At some point in our lives, we experienced headaches that come and go, and often so severe that our daily lives are affected. Often, when these headaches occur, we also experience some form of visual change. Then we said, "It may just be a migraine."

1. What is a migraine?

Migraine is a recurrent headache that is severely painful and usually only occurs on one side of the head. A halo occurred before one of the attacks. The halo can appear as a visual flash or spot or even in the ear, as opposed to the side where the headache is about to occur. Migraine attacks may also be associated with symptoms such as dizziness, vomiting, nausea and diplopia.

2. What is an optical migraine?

Contrary to true migraine, optical migraine also involves aura before migraine attacks, but no pain. This is more rare than migraine with severe pain. It is also known as acetyl migraine or visual or ocular migraine. It is a migraine precursor without headache.

The visual disturbance experienced is a flashing light that looks like a zigzag or "fortress-like" light. These halos usually begin with a small visual parade through the field of vision and slowly disappear. Attacks like this last a few minutes to nearly an hour.

If it can cause headaches, the pain will appear in an hour. Optical migraine can also be used as a blind spot in the field of view.

3. How much do I know that I am experiencing migraine?

Migraine is usually diagnosed if the same symptoms occur repeatedly over the years. If you experience the same aura, it is an optical migraine. If the visual pattern changes, it may be more serious. In this case, you should consult a doctor.

4. What are the reasons for these migraine headaches?

The cause of migraine has not been confirmed and it is not clear. However, there are theories that these headaches are caused by allergies, transient edema of the brain, and even endocrine disorders. One thing is for sure, because the brain's blood circulation is disturbed. Pain has been shown to be associated with narrowing and then expansion of blood vessels in the brain.

5. If it is not a migraine, what may be the more serious cause of headache?

Not all headaches are migraine, not all visual impairments are caused by migraine. There may be more serious reasons that may force you to consult a doctor. Visual changes may also be caused by partial seizures, retinal detachment in the eye, "small stroke" or transient ischemic attack, multiple sclerosis or even brain tumors.

6. Who is more prone to migraine?

Optical migraine usually has a 3:1 ratio than women experience. This is a disease that is usually inherited.

7. What are the common treatments for optical migraine?

Sedatives and aspirin are commonly used drugs in patients with this disease. Resting or sleeping in a dark room usually relieves symptoms. However, if the auditory migraine is accompanied by a severe headache, injection of triptan or ingestion or nasal spray of the same medication can alleviate the symptoms. Beta-blockers, antidepressants and anti-epileptics are also effective in most patients.

It is important to recognize the aura before the headache in order to take the medication before the actual episode. This will prevent pain from entering. Biofeedback has proven to be a good treatment for patients who receive these attacks.

With all of these factors in mind, you can now know if you are experiencing a normal headache or a real blue migraine. Now, you can also determine if these strange visual impairments are aura before the migraine attack, or if it is an optical migraine.

The important thing here is that you have to recognize the symptoms of headache. Observation is the key. You must realize that you are going to have a full-scale attack on migraine, or you should seek medical help because it is a more serious sign. Never take these headaches for granted, they may mean your life.

7 things you should know about optical migraine was originally published on Spring