Eye?? Did you ever have swirly circles in your vision?

[disneydreamersx4]

It happened to me quite a few months ago and when I went to the optometrist he said they were migraine something?? I don't get migraines. I think I get them when I stay up late on the computer.

 

[Hoodie]

It's called a visual migraine. I had one when I was pregnant. I don't get migraines and haven't had one since, but it was the weirdest thing I'd ever experienced. I thought it was a weird reaction to Lasik I had a few eyars ago (it's not, but when my vision went all wacky, I was sure that they were melting!)

 

[minkydog]

My DH gets those swirly things, and sometimes jagged lines. The first time it happened I panicked--I was sure he was having a stroke. Nope. Ocular migraine. He doesn't have a headache with it, just the weird vision. But he usually has to lie down with it because it makes his vision bad enough he can't drive safely. For him, a little Advil takes care of it.

 

[DMass]

I get them once in a while. With me they look like lightning bolts that last about a half hour then comes a vicious headache. Once I see the bolts, I take Tylenol and it makes the headache easier to deal with. I'm still fuzzy headed for the rest of the day though.

My doctor calls the bolts I see an aura.

 

[rotlex]

My wife and I both get them rather regularly. Ocular Migraine, I call it my aura, LOL.

Seriously though, they are extremely annoying. For me, they seem to be triggered by light, just the wrong type at the wrong time. While not painful, they can be quite debilitating. I generally have to lay down in a dark place, take some type of very strong aspirin like substance, and definitely hope I'm not driving. Same goes for my wife.

 

[NotUrsula]

It's generally called an aura when it precedes migraine pain, but most doctors will call it an "ocular migraine" when the aura effect is the only symptom you have.

The interesting thing about them is that they tend to have individual signatures; each person sees something different. My sister sees cracked glass, while I see wavy black and while lines. There also tends to be sort of a line of demarcation at the edge of the effect, and your brain will tell you that you should be able to "look around" the line by moving your head, only of course that won't work, and when you try the line will shift.

Best thing to do is just try to relax where ever you are when it happens. IME, getting away from strong lighting will help it dissipate faster.

 

[Myothername]

I also get them. Mine look like the flash you see when someone takes you picture with a flash. That after flash thing. It is usually on the right side and starts as a small spot and gradually gets bigger and bigger until it goes away. I don't get the headache and it is just annoying cause I can't see to work until it goes away. I don't seem to have a trigger either. I have made notes about it and can't pin it down to any one cause.

 

[antmaril]

I've had them on and off for almost 30 years. Opthalmic migraine. When I had the first one, I was told by the opthalmologist that I may never have another one, or I may have them all my life. I experience them a couple times a year or so. They are very annoying and last about 20 minutes.

My sister has them, too.

 

[anniemae]

so annoying. My Optomotrist said they are very common. Ocular migraine.

 

[MIGrandma]

I used to have migraine headaches, one severe enough to make me go to the emergency room for a shot.

Then I had some neck adjustments by a chiropractor and the migraines stopped. Seriously. I haven't had one in 30+ years. I did still have the squiggly lines, circles, etc. or what they call the aura of a migraine, but I never got the actual headache. Also, I would have large blind spots in one eye. But I haven't even had the aura for several years now.

 

[HOGFAN]

me too..jagged lines...If I can get a couple painkillers down fast enough the following headache wont be too bad...

 

[floridaminnie]

I get them too, but they don't bother me at all.

 

[LuvOrlando]

When I get them I get the visual thing instead of pain, which the Dr said is pretty common, but the numbness on that side of my face that comes along with the visual is less common Mine look like a kaleidoscope in the shape of a corkscrew that grows longer and longer with the numbness expanding until it suddenly disappears, that last about 8 minutes.

I also get peripheral vision blindness and smell hallucinations as forms of migraine without pain, the brain is a pretty amazing thing.

Still, don't diagnose yourself, if you have weird visual events you need to be seen by a Dr. to make sure it's nothing else every time it happens for a quick neurological exam. I've had dozens of events and still never assume that's all there is to it, I've known people who have had permanent vision damage from Migraines so I always take them seriously. My most recent Neuro told me that visual Migraine events should never last more than 30 minutes so if it continues longer than that seek help.

One of the worst migraines i ever got in my life was triggered by an old school computer screen sitting in a room lit by florescent light when I was in college writing a paper. I ran out of the room and threw myself into a pile of snow... I'm sure it was quite a sight to my friends when they followed me outside to see what was wrong with me.

 

[MinnieTink]

Yes I get these too. They are so annoying. I usually don't get much of a headache following it tho, thankfully. Once I got one while walking in the mall with my then 2 year old son. I lost a lot of my field of vision which was scary when you're in a public place with a small kookoo little boy. I just had to put the vice grip on him and sit down til it passed.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

I get them and fear them. If I get an occular migraine, that means the end of my day right there. First I get a small blinking zigzag, usually in my lower right side of my vision. Then it grows and expands until it is a large curvy zigzag and I can't really see around it. I have to put my head down and shut my eyes. After about 30 minutes, it floats off the field of my vision and I can see again. Then a few minutes later, I get a huge headache above my right eye. The headache lasts until I can get a good night's sleep and sleep it off. No medication really helps the pain much. Just have to live with them.

Fortuately in my case, I know (more or less) what my trigger is - I narrowed it down to pressure on my right side neck, below the jaw. Isn't there some sort of major artery or vein there? (name escapes me). I know in my case, any pressure in that area of my neck can cause the migraine, as well as left-side weakness in my arm, too. I know I gotten migraines by simply looking down at my upper right arm for more than a few seconds (since that movement causes my shoulder to press up against my neck).

Right now I am being VERY careful about neck posture (and making sure nothing puts pressure on my neck), and I haven't had a migraine since May. I am really hoping I finally found the trigger once and for all. What a difference a migraine-free life would be!

 

[nancys]

I have been having one or two a year for about 16 years. There is no pain at all, but there is loss of vision in whichever eye is affected, for twenty minutes.

I can feel it approaching because of what I call a "buzzing feeling" and a growing arc of gold-colored bright lights in the outside corner of my eye. The lights are curvy, zigzag shape, and it never occurs in both eyes at once.

The first time it happened, I was scared to death! I was singing in a choir rehearsal, and suddenly could not see the music out of my right eye. I thought I was dying, stroke or something, and began to grab at ideas of what I should be doing in my last hours. Sort of a "life flashing before your eyes" kind of thing.

I didn't say anything to anyone, just closed my folder and left the room and headed to my car, thinking to die in private, I guess. By the time I got out of the building and into the parking lot, the event was beginning to fade.

Now I know to just wait it out. Thankfully, no real migraine follows it.

 

[LuvOrlando]

I get them and fear them. If I get an occular migraine, that means the end of my day right there. First I get a small blinking zigzag, usually in my lower right side of my vision. Then it grows and expands until it is a large curvy zigzag and I can't really see around it. I have to put my head down and shut my eyes. After about 30 minutes, it floats off the field of my vision and I can see again. Then a few minutes later, I get a huge headache above my right eye. The headache lasts until I can get a good night's sleep and sleep it off. No medication really helps the pain much. Just have to live with them.

Fortuately in my case, I know (more or less) what my trigger is - I narrowed it down to pressure on my right side neck, below the jaw. Isn't there some sort of major artery or vein there? (name escapes me). I know in my case, any pressure in that area of my neck can cause the migraine, as well as left-side weakness in my arm, too. I know I gotten migraines by simply looking down at my upper right arm for more than a few seconds (since that movement causes my shoulder to press up against my neck).

Right now I am being VERY careful about neck posture (and making sure nothing puts pressure on my neck), and I haven't had a migraine since May. I am really hoping I finally found the trigger once and for all. What a difference a migraine-free life would be!

That's weird, I see shooting stars every time I turn sharply to look at my right or left and it happens every day when I shave under my arms. I've asked other people about it but no-one ever said they get it too so I just thought it was my own little weird thing. It never occurred to me that it could be related to my migraines. Wouldn't that be something else? I'm going to keep an eye on that! Thanks!!!

BTW, the carotid artery is in the neck, I know mine is clear because it's been scanned before but maybe you might want to make sure yours is ok before you assume all is well as long as you don't turn your neck, it could be blocked. Then again maybe it's time for a re-do. Once they said mine was clear they never mentioned anything further about it, no-one did. You would think one of the many specialists might have brought it up.... sheesh.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

That's weird, I see shooting stars every time I turn sharply to look at my right or left and it happens every day when I shave under my arms. I've asked other people about it but no-one ever said they get it too so I just thought it was my own little weird thing. It never occurred to me that it could be related to my migraines. Wouldn't that be something else? I'm going to keep an eye on that! Thanks!!!

BTW, the carotid artery is in the neck, I know mine is clear because it's been scanned before but maybe you might want to make sure yours is ok before you assume all is well as long as you don't turn your neck, it could be blocked. Then again maybe it's time for a re-do. Once they said mine was clear they never mentioned anything further about it, no-one did. You would think one of the many specialists might have brought it up.... sheesh.

Wow!! Yep - looking under the arms is one of the movements I avoid at all costs! I only finally figured out my migraines were related to pressure on my neck since I used to get bad eczema on my arms/shoulders, and I finally saw a corelation to me putting cream on the rash (which involved me moving my head/neck to stare at my skin) and then getting a migraine a few hours later. I been getting migraines since I was 14, which corresponded to when I starting getting the eczema/acne stuff. I couldn't believe it when I saw this cause/effect - I never thought I would find the trigger!

My theory is the artery in my right side neck gets "pinched" when there is pressure against my neck. As it "unpinches" itself over the next few hours, the occular migraine and then migraine episode occurs when blood starts rushing back into my head. I have no idea is anything is actually blocked - I hope not since I have limited health insurance at the moment!

But I been very careful with my neck (making sure I never turn my head/neck in any way that could apply pressure to my neck, and making sure my shoulder/arm never touch my neck) - and my migraines have gone down significantly. I used to get 3-4 migraines a month, now I haven't had one since May.

Good luck on your quest! Maybe there is something to the positioning/pressure on your neck/head in your case, too! I truly never thought I would find the trigger - it's been great not living in fear of constant migraines.

EDITED TO ADD: LuvsOrlando - maybe try shaving your arms without actually looking at them (and not twisting the neck or having the shoulder rest against the neck) and see if there is any correlation! (Of course cutting yourself since your can't see wouldn't be ideal either ....!! )

 

[beattyfamily]

Welcome to the club. :wave

I get them too. Since I was in my early 20's. I can still remember my first one very well.

Bad lighting or bright light triggers it for me. Once I see the zig zag lines, I can't really function and must rest and wait it out and then 30 minutes later I get a really bad headache that never really goes away for the rest of the day until I go to bed and wake up again.

I've gotten them driving and at disney at MK; two of the worst places to get them.

Luckily, I don't get them too often. I did notice I got them more often when on the pill. I got off and they decreased significantly.

I only pray my daughters do no inherit them from me.

Good luck!

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

I get them too and I do fear them as another stated, bc when I get them, I can't see. Bright light absolutely triggers them so I constantly wear sunglasses. Caffeine, chocolate, also other triggers. They start out as a small bright spot then get bigger and bigger squiggly prism curved line going into a circle until I barely see. If I'm out by myself I freak. I have to sit in the car for about a half hour or more until they go away so I can see. I do try to avoid the triggers, make sure I drink a lot of water, and take magnesium and calcium and plain old multivitamins. Magnesium and calcium are muscle relaxants and they seem to help me not get them as much. I take Esgic (butalbitral) for the headache afterwards which can last up to about 3 days for me.