Occular Migraine and The Facts Behind the Occurence

Occular migraine as the name suggests, is associated with the eye and the suffering is not always associated with severe headache but experience of aura.

Occular migrane is also called optical, ophthalmic, eye migraines, silent migraines, acephalgic, and even ophthalmoplegic migraines.  The term Occular migraine is a generic term and it is used to refer a wide range of migraines associated with eye, with different symptoms. For example, Ocular migrane is a condition, wherein only one eye gets affected. In most of the cases, the patient does not feel any typical pain but visual disturbances.

This rare type is believed to be the cause of weakening of the muscle around the eye. Other factors could be the inflammation of the blood vessel around the eye and allergic reactions. Under such conditions, the patient may experience distortion of the eye and even temporary blindness for five minutes or so.

The patient gets back his normal vision after the attack. Generally, Occular migraine is more common in women above the age of 40 years, patient suffering from sickle cell anemia, epilepsy, leprosy, depression and of course people with genetic history of migrane. Occular migraine is used to indicate Eye Migraine and another severe form called Retinal Migraine, a severe form of which can even lead to permanent blindness.

Causes of Occular migraine

Till date medical science could not figure out the exact biological / chemical conditions causing it. But this disease is more prevalent with patient suffering from diabetes, nerve palsy and internal carotid artery aneurysms. Moreover, changes in the menstrual cycle of women are believed to be associated with it.

The attack of Occular migraine is believed to have a triggering element in the form of food. These migraine trigger foods may include caffeine, chocolate, aged cheeses, rich meat, and red wine and combinations. Under severe painful condition the patient is put on an elimination diet, to figure out the triggering food. This trigger elimination method can even be employed for as a part of standard migraine treatment for patient, who suffers no pain but eye disturbances.

Symptoms of Occular migraine

As the name suggests, most of the symptoms are associated with the eye along with peripheral pain around the eyes. It also involves other collateral symptoms like -

·    Flashes of light
·    Blind spots
·    Double vision
·    Eye paralysis
·    Zigzag patterns
·    Nausea
·    Vomiting, etc.

Generally, Occular migraine is harmless in nature in comparison to other more virulent forms of it. However, the ones to get the disease diagnosed lies with suffers. A number of migrane diet and drugs are recommended as a part of standard migraine therapy or treatment.

These treatments also extend to other alternative remedies like herbal remedies. The condition of occular migraine can be drastically bettered through rigorous and dedicated practice of yoga.