Have you ever seen something strange happen to your vision, such as a blind spot that has grown on the ground, or an aura of vibrating lights? Do you ever seem to come out of nowhere and go away after about 20 minutes? If so, it could be a visual experience or an ocular migraine. You may have little or no headache associated with this experience, but it is still a migraine.
The causes of visual migraines are the same as those of migraine headaches. It can be triggered by exercise, stress, or even changes in estrogen levels. They can be treated with over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen or naproxen (such as Advil, Motrin, or Aleve), but they often cause headaches if one leaves before the drug can have an effect In any case, if you experience visual migraines, consult your doctor or ophthalmologist to rule out underlying problems and discuss treatment options.
The visual movement you see is called an aura or a positive scotoma (a scotoma is a blind spot, and it means a positive scotoma is something visible in the blind spot). For patients who experience migraine pains, the headache may precede it by about half an hour. For those who have little or no headache, try the sphere alone. It often begins as a spot or blind spot that progresses into a circle or crescent-shaped meridian or wavy, zig-zaggy lines.
During the worst part of the episode, you may have difficulty with your overall vision. Reading or working on a computer can be impossible, and driving is not advisable. During the visual disturbance, relax, close your eyes, and wait for the event to end. Bright lights and sounds make you feel worse. If you are taking migraine medication, take it off as soon as you notice the first wind attack. It should be gone within about half an hour, although this varies from person to person. When the aura disappears, it will quickly subside, and before you know it your vision will return to normal.
Visual disturbances account for about 99% of the wind. But there is also a sensory aura, which consists in a tingling or numbness in your hands or feet, it is an affection of weakness and even slurred speech; Visual and sensory auras are usually mutually exclusive, but both can be experienced. Again, be sure to share your related experiences with your doctor.
And this is a very common condition, but it is trying to frighten her at first. Remember that you are not alone, and if you think you have visual migraines, talk to your doctor about your experience and what you can do to feel better.
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- To learn more about visual migraines, visit the Migraine Awareness Group at www.migraines .ca. Also, WebMD is a great source for general medicine questions, and also a section on migraines in patients at .
