In this fast-paced world filled with screens and digital devices, our eyes have become more vulnerable to health risks than ever before. It’s no wonder that eye problems are on the rise, with conditions like ocular migraines becoming increasingly common.
You may be wondering, what exactly is an ocular migraine? Well, imagine a migraine headache, but with a twist. Instead of experiencing throbbing pain in your head, you may find yourself facing temporary vision disturbances. These episodes known as ocular migraines can be alarming and can significantly impact the quality of life. As your local eye care provider, Acuity Optical has an experienced ophthalmologist Palm Desert who can help our patients with effective tips to manage this condition. Let us walk you through what they are and how we can help.
What is an Ocular Migraine?
An ocular migraine also called a migraine with aura, involves neurological symptoms that often precede the headache phase of a migraine. Commonly, patients see flashing lights, zig-zag lines, or blind spots in their vision temporarily. These visual disturbances are caused by changes in the brain before blood vessels dilate. While frightening, they pose no serious risk to sight but their continuous occurrence can be quite discomforting.
How Can You Manage Symptoms?
Here are some tips we recommend to our patients:
- Track triggers to avoid them preemptively
- Use over-the-counter pain relievers
- Apply a warm or cool compress to the eyes
- Stay in a dark, quiet space to allow aura symptoms to subside
Be sure to see our ophthalmologist Palm Desert if your headaches start to change or worsen. Early treatment can prevent worse migraines.
Seeing an Eye Specialist: If your migraines are frequent or severe, we can run specialized tests to check for underlying issues. Our eye exam, visual field test, and imaging can easily map out the cause. We may also prescribe preventative medications or supplements like magnesium, CoQ10, and riboflavin that research shows help abort attacks faster.
Lifestyle Changes for Relief: Adopting a healthy lifestyle with stress management techniques, proper hydration, exercise, and eating lean proteins with complex carbs can significantly reduce migraine frequency. We also recommend routine eye exams as migraines may stem from uncorrected vision issues. Early detection and treatment of refractive errors or other ocular conditions may help minimize triggers.
One strategy for managing the associated sensitivity to light that causes ocular migraine is to wear glasses or sunglasses with specific lens tints. These specialized lenses can help reduce the intensity of light entering the eyes and provide relief.
One must try to wear glasses while viewing digital screens as prolonged exposure to light can also trigger or increase the pain. In case, you don’t have one you can easily buy one at our renowned eyewear Palm Desert Store.
Prompt Follow Up is Key
Our doctors and staff are dedicated to resolving any eye and vision issues behind painful migraines. We treat the whole patient with compassion and a customized approach. We also recommend that you come in for regular check-ups, if the reason for your headaches is a serious eye issue. Our team tries to maximize the quality of your vision by catching problems early and leading you to a headache-free condition.
Managing ocular migraines is a collective effort; you must take good care of your eyes at home and at work. Our ophthalmologist Palm Desert is here to guide you every step of the way. Our comprehensive eye care services, personalized treatment plans, and range of eyewear Palm Desert options are designed to help you in ocular migraine management. Our staff at Acuity Optical is all time committed to assisting you in navigating the difficulties of multiple eye concerns. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with our skilled professionals today.