Ocular Migraine

Ocular migraine

       The ocular migraine is a type of migraine that focuses on the side of the aura in which visual symptoms predominate. In ocular migraine, the pain usually around the eye is accompanied by nausea, vomiting and double vision or diplopia. The migraine is as vascular headache. The cause of a migraine is unknown, even though there is an involvement of the blood vessels of your head.

       The migraines usually begin in the morning or during the day and are characterized by intense, gripping pain on one side of the head. The migraines can last for hours to days. It usually stops by sleep. The problem with the vision is common and can include visual hallucinations like sparks, light flashes, visual disturbance or zigzag light. It occurs rarely. This occurs because of a nerve weakness. The causes of a painful ocular migraine are internal carotid artery, aneurysm and diabetes.

Ocular migraine causes

       The biological causes of the ocular migraine are unknown, but a number of factors that can cause it have been discovered: stress, premenstrual changes, drinking alcohol, hunger, smoking or even the use of contraceptives can cause migraines in some people. Some foods may produce attacks, like: milk, chocolate, aged cheese, livers, meat preserved in nitrates, red wine. Also the persons who expose directly to sunlight or exercise can experience migraine attacks.

Ocular migraine symptoms

       The pain around the eye is accompanied by nausea, vomiting and diplopia or double vision. In some rare instances the ocular disturbances in combination with typical migraine headaches can result in a migraine attack. In rare cases the patient can be left with a permanent neurologic deficit following a migraine attack. This may happen because of a irreversible cerebral ischemic which means low blood flow and oxygenation damage. Ocular migraine symptoms are temporary. Although you feel that you will never see clearly again, the symptoms can be temporary and will not cause long term damage to your eye.

       However, ocular migraine symptoms can interfere with your every day activities such as reading or driving. It is important to test your eye if you suspect that you have ocular migraine. The test is very simple. Cover or close one eye, if the symptoms remain cover or close the other eye. If the symptoms stop you may have an ocular migraine. If the symptoms do not disappear and affect both eyes you may experience traditional migraine aura.

Ocular migraine treatment

       The treatment of ocular migraine consists in avoiding the factors that can cause a migraine, in combination with medications if it is necessary. A lot of people find useful to rest in a quiet, dark room during a migraine attack, until the symptoms disappear. An analgesic should be taken right away for providing relief. The treatment with extra cranial vasoconstrictors or other medications is sometime necessary. If the migraine occurs more than two or three times a month a prophylactic treatment can be necessary.

Seek for medical care

       Even though you may experience ocular migraine or some other eye disease you have to immediately ask for medical care form your physician. It is very important for people to make the difference between the different types of migraine. A migraine headache is a migraine headache. You think wrong if you assume that all migraines are almost the same. So when 15%of the population that suffers for migraine say that they have ocular migraine, they are wrong. There are many different types of migraine and talking to a doctor is better if you want to find out of which type of migraine are you suffering.