Vision Source Mandan Blog

Seeing Stars? Could Be An Ocular Migraine

If you’ve ever had a series of bright, flickering lights gradually obscure your vision and then go away, you might have had an ocular migraine.

We typically think of migraines as the painful headaches that affect about 10 percent of the U.S. population, but the visual distortions that come with ocular migraines aren’t always related to head pain. There are three main categories of ocular migraine.

Migraine With Aura

About 20 percent of people who suffer migraine headaches will experience visual distortions in both eyes as one of the warning symptoms of an upcoming migraine. If this sounds familiar and you haven’t discussed it with a doctor, schedule an appointment.

You may be able to reduce the frequency of your migraines by avoiding triggers such as stress, certain foods, and sudden bright lights. Smoking and oral contraceptives may act as triggers as well.

Retinal Migraine

The most dangerous form of ocular migraine is a retinal migraine. Like an aura accompanying a migraine, a retinal migraine will usually occur before a bad headache sets in, but the difference is that the visual distortions are only in a single eye.

Retinal migraines are the rarest form of ocular migraine, but if you’ve experienced them, you should definitely see a doctor, because they are usually caused by a more serious condition.

Painless Ocular Migraine

In some cases, ocular migraines can occur without any accompanying headache. These typically involve a widening blurry patch in your vision that is surrounded by bright, flickering lights. This will gradually spread to cover the entire field of vision, taking between a few minutes and half an hour, before going away on its own.

The visual disruption may be the only symptom, but sometimes it’s accompanied by other sensory, speech, or motor problems. A painless ocular migraine might be scary the first time it happens. If one starts coming on while you’re driving, pull over until it passes, and it may be best to lie down and relax. While these ocular migraines are usually harmless, it’s a good idea to schedule an eye exam, just in case.

Contact Us To Learn More

If you’ve experienced any of the three types of ocular migraine, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with us so that we can discover the underlying cause and make a plan to address it if necessary. If you’d like to learn more about ocular migraines, just give us a call!

We’re your biggest ally in lifelong vision health!

Top image by Flickr user Vox Efx used under Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Testimonials

What Our Clients Say

My annual eye exam is always an excellent experience with Dr. Danielle Dyke. The exam is always thorough, and Dr. Dyke takes the time to explain my eye health in a way I can understand. The Vision Source eye clinic is modern, clean, and the staff is very welcoming. I always feel comfortable and well-cared for at my appointment. I highly recommend Dr. Dyke and Vision Source!

Patricia G.

Dr. Schauer did an amazing job getting my eye infection cleared up. As I sat in my room waiting my turn, because I had a last minute appointment, I could hear her working with a family next door that had young kids.

Fred S.

Whenever I have had eye issues, they have made efforts to get me in asap. Which I really appreciate. I have had Dr. Aberle and Dr. Dyke and they are both excellent. Recently, I saw Dr. Aberle for a chronic eye problem in one eye & he fixed the problem. Honestly, it felt like a miracle. The office staff is also very pleasant to deal with.

Sheila S.

I've literally been a lifelong customer since 5th grade when it was Dr. Little! Dr. Schauer has taken over since Dr. Little retired. It's always a good, friendly experience with all of the staff there. I've never had a bad experience.

Bill S.

The front desk people are very nice and friendly got called in to see Wayne before my appointment time Vision Source has very friendly staff and the clinic is very clean will always be a patient to Vision Source.

Deborah C.

I was greeted by the front desk very efficiently. The person who did the first part of my history and did the testing like the little spritz in my eyes, etc, was very good. I really like my eye doctor, I feel that I get all my questions answered as well as she explains what she is seeing when she is examining my eyes.

Dolly A.

Read More

Need to Schedule an Appointment?
WE ARE Accepting New Patients

Your vision is precious—trust it to the experienced team at Vision Source Mandan, where we treat you like family
while providing the highest standard of eye care available in the Bismarck-Mandan area.