Understanding Ocular Migraines: Symptoms, Triggers, and Treatment

By Your Health Magazine

Your eyes are the main way you understand the world around you, so changes in your vision can be disconcerting. If you’ve ever noticed flashing lights, zigzag lines, or temporary vision loss in one eye, you could be experiencing something called an ocular migraine. While these symptoms usually pass within half an hour, it’s normal to feel confused or even a little frightened. This guide will explain exactly what ocular migraines are, common symptoms and triggers, how to prevent them, and tips to manage them.

What Are Ocular Migraines?

An ocular migraine is also known as a retinal migraine. This is because it’s caused by changes in blood flow or nerve signals in the retina, which is the light-sensitive layer at the back of your eye. Ocular migraines disturb your vision, usually in one eye.

It’s often hard to differentiate between an ocular migraine and a migraine with aura. The former affects one eye at a time, while the latter affects both eyes. Even though your vision should go back to normal by itself, it’s important to get checked out. A specialist at a clinic like Intermountain Eye Center can determine whether it’s really an ocular migraine or something else that’s potentially more serious.

Common Symptoms

Your symptoms may be slightly different from somebody else who also experiences ocular migraines. However, here are some of the most common signs:

Flickering or flashing lights
Blind spots that block part of your vision
Temporary loss of vision in one eye
Zigzag or wavy lines
A headache that follows visual symptoms

Typically, most episodes last around 10 to 30 minutes. It can be helpful to track your symptoms in a journal, including what you saw, how long it lasted, and what you were doing in the lead-up. This kind of insight is useful for your doctor when it comes to figuring out exactly what’s going on.

What Causes Ocular Migraines?

The exact cause isn’t fully understood yet. Generally speaking, experts believe that ocular migraines occur when blood flow to the optic nerve is temporarily reduced. Other factors may also play a role. For example, nerve cell activity in the brain that triggers visual disturbances, genetics, or other health issues, like stress or high blood pressure.

Triggers to Watch Out For

Triggers vary from person to person. So if you’ve had an ocular migraine, it’s important to think about what might have set it off. Stress and lack of sleep are often the biggest culprits. Food and drink may also act as triggers, especially caffeine, alcohol, aged cheese, processed meats, or artificial sweeteners.

If you’ve skipped a meal, this can affect blood flow and trigger symptoms, as can dehydration. Another consideration is hormonal changes, particularly if you’re a woman who has a menstrual cycle. Bright or flickering lights or prolonged screen time can also be an issue. Since everyone’s triggers are different, logging yours in a diary can help you identify patterns.

How Ocular Migraines Are Diagnosed

When you notice symptoms, go to your doctor. They’ll likely start with an eye exam to rule out conditions such as retinal tears, blocked blood vessels, or other eye diseases. In some cases, you may need further testing. This could involve imaging scans like MRI or CT scans to look at your brain activity, or if your doctor suspects vascular issues, you might need blood or blood pressure tests.

You should seek immediate medical help if the episode lasts longer than half an hour, you lose vision in both eyes, or you have new or worsening symptoms. These could be signs of something more serious that needs urgent care.

Treatment Options

Just as there are different triggers and symptoms, there are also varying ways to approach treatment. There isn’t one single cure yet. When an ocular migraine strikes, here are some of the most popular ways to ease the symptoms:

Rest in a dark and quiet room until your vision clears
Lie down with your eyes closed
Use over-the-counter pain relief if a headache follows
Apply a cold compress to your head, like an ice pack wrapped in a flannel
Try a warm compress instead, like a heating pad
Avoid looking at any screens, including your smartphone or TV

For frequent or severe cases, your doctor may prescribe medications like beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, or anti-seizure drugs. These are often effective in reducing how often migraines happen. Some dietary supplements may also help with ocular migraines, such as vitamin D, magnesium, riboflavin (vitamin B2), and the antioxidant, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). You should always avoid driving or operating machinery during an episode, for obvious safety reasons.

Tips to Prevent Ocular Migraines

As is often true with health conditions, prevention tends to be better than a cure. For ocular migraines, it’s all about adjusting your lifestyle and taking care of your personal triggers. Below are some of the most helpful strategies you can employ.

Regular sleep: Maintain a steady bedtime and morning routine, making sure you get a solid eight hours of sleep.
Proper hydration: Drink plenty of water throughout the day, ideally mineral water (not soda or sugary or artificially flavored drinks).
Balanced meals: Eat a plant-forward diet with regular, balanced meals, and don’t skip meals.
Stress management: Practice meditation, get enough exercise, and use breathing exercises to keep your mind and body relaxed.
Limit known food triggers: If you notice a pattern with certain foods, cut back or cut them out.
Migraine diary: Make sure to track when attacks happen and what you were doing beforehand.

These steps won’t necessarily guarantee you’ll never have another episode. With current science, there’s no way of doing that yet. However, they can greatly reduce how often you get ocular migraines, as well as the intensity of the attacks.

Endnote

Ocular migraines can feel unsettling, especially the first time you see flashing lights or lose part of your vision. Thankfully, they’re usually temporary, manageable, and to a certain degree, preventable. The key to taking control of your eye health is learning how to recognize your personal triggers and understand your symptoms. For the best chance of reducing your migraines, work with a specialist eye doctor for diagnosis and a tailored treatment plan. Your vision is precious, so it’s worth doing everything you can to protect it.