What is an Occular Migraine Headache?
Basically, people are affected by two varieties of migraine headaches. The migraines that are accompanied by auras also include a quite rare form of migraines known as occular migraines. They are different from the typical aura migraine due to the symptoms being produced in one eye. Other people experience the more common variation of migraines that are not associated with auras. Occular migraines as well as aura migraines can be more disruptive than typical migraines.
Auras
A person experiencing the occular variety will usually experience an aura for about five to twenty minutes and symptoms include vertigo, feeling confused, experiencing numbness and feeling unbalanced. Unusual symptoms that are frequently associated with occular migraine attacks include some loss of vision; objects take on distorted forms as well as seeing flashing lights and unusual color patterns as well as unusual shapes. Some people also experience blurred central vision and some people have reported black or gray areas in their visual field.
People who have a history of occular migraines typically experience an aura before the painful migraine headache occurs. Things that typically bring on a migraine can also produce the occular variety. The occular type can be quite disruptive; however they usually do not produce long term problems to the eyes.
People who experience the occular type usually become worried about having long term vision problems and typically visit ophthalmologists. They can be helpful, however most experts suggest patients also visit a neurologist so the symptoms can be properly taken care of by a doctor who is an expert in dealing with the painful symptoms associated with occular migraines. Also a neurologist has the skills to determine if the auras that are being experienced have been caused by a stroke.
Primary Cause
With people who are experiencing a migraine with an aura the visual problems are typically created by the occipital cortex in the brain. The primary cause of occular migraine attacks are due to the retinal blood vessels located inside of the eye. A patient who is dealing with the occular variety can stop the auras by simply closing the affected eye or by placing their hand over the eye that is experiencing the problems.
Triptans are commonly used for treating migraine headaches however they should not be used by people who are experiencing occular migraines since they constrict blood vessels and if they constrict the blood vessels located in the retina a loss of vision can occur. Prevention is the best way of dealing with the occular type. Reducing stress, getting a sufficient number of hours of sleep and keeping a consistent schedule can be helpful in preventing the occular variety from occurring. If you have occular migraine headaches you should consult your physician.
