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Ocular Migraine Syndrome
Last month we discussed some of the causes of flashes of light and/or floaters in one’s field of vision. We purposely left one of the more common afflictions out in order to give it special attention: Ocular Migraine Syndrome. Ocular migraine syndrome affects a large percentage of the population (the best estimate is 20%, or one in five people). Experiencing the unexplained visual symptoms associated with this condition can be especially distressing because our minds often imagine the worst possible outcome: that of losing our most precious sense -- sight. This is the reason that ocular migraine syndrome is the number one emergency call to our office and to many other eye care offices as well.
Ocular migraine syndrome affects a large percentage of the population (the best estimate is 20%, or one in five people). |
This decreases the supply of blood and oxygen to the visual center of the brain and results in what is technically called a “prodroma”. A prodroma is the visual sensation of a shimmering, multicolored, jagged image, usually in the center of the field of vision. Typically, this starts as a small point of light and grows until it obscures the majority of the vision. A prodroma is actually a true hallucination, in that it is a visual sensation that is occurring only in the brain, but it appears to be real. If one were to close one’s eyes when having one of these episodes, the jagged image would be just as apparent!! This visual image can last anywhere from several minutes to several hours; the average episode is about one hour.
Roughly 50% of those who suffer from such ocular migraines have a headache after the visual prodroma passes, i.e., after the blood vessels dilate, or open back up. Current theory states that headaches can occur when this dilation process happens too quickly, and the blood vessel walls press on the surrounding tissue, irritating it and leading to the sensation of a headache. Although this theory has not been conclusively proven, it certainly makes sense from a mechanical point of view
Most people who experience an ocular migraine will have between 1-8 attacks in their lifetime. Now, this is simply an average figure. Many people literally have hundreds of ocular migraines, while others will only have one attack. The important point to remember is that these events do not cause any permanent damage to the visual system. However, they can be very annoying and/or dangerous, if they occur when driving a car, and the whole central field of vision disappears temporarily. The thing to do here, of course, is simply to pull over and let the episode pass.
Ocular migraines tend to affect all people equally – in other words, showing no preference for age, sex or race. Although the vast majority of ocular migraines seem to occur for no known reason, high levels of stress have been associated with them. We often see patients experiencing their first ocular migraine during times of very high stress, such as getting married or moving to a new area.
If you experience any of these symptoms we have described, or even ones similar to them, be sure to visit your eye doctor and get a thorough examination. A retinal tear or detachment can mimic these symptoms, and it is fairly straightforward to rule out a serious or sight – threatening condition from a benign ocular migraine.
For more information, contact Drs. Travis & Cheryl Adlington at (775) 284-3937 or visit www.eyeglassgallery.net.
