|  | Conditions Treatments | Migraines

Retinal Migraine Symptoms

Migraines are a serious affliction that can be completely debilitating if they become severe enough. According to the Mayo Clinic 17% of women and 6% of men have suffered through a migraine at least once during their lifetime. Retinal migraines are a specific type of migraine that include other effects besides just severe headaches.

  1. Function

    • Migraines are recurring headaches that usually occur on only one side of the head and are generally accompanied by extreme sensitivity to sound and light along and may also include intermittent vomiting due to the severe pain. Retinal migraines, which are also called ophthalmic migraines, ocular migraines, and sometimes even silent migraines, are migraines that are immediately preceded by visual distortions.

    Identification

    • The primary symptom of a retinal migraine is a visual disturbance in only one eye characterized by flashing lights and fluctuating colors. Other symptoms include narrowing vision or even complete blindness lasting for just a few minutes or up to two hours. Occasionally a blind spot may appear in the very middle of your field of vision and then gradually expand outward for up to two hours before going away.

    Features

    • The actual headache pain portion of the migraine usually begins within one hour of visual effects starting. A headache occurring after visual disturbances will usually last at least four hours but may stay up to three days. The pain is usually extremely severe and will come and go in rapid pulses.

    Considerations

    • Consult your physician immediately if you experience any symptoms that you think may be caused by a retinal migraine. It is important for your doctor to conduct a thorough examination to rule out any separate eye problems that could lead to permanent blindness or other vision problems.

    Prevention/Solution

    • There are no treatments for the visual effects of a retinal migraine and there is no cure for migraines in general, but the head pain can be reduce through medications prescribed by your physician such as Midrin, which is a mixture of isometheptene, acetaminophen, and dichloralphenazone. Prevention is the best way to handle migraines by avoiding the triggers that cause them, such as stress, bright lights, and loud noises. You can also use eye pillows while experiencing the migraine to lessen the impact of light sensitivity.

Migraines - Related Articles