Ocular migraine

An ocular migraine, also known as a retinal migraine, is an episode of vision loss, or blurred vision, that occurs in one or both eyes. These often don’t last longer than an hour and are usually painless. An ocular migraine is different to a migraine that causes a headache.

There are a few potential causes of an ocular migraine, including existing eye conditions. However, it could also be the sign of a more serious health condition. If you experience an ocular migraine, you should have an eye test and speak to your optometrist. They can look at your eyes to find the cause, as well as recommend to best treatment for you.

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Eye conditions that can cause ocular migraines

Iritis (inflammation of your iris, the coloured ring at the front of your eye) ⁷..
Keratoconus (distortion in the shape of the cornea, the layer at the front of your eye) ⁹.
Glaucoma (damage to the optic nerve that can be caused by high fluid pressure in your eyes).
Cataracts (cloudy patches develop on your eyes lens).

How can you treat ocular migraines?

Often, there is no treatment needed for ocular migraines, especially if they only happen sporadically. The best method of treatment can be prevention. If you visit your optometrist or doctor about ocular migraines if you experience them often, they may be able to find the cause and offer advice on prevention, such as lifestyle changes like cutting down on caffeine or alcohol.

If you do experience an ocular migraine, then over the counter medication like ibuprofen or paracetamol can help to relieve the symptoms. A few other tips include:

Lying down in a dark room.
Hydrate yourself.
Maintain a healthy diet and exercise.
Get enough sleep.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Manage your stress levels.

If you try to prevent ocular migraines but they continue to persist, you should contact your doctor.

Are you worried about ocular migraine?

It’s always best to get these things checked, and our expert team are on hand to help.

Book an eye test

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