Keep a headache journal including information about what you were doing, eating, or medications taken before or after a headache occurs.Common triggers include stress, hormonal changes, bright/flashing lights, drinking alcohol (red wine), changes in the weather, skipping meals/not eating enough, or too much or too little sleep.More severe: prescription medications to help with the migraines or also symptoms that accompany migraines such as nausea.Mild: over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen.Neurologic testing and/or additional blood work or imaging may be necessary to rule out other, more serious, causes.Any vision loss you experience will typically last for about 1020 minutes before your sight starts to. A headache before, during or after you experience vision loss. Flashing lights, squiggly patterns or blind spots across your field of vision. Thorough case history, including details about prior headaches. Temporary loss of vision in one eye (usually the same eye each time).A comprehensive eye exam with dilation.It can also affect the peripheral (side) vision.A blind spot in the central area of vision which can start small and get larger.Similar causes and risk factors for migraines.Ocular migraines are typically caused by reduced blood flow or spasms of blood vessels in the retina or behind the eye. If you would like to learn more about ocular migraines, contact your eye specialist, or call us at Shanbom Eye Specialist.An ocular migraine can mimic other serious conditions, so it is very important to see an eye doctor as soon as possible if experiencing these symptoms. A helpful first step is a visit to the ophthalmologist, who can rule out any disorders of the delicate and irreplaceable retina at the back of the eye as well as evaluate the optic nerve for any pathology. The symptoms of an ocular migraine can mimic those of other serious conditions such as retinal detachment, retinal artery thrombosis (a clot in one of the vessels that supplies blood to the retina), transient ischemic attacks (temporary loss of blood flow to areas of the brain), or stroke. These might include strong lights, certain foods, stress, overexertion, and sleep deprivation. The best way to avoid ocular migraines is to avoid known triggers. Simply sitting down and waiting for it to pass should help prevent any physical harm that could come as a result of vision distortion. For example, if driving, the patient should pull over to the side of the road and wait for it to pass. Also, some who suffer from migraine with aura symptoms may have stroke-like symptoms, such as motor skill issues, speech difficulties, or other sensory difficulties. When an ophthalmic migraine interferes with the vision, patients should take some safety precautions. Some ocular migraine symptoms, such as vision loss or disturbance in one or both eyes, can be the same or very similar to stroke symptoms. Typically, the vision in only one eye is affected, and these visual disturbances are consistent from one episode to the next. These effects can occur individually or in combination. Scintillations, flickering or flashing lights Scotoma, a blind spot that gradually increases in size Ocular migraine symptoms usually include: This is referred to as an ocular or ophthalmic migraine. However, some people experience these visual disturbances without the pain of a migraine headache. Auras that precede or occur at the same time as migraine headaches can include visual symptoms that include flashes of light, blind or shimmering spots, kaleidoscope or zigzag patterns in your field of vision. One of the first signs of a Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) or stroke can be visual disturbance - loss of vision in one area of the visual field which can.

Visual disturbances with migraine headaches are quite common.

Kaleidoscope vision in one eye