Ocular Migraines

At least once I year (Starting at age 13) I've gotten these weird migraines I've come to find out are called ocular migraines (Caused by stress or whatever can trigger a migraine. For me it's extreme stress and lack of sleep) where it starts with a blind spot appearing in your field of vision (You might notice you have trouble focusing your vision on anything) or you start to see this shiny zigzag shape that blinds you either in the middle of your vision or on the outer edges and it lasts for about thirty to forty minutes and then that's when the migraine sets it. It starts off as an ache on one side of your head and then grows to become the worst migraine you've ever had that lasts for the rest of the day and the only escape is sleep, if you can get yourself to sleep that is. And then when you wake up, it feels like your head was ran over by a truck as some point.

Strangely enough I had one of those today and class and warned the professor that I may not be able to pay attention to the presentations being given because I couldn't see anything properly and that I might have to leave the class to get to bed. Luckily he was understanding. As soon as the vision distortions stopped I felt the achy feeling start on the right side of my head and was expecting it to increase and thus prepared myself for if I would have to leave... Strangely enough, the pain didn't increase. It just stayed achy, much to my relief. I was able to stay the rest of the class and walk back to my apartment with no trouble and took some light painkiller and was fine an hour later. So that was unexpected. But still, the vision distortions really suck.

Anyone else get these or have gotten them? Any ideas besides relieving my stress to combat them or ways to simply get through them?

 

I've read that taking painkillers regularly (like aspirin, paracetamol or ibrufen) for these sort of migraines is not a good idea.
There are medicines that prevent them (like flunarizine, amytriptyline etc) which might be more beneficial in the long run...

 

Hey @derpytia !

I've gotten ocular migraines during my teenage years and part of my adult life too (2 or 3 per month when teenager, now it's 1 or 2 per year). As you, 30 minutes of partial-blindness in one eye, and after that, a strong headache and nausea during 2 days. I've taken lots of painkillers when this kind of migrains appears, but it has no effect on headache.

I think it's related to stress, lack of sleep or irregular sleep times. Everytime, it appears on evening or on saturday morning after a week of stressful work...

 

Perform an echo-color doppler of supra optic artery in order to estabilish a link between the internal pressure of skull, migraine and tinnitus! Also try to move your eye quickly from left to right and up to down and notice if your tinnitus change!
Best regards!

 

I get cluster headaches they are terrible. I think trobalt can help with migraines.

 

What you are describing derpytia is the visual aura of classical migraine and not ocular migraine. I get both ocular and classical (plus tinnitus)...whose the lucky one then? (NOT).

In classical migraine (the word 'migraine' being derived from 'hemicrania', meaning half head), there is usually a black or white dot which starts in the centre of the visual field of the affected side of the brain. This is followed by jagged lines which pulsate/scintillate rapidly and spread from the centre outwards to the periphery of one half of the visual feel of both eyes, and can be 'seen' with eyes closed as well as open.The jagged lines may be black and white or multicoloured. When the jagged lines have reached the periphery of the visual field, then there is usually an area of temporary visual loss on one half of the visual field (hemianopia) and the classical one-sided headache. The same half of the visual field is affected in BOTH eyes. The visual phenomena usually resolve in about 15 minutes....helped by taking 150mg of soluble aspirin at the outset.

I get the visual phenomena and the headaches at separate times. The theory is there is vascular disturbance in large blood vessels. These I started at aged 10, and must have had thousands.

Retinal migraine is quite different, usually with no headache, and is VERY scary. The problem is thought to lie in the retinal artery itself. The vision in the affected on both sides of the visual field in ONE eye. There appear to be multiple irregular black areas throughout the visual field in that eye and it almost looks like a pile of dirt has been thrown onto the retina. The visual loss persists for days, doesn't respond to aspirin, and makes the sufferer think that will have permanent visual loss. I was diagnosed by one of the few 'experts' on ocular migraine in Britain.I have had this 3 times in my life....horrid.

Anyway, whatever, migraine is a pretty vile sort of headache whether 'classical' (with visual symptoms) or 'common' (without).

Fungus

 

@derpytia

Do an echo-color-doppler of your supraoptic tract!