- With Mayo Clinic emeritus ophthalmologist
Dennis Robertson, M.D.
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Dennis Robertson, M.D.
Dennis Robertson, M.D.
Dennis M. Robertson was born in South St. Paul, Minn., and grew up in a musical family on the Mississippi River. He completed his undergraduate and graduate training at the University of Minnesota, where he received a B.A., B.S. and M.D.
Following an internship at San Bernardino County Hospital in California, he worked for two years on Indian reservations under the umbrella of the U.S. Public Health Service. He later completed a residency in ophthalmology at Mayo Clinic and pursued postgraduate fellowship training in vitreoretinal disorders at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami. He returned to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., where he worked as a consultant from 1967 until retiring from clinical activities in December 2007.
His studies included a sabbatical during 1987 and 1988 at Moorfields and St. Bartholomew’s hospitals in London. His scientific interests have been chiefly in disorders of the retina and vitreous and ocular oncology. In 1999, he became the recipient of the Whitney and Betty MacMillan Professorship.
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Question
Ocular migraine: What causes it?
What causes an ocular migraine — a migraine aura without the headache? Is it a sign of something serious?
Answer
from Dennis Robertson, M.D.
Usually, an ocular migraine is not cause for concern. But ocular migraine symptoms can interfere with daily activities, such as reading and driving. These episodes, also called migraine aura or optical migraine, occur without a headache and are relatively common. During an ocular migraine, you may see:
- Flashes of light
- Zigzagging patterns
- Blind spots
- Shimmering spots or stars
No one knows exactly what causes ocular migraines. In some people, it's related to eating certain foods such as chocolate, nuts, shellfish or artificial sweeteners such as aspartame. Others may have ocular migraine episodes brought on by caffeine or alcohol. Some believe that tension and fatigue are linked to this condition, but researchers have not found a consistent link.
It's possible that you may have several ocular migraine episodes in a short interval of time, and then not experience any for months or even years before experiencing additional episodes. If ocular migraines persist, worsen or become accompanied by a migraine headache, talk to your doctor to seek appropriate treatment for your condition.
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