Ocular Migraine Diagnosis
Correct and timely diagnosis is really important while living with ocular migraine. The patient should visit the doctor the very first time he experiences a blind-spot or temporary vision loss. There is no such authentic way to diagnose a migraine, however, the best way is to rule out the possibilities of any other eye disorder.
Previous history with migraine
During the consultation with an eye specialist, the doctor will inquire about the patient’s family history with ocular migraine or classical migraine and about the patient’s general health. If the patient has a strong family history with ocular migraine, the chances of ocular migraine increase. More than 50% of people diagnosed with ocular migraine have a family history. 29% of people complained about classical migraine after getting diagnosed with ocular migraine. The doctor will also inquire about the frequency and severity of the symptoms. The more frequent episodes of symptoms a person has, the chances are it is ocular migraine.
Fundoscopy
The back of the eye is called fundus. It consists of blood vessels, retina, optic disc and macula. The ophthalmoscope is a device with a lens and different light settings to observe the eye. With the help of different light settings the general practitioner will observe the blood vessels and retina of the affected eye. This testing is a painless procedure and takes less than 10 minutes. The best time to conduct this test is during an ocular migraine so that the doctor can thoroughly check the retina and vessels around the eye.
During the procedure:
- The patient is asked either to sit straight while the doctor sits across the patient.
- The ophthalmoscope is held directly 6 inches away from the eye and the doctor adjusts the aperture to view different parts of the eye.
- While dimming the lights of the room the patient is asked to focus the object straight ahead of them
- The doctors may ask the patient to look in different directions in order to get a detailed view.
Slit lamp examination
A slit lamp examination is another way to examine the eye but it provides more detail about the eye. During this examination the ophthalmologist is able to get a 3 dimensional view of the eye. The patient would be asked to place the head in a frame while the doctor examines the eye with the help of a microscope and light. The doctor may add eye drops into the patient’s eye in order to dilate the pupil. The patient may also be asked to look in different directions to observe other locations inside the eye.
Other tests
If any sort of abnormality is observed by the doctor he may ask the patient to continue further testing such as Computerized Testing scan or Magnetic Resonance Imaging. These tests are highly useful in order to detect bleeding, tumors or cancer in the head or eye. The doctor may ask the patient to undergo blood testing in order to find any sort of infection in the arteries and muscles affecting the eye or brain.