Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Yes, it happens to me. I don't know what triggers them, as they tend to happen under a variety of settings, and they're not always followed by headaches. It's so weird. I don't really do anything to deal with it other than waiting it out. Ocular Migraines Explained - AllAboutVision.com
No history of epilepsy in my family, but my mom suffers from migraine headaches (not visual as far as i know)
This is actually fairly common with migraines. Migraines can be caused by a variety of underlying conditions, as well as by stress. Have you seen your doc about this? Sudden changes in blood sugar can cause migraines. Chronic migraines (which doesn't sound like you) can be caused by thyroid disease. Some people get good results from acupuncture. Biofeedback can help the patient learn relaxation techniques that loosen up tight shoulder and neck muscles that can lead to migraine.
There's prescription migraine medicine that you can ask your doc about.
I've had ocular migraines for decades, as has my brother. Neither of us has ever had "classic" migraines with the horrendous headaches. Nor any history of seizure disorders.
Absolutely healthy otherwise, just those brief visual disturbances once in a while. Mine are triggered by bright lights, the kind that leave an afterimage. Once I figured that out I rarely get them. Mine are exactly like this:
Not quite the same but as an early warning, I would get what I called prickles of bright yellow lights across my whhi le visual field. Each little flashing spot was small. They persisted for a while after the pain started then went away before the pain did. I don't get migraines any more.
I've had them when under a lot of stress, also after drinking high caffeinated/sugary drinks like soda. When driving, I've pulled into a parking lot & wait it out until the aura goes away. I haven't had the migraine part, just the ocular auras.
I've had headaches for a long time, pretty much since I was a child. Nothing that prevents me from enjoying my life, but they do get worse as I'm getting older (I'm 36 now). They worsened when I got my first child. Triggers are sleep deprivation and hunger. I've learned to manage them (caffeine actually helps - one cup of coffee right when headache begins).
One day I had almost exactly what you described - vision distortion that started as a small blurry area, grew wider, then went away. Lasted about 20 minutes. I seriously freaked out, since I've never had anything like that before. I also work as a computer programmer, and this happened while I was staring at my computer screen. I couldn't read anything! Then, next day I had a heavy feeling in the right side of the head (usually my headaches are around left temple). The only thing I did on that day of the ocular episode was walk outside after snowfall on a bright day without sunglasses (a big no-no in Denver, where elevation makes the sunshine so much brighter). I took a walk at lunch around noon, and had ocular migraine around 1:00.
I then told several of my friends, and two or three people said they experience something like this on a fairly regular basis. One friend said that big white sheets of paper can trigger these for him.
This is actually fairly common with migraines. Migraines can be caused by a variety of underlying conditions, as well as by stress. Have you seen your doc about this? Sudden changes in blood sugar can cause migraines. Chronic migraines (which doesn't sound like you) can be caused by thyroid disease. Some people get good results from acupuncture. Biofeedback can help the patient learn relaxation techniques that loosen up tight shoulder and neck muscles that can lead to migraine.
There's prescription migraine medicine that you can ask your doc about.
I do get headaches from time to time, but I've noticed when I work out regularly (and I don't drink as much caffeine) and eat right, they don't exist, like, at all.
I also wear glasses, but once I found the right prescription I ruled those out.
And I've turned down the brightness of my monitor at work. That seems to trigger regular headaches if the brightness is too high.
---
Though I have had some pretty heavy caffeine withdrawal headaches (without aura) as well; nausea, sensitivity to light. A nap after some ibuprofen and they go away.
These sorts of headaches with aura, are IMO caused mostly by stress (as I've been under some heavy stress lately) and really happen pretty rarely, it's just a trip when they do.
Today's subsequent headache wasn't too bad and it's different than a regular headache.
---
I've actually been looking for a new doctor in my area as the one I currently have seems to have one foot out the door to retirement and doesn't seem to be interested in helping me (though that's a different thread altogether).
That allaboutvision link a couple of posters posted above, shows in an animation exactly (well almost exactly) what I see when it happens. It's in both eyes and was pretty freaky when I first experienced it.
---
I'll definitely take what you say to heart, and thanks to all of the other posters who responded so far.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
