A Closer Look At The Optical Migraine

Several types of migraine headache affect the eye, but there are no headaches medically diagnosed as optical migraines. The problem with such a term starts with its definition. Optical means relating to sight or to the eye. Migraine comes from the Greek, hemikranion, meaning pain on one side of the head. So, the term is quite broad, meaning pain on one side of your head relating to your eye or your sight. What someone may call an optical migraine is usually either an ocular migraine or an opthalmoplegic migraine.

Most headaches described as optical migraines are really ocular migraines, which are a type of migraine without headache, also known as aura without migraine. Although the ocular migraine is rare, it is the most common type of migraine without headache. Ocular migraine symptoms usually are described as flashing, shimmering, or glittering lights or they may resemble static on a television. Symptoms usually last less than an hour. People who experience this type of migraine generally exhibit the same symptoms for long periods of time. If this type of headache is new to you or if your symptoms change, it is important to consult your doctor to rule out other serious causes.

Opthalmoplegic migraines are a very rare, severe form of eye-migraines. This type of “optical migraine” begins with severe pain in the eye that often causes vomiting. The cause of this migraine is thought to be weakness in the muscles that surround the eye. Aside from the acute pain, as the migraine intensifies, nerves in the eye become paralyzed and cause the eyelid to droop. This phenomenon, called ptosis, may persist for weeks. Opthalmoplegic migraines are most prevalent in children. However, the true danger is that this headache isn’t a migraine at all. No matter what your age, if your headaches exhibit these symptoms, it is imperative to seek medical attention to rule out other severe health conditions.