Anyone else experience this?
Suddenly started a couple of weeks ago, now getting them 2-3 days per week. It's something like this over my field of vision (both eyes, open or shut).
From my reading, there's nothing to be done about it.
Occular Migraine is where you get migraine visual distortion for about 30 minutes. But not accompanied by pain.
In my teenage years I suffered serious migraines, I quickly learnt to recognise the tell-tale signs of a migraine attack. About 30 minutes before the onslaught my vision would become extremely bright, I would also see fuzzy shinning stars at the top corner of whatever I was looking at. It seems that this is as far as it goes for you...lucky you!
Yours look a lot more cool than mine - I just get random patches of blury or shakey vision, which makes using a PC very very annoying / tiring.
Sometimes I get pain afterwards, sometimes not - so I always take a paracetamol the moment the vision thing starts, just in case, and then the pain is not usually too bad. I tried a couple of times without doing that, and won't be trying again!
Yes, I've been getting them periodically for the last five years or so. Exactly as you say, an identical distortion in both eyes, that increases or decreases in size and can last up to half an hour. When I first started getting them I was quite concerned, but having done the research and talked to my doctor it seems they're not a sign of anything else, and as you say there's nothing to be done. The worst of them, and I haven't had one this bad for a while, might mean I'd need to pull over if driving and wait for it to clear.
Poor lighting conditions, and staring at a screen, can sometimes seem to bring them on, and certainly exacerbate them if you don't stop what you're doing, but other than that I've just lesarnt to live with them.
Occular migraine appears to share little in common with 'real' migraines, just that the symptom is slightly similar to the aura that often precedes migraines, so the condition acquired the related name. Looking at the type of visual interference shows that they're not really related at all.
If the symptoms are new, I’d make sure it is indeed ocular migraines and nothing more worrying or serious. Did you get an official diagnosis from a doctor?
I have had an ocular migraine just the once, just like in your pictures, then with a loss of vision which meant when I looked at some writing, it was as if there was a 'hole' in my sight (for want of a better word) which made it look as if one or two words were missing.
I also couldn't think of the names of things, I remember that I couldn't for the life of me think what a potato was called.
That was a couple of years ago and I haven't had one since.
Ouch. Sounds more like a TIA . Did you get it checked out?
That looks exactly like mine. I seem to get a spate of them, maybe once a week for a month or so, then nothing for a few weeks then an odd one or two then nothing for a couple of years. So far I haven't had one for ages.
It doesn't really bother me as it only lasts about 40 mins and leaves me with a bit of a fuzzy headache which can be shifted with a couple of paracetamol or ibuprofen.
No idea what triggers it but it doesn't bother me enough to follow up with a doctor.
Seconded.
If this is a new development, you definitely need to get it checked out and diagnosed by your doctor. Do not put it on the back burner and delay getting a diagnosis because you do need to know the root cause.
I was diagnosed 6yrs ago. I'd been fobbing it off as tired eyes from working at a computer screen all day, because there no pain with it, and it passed in about 20mins. Then I had an episode where the work pc screen 'disappeared' during a call with a client. I'd noticed the ocular migraine developing, but suddenly everything went white and I was left with pinhole vision. My boss sent me to an NHS walk-in centre where I was diagnosed. This was followed by a really scary vertigo attack on the train home, and went to my G.P. the next morning.
In my case, it's all linked to a car crash back in 2000 where I was left with whip lash that required 18mths of physio. During that time, I developed Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), and the ocular migraine syptoms were included in that diagnosis. These days, I tend to experience these two conditions separately. The BPPV comes 3-6 week long episodes which are 18-24mths apart, and it tends to be stress related. The ocular migraine is more frequent and also tends to be stress related.
Just as an example, my last bout of BPPV began the day after we moved in Switzerland. I was calm about the transition, but my body was going "WTF!!!". I've had a lot of ocular migraines recently, but can solidly link them to a recent family bereavement.
Please go to your doctor and get a definite diagnosis.
No, but I googled (I know ) and my symptoms were exactly those which were described for an ocular migraine. Also my sister has had them for years and mine was identical to hers.
I'm another regular ..
Sometimes 2 in a week, nothing for a few months.. 3 in a week, nothing for a month.. and so on.
Starts as a really small blurry dot then the coloured crescent pattern starts to grown and move sideways right across the field of vision, normally left to right. Usually takes around 30-40 minutes to go away.
I don't get a headache but usually feel a bit worn out for a while after it, confused maybe, a generally blurry feeling.
Nearly always happens at work. I've had it for as long as i remember.
I‘ve had them when I was especially anxious, recovering from walking pneumonia, and when I first started taking an antidepressant and upped my dose. They look very much like your image, last about 45 minutes, no pain. But a bit of a weird feeling after ...vague, like I am expecting something worse. (ETA : John describes it above....a weariness).
I think i‘ve had about 8-10 in the last 35 years. It is unsettling. I‘d definitely check them out if they are new and regularly occuring.
A very accurate description. That is how I feel. Unfortunately, I had one this morning and it's kind of screwed up my work day.
Yes - I'll go see my doc.
Some things to think about -
Are you especially tired or stressed right now?
Have you changed (dose or type) medication?
Have you been ill?
Changed eating habits?
Probably a good idea to have a check up.
Feel better!