Things You Should Know About Optical Migraines

Headaches are a common problem. They may be mild. But severe headaches may stop our regular activities due to a lot of pain. When Optical migraine occurs, the person may see flashes of light.

Optical migraines are persistent and occur again and again on a regular basis. Generally, the person may experience pain only on one side of the face. These headaches are also preceded by symptoms that are called aura. Lights flash in front of the eyes of the person and they may also hear bells ringing. An agonizing pain occurs when the actual headache is there, accompanied by nausea, giddiness and blurring of vision.

Optical migraine is different from a typical migraine. There is no pain involved in this type of migraine. It is characterized by the symptoms that come as aura in a typical migraine, but without the agony of the headache. The lights appear in front of the victim’s eyes. The lights may appear stationery or they may appear to move and slowly move away from the visual field. Another possible symptom is the occurrence of a blind spot in the visual field. Optical migraine is also called visual or ocular migraine, or acephalgic migraine. They may last as long as up to an hour.

The prevalence of Optical migraine is 3 times more common in women that in men.

An optical migraine presents itself as the aura of a migraine, without being followed by the headache. If there is any change in the type of aura that occurs, immediate medical help is indicated.

The migraines are believed to be caused by the changes in the size of the blood vessels. Many studies also indicate water retention in the brain, hormonal changes, and allergies. Though not confirmed, the disturbances in the brain have known to cause optical migraines and other migraines. Genetic factors are also held responsible for these optical migraines.
However, the symptoms of migraine can be misleading. Similar symptoms have been known to occur in various types of seizures, mild cardiovascular attacks and sometimes a tumor in the brain.

Optical migraines are generally treated symptomatically. Anti-depressants, sedatives are administered for the patient. Direct infusions of pain killers are given to those experiencing severe pain. Some people may benefit by keeping away from light also.

Optical migraine symptoms are to be treated immediately for the underlying root cause. Once the victim is able to recognize the symptoms, they must consult a qualified professional to eliminate these headaches permanently.

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