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[Dierdre]

On holiday at the moment and had a weird experience yesterday where I had a lightning shaped bright light in my eye that stayed for about 15 minutes, I could still see it with closed eyes. Had a slight headache after it disappeared and been ok since. I had been reading earlier in bright sunlight with my sunglasses on but could this have caused it? I don't get migraines and very rarely have headaches.

[Aprilflower]

Hi, I had silent migraines through my peri meno, so it could be hormonal. 

May just keep a record, if it happens again.  Sounds like a one off though.

[Dierdre]

Hope so, been ok today but if it happens again I'll get my eyes checked out when I get home.

[DottyD68]

Hi Deidre,

Sounds like an Ocular Migraine. My husband had one a few years ago and found it very alarming at the time. My brother is an optician and I rang him immediately and described the symptoms to him - he diagnosed it straightaway. My husband was under a lot of stress at the time and that's what we put it down to. He did get checked out by optician and GP and all was ok.

It reoccurred recently but he was much calmer and it disappeared within half an hour. I don't believe there is any specific known cause for it.

Hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday X

[Dierdre]

Thanks DottyD68, that's what Dr Google said too so I was reassured for now. Think it might have been the bright light from the sun caused mine. I remembered years ago watching a video with flashing intense light and had something similar, although you're right it does say there's no specific known cause.

[AngCho]

Hello, I get these a handful of times a year. I am 70, and short sighted. Bright light in many forms, even sunlight bouncing off a car wing mirror, can cause it. I don’t think it is anything to worry about, I've had it since a teen, and I know what to avoid. It rarely develops into a headache. My optician doesn’t seem bothered.

[Dierdre]

That's reassuring, thanks. My eyes do seem more senstive to light lately and last time I went to the opticians for a check up he said I had the start of cataracts. They haven't affected my vision at all yet and he said it could take years before it did but maybe this sensitivity to light is a sympton.

[Aprilflower]

Good sunglasses or photochromic vision glass, help to prevent cataracts.

[Mary G]

It sounds like a silent migraine or migraine with aura if you had a headache afterwards.

It's nothing to do with your eyes, it's neurological and the aura you experienced is caused by cortical spreading depression.  This type of migraine is often triggered by the sun or bright lights but that is not the cause.  There are various causes and in my case, silent migraines are caused by low or fluctuating oestrogen but sometimes they can be caused by high or fluctuating blood pressure or food intolerance.  It depends on how old you are when they start but mine started age 43 at the onset of the menopause.  I've tried various types of medication but the best preventative by far is a steady dose of oestrogen.