5 Things You Need to Know About an Ocular Migraine Headache

1. Ocular Migraines 101

Migraine headaches cause severe pain that can last for days. The main symptom of a migraine is a severe throbbing on one or both sides of the head. You also may experience nausea and vomiting. Some migraine headaches begin with an aura, which is an episode of visual disturbances that can last up to 30 minutes. An ocular migraine begins with visual disturbances which may be accompanied by headache pain. Although the cause of migraines is unknown, many doctors feel that vascular changes affecting blood flow to the brain are a major factor. An ocular migraine headache starts in the brain, not in the eye. As a result, ocular migraine headaches do not damage the eye.

2. When You Think You're Hallucinating

Symptoms of ocular migraine can be frightening, especially the first time you experience them. All ocular migraines present visual disturbances, which may appear as zigzag flashes that look like cartoon lightning, bright colored lights, lights that flash, shimmering stars or blind spots. These visual disturbances can last up to an hour, with or without a migraine headache.

3. Call Your Health Care Professional

The visual disturbances caused by an ocular migraine can be similar to visual disturbances caused by stroke. Visual disturbances also can be caused by a detached retina or by a blood clot in a vein inside the eye, called retinal artery thrombosis. See a doctor to seek treatment and rule out the more serious conditions. Most people who experience ocular migraines for the first time seek medical attention, because the visual disturbances are frightening. An opthamologist will check for problems within the eye, and a neurologist will check your brain. Treatment for ocular migraine is limited to pain relief of migraine headaches.

4. Don't Pull the Trigger

Although the cause of an ocular migraine headache remains unknown, certain things can trigger an episode. Known triggers include red wine, chocolate, shellfish, nuts, caffeine, aged cheese, processed meat and artificial sweeteners. Other migraine headache triggers may include stress, lack of sleep, hormonal changes, chemicals in medications and food and sometimes the barometric changes in weather. Avoiding the triggers that can bring on an ocular migraine headache is an important part of treatment.

5. Exercise Caution

With the visual disturbances of an ocular migraine, it's important to keep safety in mind. If you are driving when an ocular migraine occurs, pull off the road until the visual disturbances pass. If your occupation includes working with dangerous machinery, plan how to handle an ocular migraine before it happens so that you can react responsibly at the first sign of symptoms. Stop whatever you're doing immediately and wait for the visual disturbances to pass.