Job Hazards

Visual Disturbances

Visual disturbances are mainly triggered by migraine headaches, but they can also be initiated by local eye disorders (e.g., glaucoma). These have the ability to create a border or halo-like effect around objects. Visual disturbances, also known as transient ischemic attacks, may suggest the onset of a stroke. Ischemic attacks mainly affect the elderly, and they can sometimes be mistaken for disorders caused by migraines. With a migraine, visual disturbances may take place prior to or during the headache. If the visual disturbance is related to a headache, blurred vision and increased headache pain due to light (photophobia) are often experienced.

The migraine aura is generally visual and occurs between 20 and 60 minutes before the migraine. Once in a while, the aura will carry on into the headache stage of the migraine or may not even show up until the headache has completely started.

There is a plethora of visual phenomena that appear as migraine related auras. When a person sees large bursts of light in their line of sight that are similar to the flashes of an old-fashioned camera bulb, this is called photopsia. Fortification spectra, or teichopsia, are the glimmering, jagged lines that sometimes spread across one's field of vision. The term fortification spectra comes from the idea that the aura resembles the walls of ancient fortresses. Metamorphopsia, also referred to as the "Alice in Wonderland Syndrome," is the misrepresentation of the size, shape, and color of visual images. Some people may also experience scotoma, which is the partial loss of vision. This can range from blank spots across the field to tunnel vision, where everything goes blank except for a narrow path in front of you.

Prescriptions, such as tricyclic antidepressants, can contribute to blurriness and problems focusing.