By
Jonathan Yoken, MD
HEADACHE,
MIGRAINE AND OCULAR MIGRAINE
Many patients
associate headache with ocular disease. However, this is rarely
the case. Most brow-ache or eye-ache is referred pain from muscle
contraction in the neck.
Migraine is
a vascular headache. It tends to run in families and frequently
starts in the early teen years. Migraine may cause visual symptoms
including moving jagged lines, colorful displays, or blurred vision.
This occurs because migraine headaches are caused by blood flow
changes in the area of the brain that serves vision. Visual symptoms,
when caused by migraine, are typically present in the vision of
both eyes. A change in peripheral vision, or blacking out of part
of the visual field, is possible. Migraine may be associated with
nausea and vomiting. Also, Migraine may occur with only visual
symptoms and no headache at all. Migraine or migraine symptoms
should not suddenly start in the later years. If this occurs,
it could be a symptom of other disease and requires evaluation
and testing.
There are,
however, several specific eye disorders which may lead to headache.
Headache caused by eye disease will be associated with blurred
vision, light sensitivity, and possibly pain with eye movement.
Your eye examination in our office always includes a careful search
for ocular causes of disease.
Headache caused
by brain tumor is uncommon. It appears suddenly, progresses in
intensity, and may be dependent on body position. Other neurologic
symptoms are common.
Treatment
of headache depends on the cause and we will advise you who will
best be able to help. Although headache is usually not a symptom
of ocular disease, we frequently encounter patients with this
problem. We will help you to diagnose the cause and refer you
to the appropriate doctor for treatment.
What is
an ocular migraine?
Occasionally,
the vascular changes that cause migraine headaches occur in the
blood vessel that directly supplies the eye. In this case, the
blood flow to or within the eye is temporarily occluded. This
often results in a temporary, partial or complete blackening of
the vision within one eye. An ocular migraine does not typically
coincide with a headache at the time it occurs. Your doctor may
order some tests to rule out other causes of obstructed blood
flow to the eye.
