Ocular migraine: symptoms, causes and how to treat it

Definition of an ocular migraine

Ocular migraine is a migraine that causes visual disturbances. This type of migraine can appear with or without pain in cases of migraines in general.

When experiencing an ocular migraine you may appear to see streaks of light, twinkle, or sparkly light. Some people describe it as seeing absurd images in bright colors.

You may also lose vision at certain points. This condition can interfere with activities such as reading, writing, and driving. That is why, this type of migraine can be dangerous if it occurs during certain activities.

In fact, ocular migraine is still classified as a harmless disease and does not last long. In fact, this condition can disappear and your vision returns to normal immediately.

The frequency of this condition varies widely. However, often, sufferers of this type of migraine experience it every few months.

The difference between ocular migraine and migraine

This migraine is different from the usual migraine disease. This condition is also different from and not the same as migraine with aura, even though they both cause visual disturbances.

The difference is that migraine with aura is usually accompanied by visual disturbances that affect both eyes, whereas ocular migraine only occurs on one side of the eye.

Ocular migraine signs and symptoms

Some of the common symptoms of ocular migraines include:

1. Impaired vision

This condition can cause various visual disturbances that can limit daily activities, such as visual disturbances that only occur in one eye, such as seeing a beam of light, loss of vision at certain points, and blindness can be a symptom of an ocular migraine.

These symptoms can last from a few minutes to 60 minutes. However, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish whether this symptom is only in one eye or both.

If you are unsure, close one side of your eye and watch for symptoms. Then replace it with the other eye.

2. Headache

A headache that lasts 4 to 72 hours that:

• Only attacks one side of the head (headaches).
• Feel sick or very sick.
• Nyut-nyutuh.
• It gets worse when you move.

Other symptoms that may accompany it include:

• Nausea.
• Gag.
• Sensitive to glare or loud sounds.

In addition, there may be some signs and symptoms not listed above. If you have any concerns about a particular symptom, please consult your doctor.

When to see a doctor?

If you experience any of the signs or symptoms listed above, or have any questions, please consult your doctor. Everyone's body reacts differently. It is always better to discuss what is best for your situation with your doctor than to make the diagnosis yourself.

Especially if you experience loss of the ability to see the eyes. It is better to immediately consult an ophthalmologist, especially if this is your first time experiencing it. The reason is, there are so many eye health problems that are more dangerous and to find out the cause of these conditions, doctors must carry out an examination directly.

Causes of ocular migraines

Ocular migraines are caused by narrowing of the blood vessels in the eye, thereby reducing blood flow to the eye.

This condition can be triggered by the following reasons:

• Stress.
• Smoking habit.
• High blood pressure.
• Use of oral contraceptives.
• Sports.
• Activity bending forward.
• Located in the highlands.
• Dehydration.
• Low blood sugar level.
• The heat of the sun.

However, as mentioned earlier, this condition is not actually a dangerous condition. After the blood vessels relax again, blood flow returns to the eye.

Usually, patients with this condition do not experience any problems or permanent damage to the eye after blood flow returns.

Ocular migraine diagnosis & treatment

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

How is ocular migraine diagnosed?

The doctor will ask for your symptoms and examine your eye. The doctor will make sure you do not have other conditions or diseases such as:

• Amaurosis fugax, temporary blindness due to lack of blood flow to the eyes. This can be caused by blockage of the arteries to the eyes.
• Arterial spasms that cause blood to enter the retina.
• Giant cell arteritis (giant cell arteritis), impaired vision or blindness caused by inflammation of the blood vessels.
• Other blood vessel disorders due to autoimmune diseases.
• Drug abuse.
• Diseases that interfere with normal blood clotting, such as sickle cell anemia and polycythemia.

What are the treatment options for ocular migraines?

Ocular migraines usually go away on their own in about 30 minutes. When a migraine occurs, first rest your eyes until they are back to normal. If you have a headache, take the pain reliever your doctor recommends.

There is very little research that looks at how to treat ocular migraines. However, your doctor may recommend the following treatments.

• Aspirin.
• Epilepsy drugs, such as divalproex sodium (Depakote) or topiramate (Topamax).
• Triclicic antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil) or nortriptyline (Pamelor).
• Beta-blocker drugs for high blood pressure medications.

If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.

Prevention of ocular migraines

Although this ocular migraine is said to be harmless, you certainly don't want to lose sight of your eyes repeatedly.

If you know the triggers for a condition you are experiencing, where each person has different triggers, avoiding them is certainly the way to go.

However, if this condition is also accompanied by pain in the head that causes discomfort, you may need preventive or preventive measures.

The aim of prevention is to reduce the frequency of occurrence of this condition as well as the severity of the headaches that occur.

Even so, you need to understand that no one can ensure that the recommended preventive measures are sure to work effectively. This means that preventive measures may reduce the frequency to a lesser extent, but this does not guarantee that this condition will not occur again forever.

Take vitamin supplements and medications as a preventative measure

According to Brigham and Women's Hospital, there are several preventive measures that can be taken, such as taking vitamin B2 if you want to prevent ocular migraines. Moreover, the use of this vitamin will not cause side effects.

You can take this vitamin as much as 100 milligrams (mg) per day to reduce headaches caused by this condition. The only side effect that may arise is that the urine changes to a bright yellow color.

Meanwhile, the use of other drugs for prevention can usually cause side effects if consumed too often. However, if you want to use it, you can take it in low doses and add it slowly.

Several types of drugs that can be used to prevent ocular migraines are amitriptyline, gabapentin, and topiramate. There are also other types of drugs that are classified as less frequently used, such as valproic acid and botulinum injections that are made on the head and scalp to reduce headaches that arise.

Even so, it is always better to consult a doctor or pharmacist about the use of these medicines before taking them. This is important to prevent unwanted side effects or drug interactions.