Yesterday I had an interesting visit with my eye doctor. I told him that I’d been having a problem with being “blinded” by bright lights. “It’s like being blinded by a camera flash,” I explained. “Only I’m never sure what bright actually caused the problem. I don’t notice a bright light but suddenly I can’t see.”

It turns out that I’m not having a reaction to bright lights. I’m having ocular migraines. Doctors aren’t always sure what causes them. It could be a reaction to stress or caffeine. Whatever the cause, its effect is that I see a bright light in the center of my field of vision for about 10 minutes. It kind of widens out as it disappears.

It also turns out that I’m one of the lucky ones that don’t get a migraine headache after these episodes. According to Dr. J two thirds of people who have ocular migraines get headaches afterwards.

Ocular Migraine Info:

• Ocular Migraine: What Causes It?
  
• A Guide to Ocular Migraines