The classic or common migraine is a severe headache, which in some instances may be accompanied by nausea. Ocular migraines are a variant of classic migraine in which the episodes presents with only visual disturbances. The cause is not clearly understood. The ocular migraine may be related to vasospasm or abnormal stimulation of nerve cells. Patients experience visual images which can have a wavy, jagged appearance with shimmering lights. They can occur in one or both eyes. Other common symptoms are temporarily blurring of vision, particularly in one eye, and increased sensitivity to bright lights. The visual distortions usually start near the central part of the vision and then moves off to one side.

In some cases, the ocular migraine patient will eventually develop a corresponding headache and becomes part of a migraine headache. Generally, when it accompanies the common migraine, the visual disturbances happen before the onset of headache symptoms. In younger people with common migraine, it is typical for visual disturbances to accompany the headache. As people age, it becomes more common to experience ocular migraines without headache symptoms. In a typical episode, the visual disturbance last 15 to 30 minutes and then disappears.

In general there are no serious complications caused by ocular migraine. Treatment, in most instances, is not necessary unless the ocular migraine is linked to the common migraine.