The first time I experienced an ocular migraine, I was around 20 years old. While watching TV on a scorching summer day, my vision suddenly became blurry. I assumed I was just overheated, so I decided to lie down for a bit.
Then, the most bizarre thing started happening. Out of the corner of my right eye, I noticed a band of flickering lights. In just a few minutes, this phenomenon began to grow, eventually obstructing my entire right field of vision. Even when I closed my eyes, the lights persisted.
My anxiety skyrocketed—I was extremely nervous and considered calling for emergency help (which, in hindsight, I probably should have done). Just as I was starting to convince myself that I wasn’t having a stroke, the lights vanished as quickly as they appeared. My vision returned to normal, but I was left feeling as if I had just run a marathon, with intense muscle soreness and a pounding headache on the right side of my head—the same side where the flashing lights had been.
For most people, rushing to the doctor would be a no-brainer, but as a young woman with a healthy fear of medical visits, I hesitated. I recalled a friend who had faced a similar experience, so I reached out to her for insight. She mentioned that her doctor attributed her flashing lights to dehydration and an electrolyte imbalance, stemming from her battle with a serious eating disorder.
Since it was a hot day when I experienced my own episode, I concluded that dehydration was to blame and stocked up on Emergen-C like it was my new job. Over the following years, I endured “flashing lights” episodes intermittently and continued to assume they were related to dehydration and dizziness. However, everything changed when I became pregnant with my first child; the episodes became more frequent. With another life depending on me, I thought it was time to consult a medical professional.
My midwife suggested that my symptoms sounded like migraines, which are common during pregnancy. Shortly after, I detailed my experiences to my optometrist, who carefully reviewed my symptoms and confirmed that they indeed resembled the aura of a migraine. She explained that many of her patients experienced similar episodes and that, as long as I didn’t have concerning symptoms like memory loss or other impairments, I simply needed to learn to manage them.
She advised me to create a list of potential migraine triggers and work on eliminating them. However, the list was daunting, including everything from coffee and chocolate to stress and hormonal shifts. It seemed nearly impossible to avoid all triggers without isolating myself in a dark room, sipping only water and eating rice.
Ultimately, I accepted that I would have to live with these auras, grateful they were just migraine symptoms and not something more sinister. Interestingly, at that time, my headaches were mild, so I thought it was manageable.
After giving birth, however, I faced a harsh reality—my migraine attacks became intensely painful. Whether it was due to severe sleep deprivation from caring for a newborn or the hormonal upheaval of new motherhood, my migraines escalated. The auras became a minor concern compared to the full-body agony of the migraines themselves, which was no picnic (and I sympathize with other mothers dealing with this!).
The upside is that now, when I experience an aura, I feel more annoyed than scared. I don’t get auras frequently (I also suffer from migraines without auras), but when I do, it’s just frustrating to realize that I’ll likely be incapacitated by a severe migraine soon after. I see the aura as a warning sign that a painful episode is on the horizon.
That’s my story. If you’ve ever experienced an aura, you know how strange it can be, especially during the first few occurrences when you’re unsure if you’re facing something serious.
A word of caution: If you suddenly lose vision in one eye and see flashing lights for about half an hour, it’s crucial to seek medical attention immediately. You can’t definitively chalk it up to migraines without ruling out other, more serious conditions first—better safe than sorry.
For more informative posts, check out our guide on at-home insemination kits, which can also be helpful if you are considering starting a family. You can find great resources like those from Hopkins Medicine for pregnancy and home insemination, or explore Make a Mom for authoritative information on this topic.
Summary
The author shares her experience with ocular migraines, starting from the first episode at age 20, through pregnancy, and into motherhood. Initially confused and scared, she learned to manage her symptoms and seek medical advice, ultimately understanding her experiences better.