Ocular migraine seems to be an increasingly popular diagnosis these days. Unfortunately, the term is also causing a great deal of confusion. So let’s try to find our way to some clearer information.
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The word ocular (sometimes spelt occular) relates to vision, or the eye itself. So we can at least tell that ocular migraine has to do with vision or eye problems. The problem is, the standard of headache classification from the International Headache Society doesn’t use this term.
So what we’ve ended up with are a number of different definitions. In other words, there is no one proper definition for ocular migraine. As a matter of fact, it would be helpful if the term was dropped altogether.
So what was your doctor talking about?
From what I’ve found, the most traditional use of the term is for a type of migraine that causes blindness. The blindness is in just one eye, and is either full or partial.
A better term for this type of migraine is retinal migraine. It’s very important to rule out other eye problems before you get a diagnosis of retinal migraine (for example optic neuropathy).
It’s possible your doctor is actually talking about migraine with aura (see this entry at the Mayo Clinic on ocular migraine). The aura would be the visual disturbances (read more about migraine and aura here). The visual disturbances may come before the headache, or there may be visual problems with no headache at all. These are much more common that retinal migraine. In migraine with aura, the visual symptoms are generally in both eyes.
There are other types of migraine that could involve visual disturbances, such as familial hemiplegic migraine. It is important to get a more specific diagnosis if you’ve been told you have ocular migraine. But it’s also important to make double sure you’ve ruled out other eye related problems, since of course the treatment would be quite different, and you don’t want to find you have something that’s getting quickly worse without treatment.
More about ocular migraine here.
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{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I am female and have suffered dreadful, debilitating migraines for 52 years, since the age of 8. For the past 10 years I mostly have auras and then headache, but if I take medication straitaway the aura lessens fairly quickly and I resume my day. I have stopped going into a dark room, now prefer just to keep working to take my mind off this dreadful problem. I have had auras and headaches for the past 3 days, but will not give into them. The headache is there constantly but its dull and a nuisance. My biggest problem is that a “headache” can come on whilst I am driving or at my nursing job.
I had headahes since 1990 or maybe before but never thought it was Migraine. I am 41 now, First time I had an Aura was at a phone booth and when I came back to my car I could not concentrate, it was a hot day and I felt quite confused and went home which was very nea, I just slept woke up with a severe headache. The Aura never came back but two years before I had Aura not knowing what it was I panicked, it was just a small spot first and than I could not understand whats appening, but since than I have these Aura’s followed with severe headaches sometimes only for few hours and sometimes for 2 days even, Aura’s can happen anytime even when I am driving so I always park my park on the corner and it takes nearly 5 minutes to start and it finishes within 15 minutes but the scary part is teh headache on one side, I don’t know what to do with this, first I went to teh eye doctor but everything was fine. How can I get rid of Aura’s and headache, can someone tell me pease.
Adele- I’m 51 and have had migraines since I was 8 as well. The only difference is I don’t usually have auras so it’s hard for me to get my migraine medication taken in time. I’m a teacher and continue to work through the pain most days because I have learned to live with the daily headaches. I visit a pain center for my medications and a neurologist for bi-annual updates. It’s very frustrating to find that no one can help! LRB
Thanks for your comments.
Yes, everyone needs to deal with an individual attack differently, and treatment is different for everyone.
But there is help available! Tahir, check some of the medications and treatments throughout this site. Migraine with aura is treated with most typical migraine treatments, but you need a specialist who understands your medical history to guide you through them.
Irb – it is frustrating! But don’t give up. And if your specialists are not willing to try new things, give up on them and find someone who can help. There are hundreds of treatments and combinations of treatments. There is still hope that you can say goodbye to your attacks – don’t stop fighting!
Thanks to all who answered my comments about auras/migraines.
If I am at a function or even at work and I say that I have a migraine, most people who don’t know me look at me as if I have lost my marbles. Because no-one can see a migraine they assume you are confabulating–lying. The best thing I can do for myself is to take Neurafen x 2, strong ones, and just continue on with the job at hand, even though it will take me longer. Good luck everyone.
It’s so frustrating that there are still people out there that think migraine attacks are just “faked”. You’re giving me motivation to keep writing!
Keep writng James, maybe someday, someone will find exactly what the causes are, but sadly it won’t be in our lifetime!!
I quite often get a migraine whilst in the supermarket and I attribute that to the strong lights and noise; normally I will leave my shopping and head for the nearest exit. Yesterday I stayed on and finished my shopping, not very well but I did as best as I could and it went away quite quickly. No more panic attacks for me, just get on with the job at hand difficult though it may be. Cheers, Adele
Adele – I’ve had them for about 35 years – since I was 12. Numbness, loss of vision, sometimes speech, etc – can usually control the headache aspect – unless it happens in my sleep – that sucks.
When I’ve had one in the previous few days or am on the “edge” of one, i CAN NOT go to Walmart or a large grocery. The lights – the lights – the lights will just set it right over the top in to a full blown episode.
I don’t panic, but I get out as fast as i can. We had a older Walmart until two years ago and it was not as bad, but the new super one – the lights seem more intense, as is the noise level.
It’s so nice to read others stories – sometimes it gets a little lonely with these dang things.
My migraine attacks started when I was thirteen–within a few months of my first period. I am 54 now. I have only had them infrequently over the years, however, so I suppose I am lucky. The first migraine I had was terrifying–horrible aura and numbness followed by ghastly pain. My mother was an RN, my father an MD. He gave me Demerol followed by a Compazine suppository once the nausea set in. I slept for 12 hours. It worked better than anything I’ve had since. Now that I’m past menopause, I usually have only the aura, which lasts about half an hour–but no pain. This I can live with.
My migrains has somehow going away slowly, I use to have two attacks minimum every month but since last 3 months I had only one attack one was at the night started with Auras as usual 15 to 20 minutes these zig zag lines with along with half vision and than severe headache starting from one side of the temple. next afternoon I had the same Auras and same feeling but the pain lasted for 2 days and touch wood no more headache since than so its seems like a blessing to have only one attack in 3 months.What I have done is to stop thinking about it and leave itthe way it is and I feel more powerful now and seems like I have overcome the fear of being bullied by the this Migraine with Aura, I can fully understand everyone on this blog what they go through and how people don’t understand what they are going through. God bless you all. Best wishes to everyone.
I just had one of these ocular migraines and I must say I was quite alarmed. I found this site once I was able to see clearly again. I had one several months ago and attributed it to lighting at an art museum, which seemed to trigger it. After reading some of the causes, I realized that I my 2 glasses of red wine, followed by a huge hot fudge sunday were probably a contributing cause for the one I just endured!!! I’m so glad I found this site. I suffer from anxiety from time to time and this triggered one of those episodes. I’ll know in the future that there is no need to worry myself into another anxiety attack.
Gary, There are many out there who suffer from Migraine with Aura but unfortunately many of them don’t understand it, I was working in Baku Azerbaijan when I had my first episode, I was very worried so I consulted a doctor unfortunately the best doctor in this part of the world could not understand what it was but after the second episode I stared researching on it and I got the chance to visit Pakistan where I consulted the neurologist and after listing to my story he knew what it was but in any case he advise some tests and than told me that I have migraine with Aura although he was sure what it was. There are many different triggers, some food, even lighting and can be both, so finally I have come to terms with my attacks and now I accept it as a normal part of my life. Yes you are very right some times it can be very heavy food and sometimes empty stomach can cause it too, just get the check up before you know exactly what it is, I did my eyetest first to make sure there are no problem with my eyes, If its ok than make sure to take an advise from your GP as I did and than get the test to be sure, but I am sure you have Migraine with Aura. Believe me there are people out there in Baku who have it and still think its low or high blood pressure and when I use to advise them they use to get surprised that such thing as Migraine also exist. Thanks to God I am in US now.