The first time I encountered an ocular migraine was when I was around 20 years old. I was lounging on the couch, enjoying a TV show, when suddenly everything started to blur. It was a scorching summer day, and I assumed I was just overheated, so I decided to take a break and lay down for a bit.
Then, the strangest thing happened: a band of flashing lights appeared in my peripheral vision on the right side. As moments passed, this light show began to spread, eventually obscuring my entire right field of vision. I closed my eyes, hoping it would help, but the lights persisted. My stomach churned with anxiety—I was terrified and unsure whether to call for help (a part of me thought I should have). Just as I began to convince myself that I wasn’t having a stroke, everything vanished in an instant. The flashing lights faded, and my sight returned to normal. However, I was left with an aching sensation throughout my body, as if I had just run a marathon, accompanied by a throbbing headache on the same side where the lights had danced.
For most people, the next step would be to see a doctor, but as a young woman riddled with anxiety and a bit of a fear of doctors, I hesitated. Instead, I reached out to a friend who had experienced a similar episode. She explained that her flashing light experience was linked to dehydration and an electrolyte imbalance, stemming from her struggle with an eating disorder. Remembering how hot it was that day, I attributed my own episode to the heat and stocked up on Emergen-C, an electrolyte supplement.
Over the next few years, I had sporadic episodes of flashing lights, still believing they were linked to dehydration or dizziness. However, during my first pregnancy, these occurrences increased in frequency. With another life now depending on me, I felt it was time to seek professional advice.
My midwife suggested that what I was experiencing sounded like a migraine, which often occurs during pregnancy. Soon after, I visited my optometrist, who confirmed that my symptoms were indeed indicative of the aura phase of a migraine. She reassured me that this was common among her patients and that as long as I didn’t experience troubling symptoms like memory loss, we could focus on managing them effectively.
She provided a list of potential migraine triggers, which felt almost comical—everything I consumed (coffee, chocolate, cheese, nuts, onions) and many aspects of my life (stress, hormonal changes, lack of sleep) were included. Eliminating these triggers seemed nearly impossible; I would’ve had to spend all day in bed, meditating, and subsisting on nothing but water and rice!
Eventually, I resigned myself to my auras, feeling relieved to know they weren’t harbingers of doom. Interestingly, at that time, I only suffered mild headaches afterward, leading me to believe it was something I could manage.
However, after my baby was born, I faced a harsh reality: debilitating migraine attacks that felt like torture. The intense sleep deprivation and hormonal fluctuations of new motherhood transformed my migraines into something much more severe. The auras soon became the least of my worries, as I found myself grappling with excruciating pain.
The silver lining? Now, when I experience an aura, I feel more annoyed than scared. Thankfully, these auras don’t happen too often, as I deal with just as many migraines without them. When they do occur, I simply see them as a warning sign that a painful migraine is on the horizon.
So, that’s my experience. If you’ve ever dealt with an aura, you know how strange and unsettling it can be, especially the first few times when you fear the worst.
And here’s a crucial tip: If you ever find yourself suddenly half-blind with a series of flashing lights impairing your vision for about thirty minutes, seek medical attention immediately. It’s vital to rule out more serious conditions before concluding it’s just a migraine.
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Summary:
In this account, I share my unexpected journey with ocular migraines, which initially felt like a stroke but turned out to be something more manageable. After years of episodes, I learned to cope with the symptoms and their triggers, especially during pregnancy and new motherhood. Despite the challenges, I’ve grown more resilient, treating auras as mere warnings for impending migraines. If you experience similar symptoms, don’t hesitate to seek professional advice.
Keyphrase: ocular migraine symptoms
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