Vision Loss Migraine Connection: Symptoms, Triggers, and Treatment Options

Are you experiencing vision loss in one eye with a headache? If yes, then you may have developed retinal migraine. This type of migraine causes visual disturbances in one eye only with a migraine headache. While its effects are temporary, it can affect your daily life severely. Learn about retinal migraine symptoms, triggers, and treatment options in this article. Visit our clinic or check our website at https://www.ophthalmologybrooklyn.com to see all the services that can help you manage your eye condition.

Symptoms

Generally, ocular migraine symptoms can vary, however, the most common are visual disturbances in only one eye and a migraine headache. Usually, the visual symptoms of ocular migraine are temporary and last 10 to 20 minutes before the vision gradually gets normal. It includes:

  • Blind spots (maybe partialor total blindness).
  • Zigzagging patterns.
  • Floating lines.
  • Shimmering or flickering lights.

These attacks affect the same eye in most cases of ocular migraine. A migraine can happen before, during, or within an hour after the attack. You may experience symptoms of migraine headaches including:

  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Loss of appetite.
  • Feeling very warm or cold.
  • Pale skin color.
  • Feeling tired.

Triggers

People with retinal migraine may experience the same triggers as people who experience migraine with aura. Some most common triggers are:

  • Stress
  • Hypertension
  • Smoking
  • Exercise
  • Low blood sugar
  • High altitude
  • Dehydration
  • Bending over
  • Smoking
  • Hormonal contraceptive pills
  • Exercise
  • Excessive heat
  • Alcohol and caffeine

Some people are more prone to experience retinal migraine than others, including people who:

  • Are between the ages of 30 to 39 years old.
  • Have a personal or family history of migraine
  • Have another underlying conditionsuch as atherosclerosis, epilepsy, lupus, or sickle cell disease.
  • Are female

Diagnosis

To diagnose retinal migraine doctors usually follow the ICHD-3 criteria guidelines for diagnosis. However, if you can visit a healthcare provider during an ocular migraine, then the doctor may be able to see the decreased blood flow to your eye using an instrument called an ophthalmoscope. This helps the doctor to confirm the diagnosis of ocular migraine. If your attacks are brief, your doctor checks your medical and family history and checks your symptoms.

Diagnostic criteria for retinal migraine include these guidelines:

  • A person must fall within the criteria of having consistent attacks of migraine with aura.
  • The aura must:
    • occur in only one eye with or without noticeable symptoms such as blindness or visual disturbances.
    • Have at least two of the following symptoms
      • Spread slowly for 5 or more minutes.
      • A headache that starts within 60 minutes.
      • Symptoms last within 5 to 60 minutes
    • There is no other diagnosis that can explain your symptoms better.

In some cases, the doctor may recommend seeing an eye specialist, to ensure you don’t have any underlying eye condition that needs attention.

Treatment options

Treatment options depend on the severity of your migraine. If it only happens once a month, then the doctor may not recommend treatment. You just need to stop what you’re doing until the vision goes back to normal. If you have a headache, you can take a pain reliever that your doctor prescribes.

If your vision doesn’t go back to normal within an hour, then it could be related to a serious condition, not a migraine. Get medical help right away.

If your retinal migraines are frequent, the doctor’s main goal of treatment is to reduce the frequency of attacks. It includes:

  • Avoid possible triggers: If you know what triggers your ocular migraines then managing that can prevent your migraine. You should keep a journal of when and how your migraine happens to find the triggers. Lifestyle changes such as avoiding dietary triggers, managing blood pressure, and quitting smoking, may lower the number of attacks you have.
  • Medications: Besides lifestyle changes, medication also helps prevent retinal migraines. Medications like calcium channel blockers, tricyclic antidepressants, beta-blockers, CGRP inhibitors, etc. can be prescribed based on the triggers that cause migraine.

Retinal migraine, also known as ocular migraine, causes visual disturbance in one eye with a migraine headache, usually within an hour. It is not dangerous; however, it can disrupt your daily life activities. So, if you experience sudden vision changes along with a migraine, then you should visit your doctor. The exact cause of retinal migraine is still unknown. That’s why treatment mostly focuses on reducing the pain and frequency of your migraine attacks. A person should keep a migraine journal to find the triggers and manage them to prevent the attacks.

Need help with a vision loss migraine attack, visit our neurology clinic in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. At Doral Health and Wellness Ophthalmology Center, our eye doctors can help you recover from all types of eye conditions and diseases. To schedule an appointment, please call us at 1-347-384-5690 or visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212. You can also visit our website at https://www.ophthalmologybrooklyn.com.