Retinal migraine is a term used to describe a type of migraine where symptoms affect eyesight. In contrast to other migraines types that affect general eyesight in both eyes, a retinal migraine typically occurs in a single eye. The underlying cause of retinal migraine remains largely unknown. A possible cause discovered upon examining people with active retinal migraine is that some individuals were having a spasm of the blood supply to the retina as their migraine occurred
Episodes of fully reversible positive and/or negative visual disturbances within one eye associated with migraine headache.
Visual changes including flashing rays of light, zigzag lightning patterns or perceptions of bright colored streaks, halos or diagonal lines.
Visual losses include blurring, blank areas, black dots or spots in the field of vision, causing partial or complete blindness.
Visual impairment, such as the coming together of spots and “tunnel vision” (not being able to see items in the periphery of one’s visual field), are less common.
The visual disturbance often occurs on the same side of the migraine headache and may precede, accompany, or rarely, follow it.