Ocular migraine

• Ocular migraine is a rare form of migraine that doesn’t occur frequently
• Ocular migraine is also known as retinal migraine
• Typical symptoms of ocular migraine include temporary changes to your vision and headache
• Treatment for ocular migraine consists of lifestyle alterations and medication

Ocular migraine is a type of migraine that usually occurs in women during their forties, although it can happen to anyone. The symptoms of ocular migraine can be similar to those of other conditions, visit your healthcare provider when you experience new visual symptoms. In this article, you can find more info about ocular migraine, its symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options.

Ocular migraine, also known as retinal migraine is a type of migraine that causes symptoms to one eye in addition to other migraine symptoms. Ocular migraine does not occur as frequently as regular migraines but can be a cause of severe discomfort and eye symptoms. 1

Ocular migraine typically affects one eye. You can experience various symptoms, including: 1

• A loss of your vision that can last anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour
• A blind spot in your vision
• Blurred vision
• Seeing zigzag patterns, coloured dots or lines, or flashing lights

In most cases, the vision issues appear first, after which the headache develops as well. There are however also cases of ocular migraine without headache. 1

In addition, ocular migraine symptoms usually appear suddenly and can cause symptoms which you can also experience with a regular migraine, such as: 2

• Throbbing, pulsating pain on 1 side of the head. This pain may affect the eye area but can occur anywhere in the head or the neck
• Sensitivity to light, sound, and/or smell
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Ocular migraine causes are not fully understood yet. Scientists believe that the cause of ocular migraine is situated in the blood vessels of the eye. If these suddenly narrow, the blood flow gets restricted, which is believed to cause the symptoms of ocular migraine. Some ocular migraine triggers are: 1 3

• Stress
• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Dehydration
• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• Low blood sugar
• Some types of hormonal contraception
• Bending over 
• Warm temperatures

Ocular migraine usually lasts anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour. It is rare that ocular migraines last longer than that. If your episodes of ocular migraine are getting worse or lasting longer, then it is recommended to see your physician. 1 3

In order to diagnose ocular migraine, your healthcare provider will first ask you about your symptoms and your medical history. This is usually followed by an eye exam and neurological testing, blood work, or imaging in order to rule out other possible causes of your symptoms. It’s also possible that your healthcare provider requests you to keep a journal with information about your migraine and its triggers. 4

Experiencing ocular migraine symptoms can be quite debilitating. Self-treatment for ocular migraine can consist of lying down in a dark and silent room and resting. You can also relieve your symptoms using over-the-counter pain medication such as ibuprofen or naproxen or prescription medication that helps fight migraines and accompanying symptoms such as nausea. Some examples are topiramate or amitriptyline.

If you have ocular migraine, then there are some things which you can do in order to prevent symptoms from developing apart from ocular migraine treatment. You can try identifying and avoiding your migraine triggers by tracking your symptoms in a headache journal. You can also try: 1

• Drinking plenty of water
• Exercising regularly 
• Creating a healthy sleeping pattern
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Managing your stress properly
• Avoiding triggers like caffeine, alcohol, and smoking

Ocular migraine, also known as retinal migraine, is a specific type of migraine which typically causes symptoms in one eye. These symptoms can include zig zag vision in one eye and a severe headache, although retinal migraine without headache also exists. Luckily, treatment options exist to find relief for ocular migraine. These can consist of lifestyle alterations and medication. 

Q: What is a retinal migraine? 
A: A retinal migraine, also called ocular migraine, is a rare type of migraine. People with this migraine can experience the regular symptoms of a migraine, in addition to temporary vision changes in one eye. 

Q: What triggers an ocular migraine? 
A: Some examples of ocular migraine triggers are stress, caffeine, alcohol, dehydration, smoking, high blood pressure, and low blood sugar. 

Q: What are retinal migraine symptoms? 
A: Some typical retinal migraine symptoms are a temporary loss of vision, blurry vision, or seeing zigzag patterns, flashing lights, or coloured dots and lines. 

Q: Can you have ocular migraine in both eyes? 
A: Ocular migraine always appears in one eye. If you experience the symptoms in both eyes, then you should contact your healthcare provider for further advice. 

Q: How to treat ocular migraine? 
A: The treatment of ocular migraine consists of making alterations to your lifestyle, such as exercising, maintaining a healthy weight, and staying hydrated. Besides these lifestyle changes, your healthcare provider can also prescribe you with medication.