Can someone explain what causes "Optical Migranes"?

Question

I just get the lightening bolts.

Answer 1

A fair number of people don't get the headache and nausea associated with "classic" migraine. That's not a particular worry.
In something like order of incidence:

1) Stress (In many people, migraines hit whe the stress comes off: the Friday nigh tor Saturday morning migraine)
2) In females, on the monthly cycle.
3) Food sensitivities
(Chocolate, cheese, red wine... there are many, and the triggers vary from person to person. Sometimes the food needs to combine with a certain level of stress)
4) Optical stress: uncorrected refraction or binocular imbalance.
5) Controversial: Scotopic Sensitivity, Irlen syndrome. The need for coloured overlays or glasses to reduce visual stress.

There is no close association with tumours, or other intracranial disease (it's just too common, and the cranial diseases relatively rare) but, since there is no definitive test for migraine, a good general examination including visual fields is required to eliminate other possiblities (including things like pituitary tumour as Empress Jan unfortunately had) before it is safe to diagnose pure migraine.

Answer 2

those are aura's indicating that a migrain's gonna hit ya! are you taking migrain medication? Imitrex? Speak to your doctor about them. Some migraines may be an indication of a tumor (mine was a tumor on my pituitary gland. I'm taking Topiramate now, after the tumor was removed), but it took a while to get just the right 'formula'. I'm allergic to nearly all migrain medication (of course, just my luck!) TALK TO DOC though...

Answer 3

optical migraines have the same cause as "classic" migraines: inappropriate dilation or constriction of blood vasculature. many triggers (as pedestal said)