| The sense of sight is a very powerful tool to see the | | | | that begin after extensive use of the eyes, which |
| world. Through the eyes, one can perceive different | | | | usually happens after reading, using the computer, or |
| things, ideas, and features, and even cultures for that | | | | watching television. |
| matter. The eyes help us make sense of the world | | | | Visual migraine is usually caused by stress and |
| around us, even transforming thoughts into reality. | | | | prolonged periods of exposure to bright lights. Using the |
| Remember how the first sight of something new or | | | | eyes in a stressful manner or in any stressful activity |
| attractive made you glow with wonder. Do you | | | | may result in such condition. The use of eyeglasses |
| remember the first time you saw something | | | | can sometimes strain the person's eyes and may give |
| spectacular like a huge waterfall...or a bright rainbow | | | | headaches. Sometimes, headaches are felt if the |
| after the rain? Our eyes are the gateways to | | | | person experiences sinus conditions, allergies, tumors, |
| beauty and splendor. | | | | hypertension or hormonal changes, not really related to |
| But the gift of sight is not enjoyed by everyone. | | | | one's eyesight. |
| Even people who are not clinically blind yet have | | | | There are three major types of visual disturbances |
| certain impairments can lose a lot of the visual | | | | when experiencing visual migraine. Being tired and |
| information that can be found around us. Some | | | | stressed causes a formation of an irregular polygon of |
| people with visual impairments get blurred vision, and | | | | "nothingness" which is usually experienced following the |
| much worse, visual migraine. A certain condition that | | | | headaches. The size of the circle of "nothingness" |
| deals with altered vision is called visual migraine. There | | | | grows as time passes (for about half an hour), then |
| is temporary visual disturbance caused by a vascular | | | | disappears. Another type would also be associated to |
| spasm in the brain, usually accompanied by headache. | | | | visual processing. This time, colors are seen but with |
| This so-called vascular spasm occurs when there is a | | | | irregular waves and distorted images. The last type is |
| decrease of blood flow to the "occipital cortex", or the | | | | quite different. It occurs with patterns that are triggered |
| part of the brain related to vision. | | | | by relaxation, and can quickly lead to a sense of |
| Symptoms of visual migraine may include seeing a | | | | unreality by somewhat getting a 3-D image from what |
| "shimmering light", distorted or blurred vision, pulsating | | | | the person already sees. |
| and flashing lights, among others. The headache | | | | If visual migraines are to be discussed further, it is |
| experienced with this kind of migraine can be very | | | | factual to know another type of disorder related to |
| painful and debilitating. Nausea and vomiting are also | | | | visual migraine. Although rare, retinal migraine is also |
| experienced during a visual migraine attack. A typical | | | | associated to the vascular spasm in which results in full |
| episode of visual migraine lasts for fifteen to twenty | | | | loss of vision. This rare form of migraine causes total |
| minutes, then fades away. Fatigue is the common | | | | blindness in any of the eyes, and usually lasts less than |
| after effect of this kind of migraine. | | | | an hour, also with recurring headaches. The headache |
| Symptoms of headaches related to the eyes are as | | | | may occur before or after this attack of retinal |
| follows: burning eyes, fatigue, migraine, sensitivity to light | | | | migraine. Having visual migraine or even retinal migraine |
| (photophobia) and sound (phonophobia), nausea and | | | | can be disturbing for most people. Proper treatment of |
| vomiting, visual aura (certain visuals when a person is | | | | these said disorders may help in dealing with such |
| under visual migraine), throbbing pain, and headaches | | | | apparitions, or even visual loss (retinal migraine). |