If you experience temporary disturbances in your vision, you might have what is called an ocular migraine. Unlike traditional headaches and migraines, these types of migraines do not cause you any pain. Instead, it affects how well you can see for a short period of time. Here is more information about ocular migraines.

How do you know it is an ocular migraine?

The main way to tell you are suffering from an ocular migraine is that you have the visual disturbances that come from a migraine, but you don't have the typical migraine pain. If pain is involved, then it is actually called a migraine with aura, or known as a traditional migraine. You will likely lose part of your vision, or have bright lights getting in the way of seeing correctly. This may only last a few seconds or minutes, depending on how severe it is. There may be some blind spots in your vision or complete blindness, though this varies by the person. If you experience a headache that is starting to get worse, affects only one side of your head, or starts to pulsate, it may actually be from a retinal migraine, and not an ocular migraine. It is not unusual to have nausea and vomiting as a result of the vision disturbances.

What are the treatment options?

You should know that many ocular migraines will go away on their own, so the first thing you should do is stop and rest. If you get one while driving, pull over right away and wait until the vision disturbances have subsided. Regardless of what you are doing at the time, you need to rest your eyes and your head until it passes. If you are unsure about driving even after it has passed, it might be better to call for a ride or call a tow truck. When the ocular migraines become frequent, it is time to call your optometrist. There may be another issue going on that is leading to the high frequency. They will likely give you an eye exam to look for signs of a detached retina or other eye conditions that might increase your risk for ocular migraines.

Is it possible to prevent ocular migraines?

If you are having ocular migraines regularly, there may be some ways to prevent the frequency and severity of them. For example, if you find that your stress level tends to bring them on, you can work on reducing your stress levels. Some natural ways to reduce your stress include getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly. Work to avoid other triggers that you have found are leading to ocular migraines.

To learn more, visit an eye doctor like De Venuto Joseph J.