Some Hard Facts About Ophthalmic Migraine That You Always Wanted To Know
Migraines are defined as powerful and very stubborn headaches that are normally produced in response to certain triggers such as, particular food, smells, chemical reactions in the body (hormone induced), harsh lights, acute and sustained physical and mental stress, and so many others.
The commonest symptoms of a migraine are blinding headache that does not respond to regular medication; high sensitivity to light, sound and even different smells around the environment; nausea, inability to speak or sleep. When such symptoms are coupled with visual impairment, those migraines are known as ophthalmic migraine. Sometimes the visual impairment could occur even without the headache which is often considered a very scary sign of illness.
This involves a sudden blurring of vision similar to how you would see if you were looking through a cracked glass pane. It starts in one eye and gradually spreads in such a way that you would not be able to see clearly at all. This could last for anything between five and twenty minutes and it might or might not be accompanied by headache.
How Do You Know For Sure That You Are Suffering From Ophthalmic Migraine
A word of reassurance here - the ophthalmic migraine is very often harmless and does not even require a certain medication regime. This is usually disappears on its own. However, it is important that the diagnosis is done correctly, lest you would suffer from something more serious and blame it on the ophthalmic migraine, preventing you from obtaining the required treatment.
The signature symptoms are two main things - (i) you would experience a peculiar sudden blind spot in the middle of your vision which would move across your vision field. The blind spot would have episodes of sudden bright flickering lights interchanged with a shimmering zigzag line. The whole thing would be over without any outside help inside about twenty minutes to half an hour.
Generally speaking, if you suffer from the above symptoms then you are experiencing ophthalmic migraine which is a harmless affliction. However, it would be good to consult with a doctor and ensure that your guess is right. Similar symptoms would be experienced in case you suffered from retinal detachment - and that could cause permanent vision damage if left untreated thinking it is a manifestation of the ophthalmic migraine.
The reason why this problem occurs is not very clear; nor is the method of prevention. It is imperative however, to be sure about the diagnosis. The ophthalmic migraine does not require any medication but the diagnosis could be more serious and that would need medical attention to cure. Do not delay a meeting with a doctor when you find these symptoms; it could something serious.
