Natural Eye Care with Dr. Marc Grossman, Holistic Optometrist
Natural Eye Care with Dr. Marc Grossman, Holistic Optometrist
Seeing Sparks: Understanding Visual Migraines
When your vision fills with zigzags, flickers, or a growing blind spot, it can feel alarming. Dr. Marc Grossman describes visual migraines and the difference between ophthalmic visual migraines and retinal migraines. What is happening in the brain and retina? Why does blood flow matter? Which symptoms are an emergency?
For prevention, we share complementary approaches that support circulation and calm the nervous system: chiropractic or osteopathic care for neck and cranial tension, craniosacral therapy, and acupuncture patterns often linked to liver and kidney meridians.
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This is the Natural Eye Care Podcast, hosted by leading holistic optometrist Dr. Mark R. Grossman. Senior citizens are at the highest risk of developing macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, dry, and more. The Natural Eye Care Podcast provides complementary and natural approaches to vision problems, eye health, and overall health. Find out how lifestyle, diet, and nutrition can help maintain healthy vision and even improve eyesight. Dr. Grossman has degrees in optometry, biology, physical education, and learning disabilities. He is a New York State licensed acupuncturist. With 40 years of experience, he has co-authored the book Natural Eye Care, Your Guide to Healthy Vision and Healing. Dr. Grossman.
SPEAKER_01:Today's podcast is on visual migraines. Visual migraines can be described as a group of conditions all affecting vision, usually temporary without pain. The causes of these migraines are still under debate. Visual migraines are more common in women of childbearing years who have a history of migraines with auras, and for whom the diagnosis is one of exclusion, a diagnosis reached by a process of elimination. There are two types of visual migraines ophthalmic or retinal. Ophthalmic migraines are thought to result from abnormal electrical activity slowly spreading across certain regions of the outer brain cortex. These will affect both eyes. This is responsible for the development of slowly progressing visual changes, usually over 20 to 60 minutes. These migraines are also known as scintillating scotomas. In retinal migraines, the visual symptoms take place in the retina rather than across the outer brain cortex. They occur only in one eye before or during the headache phase. The disturbance in retinal migraine may also result from abnormal spreading with electrical activity, except it occurs in the retina. This disturbance may also be due to reduced retinal blood flow. Very important. Remember, embryologically, physiologically, neurologically the eye is brain tissue. Retinal blood flow, so we're going to talk about how can we help retinal blood flow. Migraines with aura cause no permanent visual or brain damage and do not require treatment. Retinal migraines, on the other hand, have more potential for long-term vision loss. Either way, you need to get evaluated and monitored by your eye doctor. Visual migraines occur in the visual cortex. This condition is marked by a spasm or spreading wave of spasms that arise in the occipital area of the brain. Related blood vessel spasm and redilation is likely linked to these electrical charges. The experience of a person suffering from this condition is sparkling or flickering of lights, as well as dots, wavy lines, zigzags, arcs, camouflage patterns, or blurry areas. Typically, scotoma starts as a small visual disturbance that slowly starts growing over much of the visual field over about 15 to 20 minutes before disappearing completely. A headache may follow the visual effect, ranging from mild to severe, or the person may just feel tired, depressed, or washed out. Retina migraines occur usually just in one eye, and there may be an abnormal spreading of electrical activity in the retina. This migraine may also be caused by a sudden constriction or blockage behind or in the eye. It may occur with or without a throbbing headache at the side of the head. The patient may also simultaneously experience sensitivity to lighter nausea. The temporary loss or distortion of vision in one eye makes it difficult to conduct visual work and makes it dangerous to drive. Migraine headaches. A standard migraine headache is defined by a moderate tovere headache that lasts for 4 to 72 hours with a number of connected symptoms. It may be tied to family genetic traits and triggered by certain foods, stress, or environmental factors. Migraine headaches result primarily from changes in the small blood vessels in the head or eyes, either in the form of vasodilation or spasms. Approximately 20% of migraine headaches are preceded by an aura, usually occurring 20 to 30 minutes before the headache starts. Visual disturbances may include blind spots, the appearance of flashing lights, spots of lights, or wavy lines. So usually if you have all these different kinds of visual headaches, a visit to a neuroophthalmologist may be a really good idea to do. What are the symptoms of the visual migraine? Visual changes in both eyes, a blank spot in the visual field, flickering of light, shimmering white light, colored lights in the periphery, zigzag lines in the visual field, blurred areas of vision mostly around the periphery. But the retinal migraine symptoms are vision loss in one eye lasting less than one hour, possible migraine headache, sensitivity to light, throbbing or pulsing feeling, feeling worse when you move around. And also the other reason it's really important to go see your eye doctor is because some of the symptoms of a narrow angle glaucoma could be similar, especially an intense headache, usually over the brow, halos around lights, dilated pupils. So make sure by going to the eye doctor that you don't have a narrow angle glaucoma and to see if there's anything else going on in your eyes. Conventional treatments. Ocular migraines tend to go away after a few minutes to an hour. Generally, treatment is not needed. However, if you have had them repeatedly, it's a good idea to have an exam. Normal practice is for a medical doctor to get your complete medical history and give you a thorough physical exam to rule out the causes of the headaches. When we look at a complementary approach, I might send you to the chiropractor, the osteopath, a cranial sacral therapist, somebody who's going to check your cranial bones, your neck to see if there's any tension there. Because these are many times the reason for decreased blood flow in your head and can cause these headaches. Diet, nutrition, and lifestyle choices. Of course, stress can do this, so meditate, take walks in the morning, do yoga, but not headstands unless you get ruled out that you don't have glaucoma. Computer, avoid long hours on the computer, take frequent breaks. Do aerobic exercise. Pay attention to what you eat because sometimes the food can cause these kinds of headaches. Sleep routine. Wake up at the same time each morning and get plenty of sleep at night. And acupuncture has been very helpful for this condition. In acupuncture, it's usually related to the kidney and liver meridian. So, I hope this information was helpful for you. On naturaleecare.com, the remedies that we usually recommend are the revision formula, which is usually for the liver, the advanced vision support formula to give support to the eye, looking at the eye as a totality and see what happens to the person behind the eye. When do they have it? Why do they have it? What can trigger it? Visit us at naturaley care.com. Keep your precious gift of sight.
SPEAKER_00:For more information, visit naturaley care.com and doctorgrossman 2020.com. Our email address is info at naturaleyecare.com. If you have any questions, call us 845-475-4158. And if you don't already subscribe to this podcast, please subscribe and review us.