05/14/2026
⚠️👁️ What Causes Ocular Migraines? 👁️⚠️
At Ross Eye Institute at UBMD, we help patients understand the potential causes behind sudden visual disturbances such as ocular migraines. While the exact cause is not fully known, research suggests these episodes may be related to temporary changes in blood flow or electrical activity in the brain that impact how visual signals are processed.
Although ocular migraines can occur without warning, many patients notice certain triggers that may increase the likelihood of an episode.
Common triggers include:
• Stress or anxiety
• Bright or flashing lights
• Hormonal changes
• Dehydration
• Lack of sleep
• Certain foods or caffeine
Because triggers can vary from person to person, identifying individual patterns is an important part of managing symptoms and reducing how often episodes occur.
Tracking when visual changes happen—and what may have contributed beforehand—can provide valuable insight for both patients and providers when evaluating migraine patterns.
While ocular migraines are typically temporary and not associated with lasting eye damage, new, frequent, or changing visual symptoms should always be evaluated to rule out other retinal or neurological conditions.