Hi meschow,

I'm glad your "headaches" are under control without medication, that is great! Is your aura continual, all day, every day, without any headache? Migraine with aura symptoms should resolve after the Migraine attack is over.

One of the most important things is to get an accurate diagnosis. To simplify matters and make it easier for people to get information and treatment, doctors usually go by the gold standard for diagnosis, the International Headache Society's International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd Edition (ICHD-II). Under ICHD-II, there is no diagnosis of "optical Migraine." We do see it used, but doctors use it differently, so it really doesn't tell anyone what type of Migraine you actually have. You can read more about this in Ocular, Optical, and Opthalmic Migraines and The Type of Migraine Does Matter.

It's important to note that neurologists aren't necessarily Migraine and headache specialists. You may want to look into see a "true" Migraine specialist is you doctor isn't able to help you. Take a look at the article Migraine and Headache Specialists - What's So Special? If you need help finding a Migraine specialist, check our listing of Patient Recommended Migraine and Headache Specialists.

I hope this helps,

Nancy 

meschow

4/14/10 11:52am

Thank you for your response. I have the auras without migraine. These are a new occurance ( last 2-3 months) and I notice them when I am driving. So far, they have disappeared without much difficulty.

 

My 'Headache Specialist" is on the Patient recommended list. I chose her for that reason and am happy with her. 'The only problem I encountered was the time in getting an appointment for new patients. I had to wait 2-3 months. Sometimes, I like to get feedback from other patients or professionals in addition to the MD. So, yes your response was helpful.