Migraines and Your Eyes

Migraines affect a lot of people and those who suffer from them know, they can be very debilitating.

What causes migraines?
The exact cause is still not fully understood. But most evidence generally points to fluctuations in the size of blood vessels in the brain and over-active neurons.

Auras
The changes that occur in the brain slowly spread into the areas that control eye sight (occipital cortex). Eventually causing distortions in vision. These are called Auras.

Often, people will notice flashes of light, zigzag patterns, or even loss of certain parts of vision for up to 15-20 minutes.

Visual Migraines
It is possible to experience these visual side effects without the headaches. It is important to separate these signs from flashes of light that can be associated with retinal detachments.


FAQ:
Q: How can I tell the difference between visual migraines and retinal detachments?
A: Generally flashes associated with retinal detachments are very brief and tend to be in peripheral parts of vision. Visual migraines tend to last for at least a few minutes and can involve up to half of you field of vision. If you ever notices flashes of light or changes in vision, see your eye doctor to be sure.

Q: How do you treat migraines?
A: For some people simple pain killers like Aspirin and Ibuprofen are sufficient. In more serious cases doctors my prescribe neuro-inhibitor like gabapentin or even anti-depressants like amitriptyline.

Q: Does caffeine help?
A: For some people caffeine can be a trigger. But it has been shown in studies that caffiene can actually help reduce migraines. Possibly because caffience causes blood vessels to constrict so it decreases the fluctuations that are occuring. Excedrin is aspirin plus caffeine.

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to pass this information on to anyone who may find it useful. And as always, questions and comments are welcome and appreciated.

See you all in the new year :)