People with ocular migraines can have a variety of visual symptoms. Typically you will see a small, enlarging blind spot (scotoma) in your central vision with bright, flickering lights (scintillations) or a shimmering zig-zag line (metamorphopsia) inside the blind spot.
Currently, no cure exists for migraine. Kaleidoscope vision, along with any other migraine symptoms, will typically go away on their own within an hour. People can take medications that relieve painful symptoms and prevent migraine episodes from developing in the first place.
Retinal migraine (ocular migraine) is an eye condition that causes brief attacks of blindness or visual problems like flashing lights in 1 eye. These episodes can be frightening, but in most cases they're harmless and shortlived, and eyesight goes back to normal afterwards.
Harsh lighting, long screen time, other visual strain, stress, dehydration, food additives, and other causes all may trigger an ocular migraine, a subtype that focuses in the eye and causes vision changes.
Ocular migraine, or migraine with aura, and stroke are two different conditions. Having an attack doesn't mean you're having a stroke or are about to have one. However, research has shown that people with migraine with aura are at an increased risk of stroke.
Ocular Migraine Treatment
The visual portion of an ocular migraine usually lasts less than 60 minutes, so most people don't need treatment. It's best to stop what you're doing and rest your eyes until your vision goes back to normal. If you have a headache, take a pain reliever that your doctor recommends.
Ocular migraines and stroke are two conditions that share similar symptoms and can often be confused. Although an ocular migraine alone does not indicate a stroke, studies show that those who suffer from ocular migraines may be at a higher risk of experiencing a stroke.
Retinal migraines are more likely to be triggered by other factors: intense exercise, dehydration, low blood sugar, high blood pressure, hot temperatures, and tobacco use.
Dehydration. Though often overlooked, dehydration is one of the most common causes of migraine headaches—and thus, of visual and ocular migraines. For some especially migraine-sensitive folks, even mild dehydration can trigger a migraine event.
Eye strain such as tired eyes, blurred vision, headaches and double vision can also be caused by dehydration and result when the eye is not properly lubricated. Drinking plenty of water will help flush out salt in the body and properly hydrate your eyes to help reduce eyestrain.
Choroidopathy: When fluid builds up under the retina due to high blood pressure, your vision may become distorted or impaired.
People with macular degeneration may see wavy lines instead of straight ones in the center of their field of vision, or objects may appear blurry. They may have trouble reading or see geometric shapes. Other people with aggressive forms of macular degeneration may completely lose central vision.
Common migraine “triggers” that can cause a susceptible person to have a migraine or ocular migraine attack include certain foods, such as red wine, alcohol, aged cheeses, caffeine, nitrates (often found in smoked or cured meats, hot dogs, and other processed foods), and chocolate.
Stress is a common trigger of migraine headaches, including ocular migraine headaches. Since anxiety causes stress, anxiety is a common cause of migraine headaches, including ocular migraine headaches.
In general, migraines likely involve alterations of blood flow to certain regions of the brain. In the case of ocular migraines, the involved area is the vision center of the brain.
Although migraines are a neurological disorder, evidence suggests there is a higher risk of stroke and heart attack in patients who suffer from ocular migraines.
A recent study shows that people who get migraines are about two times more likely to get heart attacks or heart rhythm disorders like atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter. Just like with strokes, the study shows the link with heart attacks is stronger in people who get migraines with auras.
TIA appears more abruptly and is usually of shorter duration. Negativity is typical for it, i.e. part of the visual field, speech, eye movement, ability to swallow, sensation or muscle strength disappear without the above mentioned features of migraine.
Hearing and vision loss- A tumor that is located near the optical nerve could cause blurred vision, double vision or loss of peripheral vision. Depending on the size and location of a tumor, abnormal eye movements and other vision changes like seeing floating spots or shapes knows as an “aura” may result.
If you have visual symptoms that have not previously been evaluated by a health care provider, you should see a provider if you have any of the following: Visual changes in only one eye. Visual changes that last less than five minutes and more than 60 minutes. Visual changes without a headache.
Dehydration is one of several triggers that can exacerbate migraine headaches, including migraine variants like the one you are experiencing. Maintaining good hydration should help reduce the frequency of these visual migraines, which are also known as acephalgic migraine.
The most substantial evidence for magnesium's effectiveness is in patients who have or have had aura with their migraine. It is believed magnesium may prevent the wave of brain signaling, called cortical spreading depression, which produces the visual and sensory changes in the common forms of aura.
But during a migraine, these stimuli feel like an all-out assault. The result: The brain produces an outsize reaction to the trigger, its electrical system (mis)firing on all cylinders. This electrical activity causes a change in blood flow to the brain, which in turn affects the brain's nerves, causing pain.
Treatment Options
Some treatments, such as triptans, can prolong the visual loss. Preventive therapies used for other migraine types can be effective. These can include medications from the following families: calcium channel blockers (reduces blood pressure), anti-seizure or antidepressant medications.