic ocular migraine, which causes temporary blindness along with the migraine.

What Is Chronic Ocular Migraine?

Unlike other types of migraines, an ocular migraine can appear with no related head pain. It is also common for someone who is a sufferer to experience many visual symptoms and disturbances.

The term “Ocular Migraine” references various migraine subtypes defined by various visual problems that may include:

• Visual loss

• Blind spots

• Zig-zag lines

• Seeing stars

Although temporary vision loss from ocular migraines can cause quite a scare, it is usually irritating and resolves on its own within an hour. Learn about these subtypes to better understand how they affect vision. Ocular migraines are also known as:

• Eye Migraines

• Ophthalmic migraines

• Retinal migraines

• Visual migraines

What Are the Types of Ocular Migraines?

Migraine w/ Aura

Migraines with aura usually have a short duration and can happen either with a headache or without one. They may also include problems with your senses and interfere with your speech and motor skills. It can impair your vision by causing you to experience light flashes, blind spots, seeing patterns and stars, and other vision issues that ultimately go away after a short time.

Retinal Migraine

Retinal migraine is when you only have symptoms that affect your vision in one eye before or during the headache phase of the migraine. These migraines tend to be more intrusive than aura symptoms, including weakened vision, twinkling lights or stars, and temporary vision loss. Complications of Retinal Migraine can include permanent vision loss, so it is important to explain your exact symptoms to your healthcare provider.

Migraine Subtypes w/ Vision Disturbance?

Migraine aura refers to the result of irregular electrical actions that spread across your cortex slowly at a rate of around 3 mm a minute. It is culpable for visual disturbances when it happens and normally ends within 20-60 minutes. Also, these electrical actions entail only certain areas of the cortex or outer surface of the brain and may be caused by reduced blood flow to your retina, or the disturbance can occur in the back of the eye in the retina.

Treating and Preventing Migraine with Aura or Retinal Migraine

There are effective medications that can target your symptoms, like NSAIDs for inflammation and pain, as well as medicines for treating the symptoms of nausea. There are also preventative measures that you can take; such as calcium channel blockers, antiepileptic and tricyclic medications, as well as the cessation of smoking.

Some other drug free options include:

• Rest your eyes

• Steer clear of harsh and bright lighting

• Limit your exposure to direct sunlight.

• Remember to take breaks from your computer screen.

As with all types of migraines, do your best to avoid these triggers:

• Stress

• Dehydration

• High altitude

• Excessive heat

• Low blood sugar

• Extended time gazing at a screen

Although symptoms of chronic ocular migraines can be frightening and worrying, oftentimes they are transitory, and more often than not, reversible. In the meantime, take a look at our blog over here.