what is a ocular migraine and can it be treated

Hello Anon

Thank you for writing.

Migraines are a complex neurological disease brought on by the disorder of the central nervous system. They are severe and recurrent attacks of headache that may occur on any one or both sides of the head, lasting anything between 2 and 72 hours.

Ocular migraines start from the region around the eye (eyelids, eyebrows, eye) and rarely from the temples or head. They are known to affect one eye at a time and may cause the eyelids to droop as the episode progresses.

These attacks are often accompanied with vomiting but may not be accompanied by any pain.

Visual distortions usually begin with the center of the image which may become wavy or grey, eventually moving to one side. There is also a possibility in such attacks of the sight being temporarily lost.

There are many triggers for these migraines:

Here is an outline of some triggers:

• Calcium deficiency
• Allergy to your own hormones
• Increase in the levels of prostaglandins
• Magnesium deficiency
• Sleep deprivation
• Stress and depression
• Dietary changes
• Sudden and marked fluctuations in the intake levels of caffeine
• Weather and altitude
• Environmental changes (pollution)
• Intake of birth control pills and some prescription medications
• Sinusitis
• Brain tumor
• Trigeminal neuralgia
• High sugar content in food
• Neck-related conditions
• Inflammation of maxillary nerve
• Excessive salt intake through food
• Monosodium Glutamate
• Allergy to chemicals in citrus foods

Treatment for ocular migraines can include-

Ocular migraines are usually short - they are over within about 30 minutes so treatment is generally to lie down in a dark room with eyes closed until it passes. Certain medications or a beta blocker can also help. While the real cause of these headaches may never be known to a person, identifying a cause by analyzing lists of causes (see above) can help eliminate them altogether.

Best,
Susan