Ocular Migraine Causes

Ocular migraine or ophthalmoplegic migraine is a type of migraine that affects the eye, typically only one eye. However sometimes, ocular migraine can be confused with a migraine aura affecting your vision. A migraine aura that involves vision usually affect both the eyes, unlike ocular or ophthalmoplegic migraine. It can cause symptoms like blind spots, shimmering spots and flashes of light that can last for a brief period.

A migraine aura that affects vision is usually not considered as a serious condition. It is also known as retinal migraine affects only one eye and can cause diminished vision or temporary loss of vision that can last only for a short time. It can also be accompanied or followed by a headache.

Causes of Ophthalmoplegic Migraine
Migraine is basically a neurological disease, the exact causes of which are still unknown. Migraine is usually associated with the abnormalities of the blood vessels of the head. Retinal or ocular migraine is caused when the blood vessels constrict suddenly, resulting in a reduced supply of blood to the eye. This in turn, causes the temporary loss of vision or distortion in one eye that can last for a few minutes.

Sometimes however, an episode of such a migraine can damage the retina and the blood vessels present in the retina. It has been observed that this condition is more common among women and people having a family history of migraine and other types of headaches. Even people with diseases like, lupus, depression, epilepsy and sickle cell anemia can also experience retinal migraine.

The causes are not known with certainty, but it is believed to be triggered by certain factors. Its triggers can include, stress, alcohol consumption, hunger, consumption of chocolates, caffeinated beverages, foods prepared with monosodium glutamate, milk and meat preserved in nitrates and exposure to bright light. Oral contraceptives and menstruation are some of the additional factors that trigger this type of migraine in women.

Symptoms of Ophthalmoplegic Migraine
It is characterized by a number of visual symptoms. One of the most common symptoms is the appearance of a small, but expanding blind spots, which is termed as scotoma. The blind spots can be seen in the central vision and it can be accompanied by flickering lights (scintillations) or zigzag steaks (metamorphopsia), which can be seen within the scotoma or the blind spots. Though the blind spots first appear in the region of central vision, it can gradually enlarge and cover the entire field of vision. It is usually painless, but it can be accompanied by some other symptoms like, double vision or diplopia, headache, nausea and vomiting.

Treatment of Ophthalmoplegic Migraine
Mild and infrequent ocular migraine usually does not need treatment. But, if the frequency and the intensity of the retinal migraine symptoms increase, then it is essential to seek medical attention. Moreover, visual disturbances can be sometimes associated with a more serious problem than ocular migraine, for which it should be evaluated properly. Usually, the use of analgesics can provide some relief in migraine headaches. Medications like, extracranial vasoconstrictors, cafergot and ergotamine can also be used for migraine relief. Ergotamine is basically used for relieving the headache and the other symptoms of migraine like, nausea, vomiting and tingling sensations. Another medication used for its treatment is sumatriptan, which can abort the migraine attacks. However, medications like, sumatriptan and ergotamine are not to be used during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

It usually does not cause any permanent vision problem and brain damage. Incidence of permanent neurological damage after an attack of ocular migraine is quite rare. Nevertheless, it is important to consult a physician on observing any sign of vision problem, as it could be due to some other underlying disorders.