Migraine CT - understanding the ocular migraine

When you hear the word migraine, it is likely you imagine an intense headache that makes you stay in a dark room. There is a condition known as ocular migraine, however, that may cause little or no pain. An ocular migraine is a painless, temporary visual disturbance that may last 20 to 30 minutes. Ocular migraines, which are typically harmless and self-resolving, may affect one or both eyes. Other terms for these disturbances are ophthalmic migraines, eye migraines or retinal migraines. An ocular migraine may present varied symptoms in your vision that may start and stop very quickly. The patient may experience a small blind spot in his or her central vision that enlarges as time passes. This spot may be surrounded by bright lights that are flickering or flashing called scintillations; or by wavy lines. The spot can move through the line of vision or stay in one place.

What causes the ocular migraine?

Like common migraine headaches, the ocular migraine is believed to be based in genetics. According to studies, up to 70 percent of migraine sufferers have at least one family member with the same condition.

A migraine may be brought on by a number of factors, ranging from light to certain foods such as aged cheese, red wine or caffeine. This trigger will cause a mechanism in the brain to activate, resulting in the release of substances that cause inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain. While there are treatments available for common migraines in CT with Dr. Gold, the ocular migraine typically resolves on its own in thirty minutes or less. There is no specified treatment for this type of migraine; however, it's important to know what to do should one occur.

If you experience an ocular migraine when operating machinery or driving a vehicle stop immediately and sit with your eyes closed and wait for your vision to clear. You may be able to avoid migraines by steering clear of triggers, and receiving a thorough examination with Dr. Gold to eliminate any underlying factors.

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