Do You Have Ophthalmic Migraine Symptoms?
When the blood flow is hindered reaching the optic nerve through a spasm in the arteries behind the eyes in a process called vasospasm, a partial blindness will probably occur. This could well be an Ophthalmic Migraine symptom and thus referred to as visual migraines and occular migraines. A lot of people may knowingly or unknowingly experience this condition and pass it on as the eyes’ adjustment in the surrounding, which is quite true. Studies show that in every four cases of ophthalmic migraine, three are women. This means that men have lesser chances of experiencing it than women do.
The most common identified trigger for ophthalmic migraine is stress, flashing lights, allergic reactions due to chemicals found in food and medications, and hormonal changes. Migraine headaches are commonly absent in visual migraines. This is the reason why you may also find it referenced as migraine aura without headache.
A sufferer also does not have to worry about any lingering or permanent effects in the brain or vision because Ophthalmic Migraine is usually painless and may not need to be treated although it is advised to consult an eye doctor. This is to prevent self-misdiagnosis and to be able to acquire correct treatment if the visual problems are related to other disorders.
Flashes in the central or peripheral that would last about 10-40 minutes accompanied by visual distortions and blurs are the common symptoms of ophthalmic migraine. During an episode with migraine, be sure to stop your movement for awhile, especially when driving, and resume it only when the migraine goes away. Prevent accidents from happening when performing tasks that have crucial need for good eyesight. Since ophthalmic migraine is virtually considered as a “silent migraine,” there are lesser symptoms that mark the presence of it. Black spots can sometimes appear after rubbing your eyes and your surroundings may also appear to shimmer. Other disturbances may come with vertigo or dizziness, numbing feeling, tingling in some parts of the body, and at times, difficulty with speech.
Same with other types of migraine, ophthalmic migraine symptoms also result from flashing lights. During migraine, closing your eyes resting in a dark and quiet room helps to have the visual distortion ease away faster. If the attacks occur while driving, pull over and repose for a few minutes. Stop facing the computer when at work or put the book down when the letters start jumbling.
For some, preventive medicine would include the intake of herbal teas and getting aromatherapy. These help relax the nerves and eases the pounding pain. Good ventilation may also help comfort the disturbance. Although ophthalmic migraine requires less treatment (or no treatment at all) compared to other types of migraine, adequate sleep can also make a big difference in decreasing the frequency of occurrence.
Recurring ophthalmic migraine symptoms are best discussed with an ophthalmologist for the prescription of preventive medicines that deter the migraine attacks in the future. Even if this condition is almost undeterminable by a sufferer, precaution is always ideal.