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Retinal Migraines Can be Scary, but are Usually Harmless
Migraine is one medical disorder that is very confusing and somewhat poorly understood. There are many different types of migraines, and not all of them even involve headache pain. Some forms of migraine can be extremely scary and even traumatic for the sufferer, especially when they involve partial paralysis or temporary blindness.
What is a Retinal Migraine?
One of the rarest forms of migraine is retinal migraine. This type of migraine occurs when the blood vessels supplying blood to the eye experience a spasm. The spasm results in temporary loss of vision to that eye, either partially or totally. It usually resolves within one hour and is accompanied by a migraine headache.
Needless to say, a retinal migraine can be a very scary experience. Imagine losing vision in one eye as the result of a headache - it is not something that happens often, and it is certainly unexpected. Most people with retinal migraine panic and think that the vision loss is permanent or the result of some more serious condition.
Luckily, retinal migraine is usually no more serious than any migraine. If you experience a retinal migraine, your doctor will want to run extensive tests on you to make sure that the vision loss is not a result of any other condition. There are many other reasons for temporary vision loss, and some of them can be life-threatening. Your doctor will want to exclude any of these conditions prior to giving you a diagnosis of retinal migraine.
If you are found to have retinal migraine, you will probably receive treatment just like any other migraine patient. There are several preventative medications that can cut down on the incidence of migraines and may help you to get your life back.
If you are in the middle of a retinal migraine, there are a few things that you can do to ease the pain and other symptoms until the migraine passes on its own. Taking some pain relievers can help cut down on the headache, and lying down in a dark room may help with all of the symptoms.
Relaxation has been shown to be effective in reducing the length of migraines for many sufferers, so listening to very quiet relaxing music may help you to get over your retinal migraine sooner. However, may people find that absolute silence is needed to get over a retinal migraine or any other type of migraine.
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