CNN Host Explains Sudden On Air Vanishing Act: Ocular Migraine

[mfcorey1]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/cnn-host-explains-sudden-on-air-vanishing-act-ocular-migraine/ar-BBS5bwW?li=BBnbfcL&ocid=mailsignout


CNN’s Brooke Baldwin was hosting her CNN Newsroom from New York on Thursday – until suddenly she wasn’t. Returning from commercial break, Brianna Keilar, host of 1-2 PM’s CNN Right Now was hosting Baldwin’s program, from Washington.

Speculation ensued. Reporters asked questions. Fake milk cartons were slapped on social media.

Baldwin tweeted:

“Ocular migraine. I get ’em about once a year. And in 20 years of doing live TV…that had never happened on set until today. I suddenly couldn’t see. HUGE props to my girl @brikeilarcnn for hopping in the seat with 2 mins notice. Going home to sit in the dark. Back tomorrow. Xoxo.”

[ck4829]

1. It can be an unsettling thing to get

Nearly 2 decades ago, I still remember when this huge black spot took out the vision in my right eye for just a couple of seconds. It went away as soon as it happened and I saw several eye doctors who chalked it up to that.

[KWR65]

54. I used to get horrible migraines from 7-10 yrs old

I still remember the pain and vision problems I had. I went to a lot of doctors, but thankfully they went away.

[Vinca]

2. They're very weird to experience. I've never totally lost my vision, but a few months ago I

was driving and had to pull off the road for a few minutes to let one pass. It sounds like she's got them much worse. I had full blown migraines in my 30's and wonder if the occasional ocular migraine (or "migraine without the pain" as I call them) stems from that.

[tblue37]

11. I have never had regular migraines, but I do get ocular migraines occasionally. nt

[GoCubsGo]

3. I get one every so often, as well.

They can be really disorienting. Mine don't last more than 10 minutes or so. I've never tried sitting in the dark.

[watoos]

4. I started getting them about 6 months ago.

Big shapes going across my vision and yes hard to focus. I got one while driving, luckily my wife was with me. Mine are relatively minor and only last 20 minutes to 1/2 hour. Doctor told me they come from stress or certain foods you eat. I pretty much ate all the food that was on the list.

[luvs2sing]

5. I've had migraines since I was in first grade..

but never had an ocular migraine until five years ago when I was caring for my seriously ill (now totally recovered) husband. I woke up that morning and sat up in bed and, seconds later, both eyes had flashing, zigzagging lights going on. I remember thinking..fucking great..my husband needs total care, can’t even dress himself, and now I have a damn brain tumor. 😂 I laid back down, and it went away after a while, but I started having them several times a week. They never turned into a headache, just disorienting flashing. I remember a friend suggesting I go for a massage during that time, and they went away after I started getting weekly massages. I think the last one I had was two years ago.

[greymattermom]

26. This is migraine aura

and you might be interested to know that it's sensitive to estrogen, especially changing estrogen. This is my area of expertise

[leftcoastcait]

29. estrogen wildness

Boy, that's been my experience. Have had migraine with aura off and on (they run among the women in my family) since I started having a cycle as a teen, and now that I'm mid-life and in perimeno, they've resumed somewhat frequently. Various balancing creams and herbs offer some relief, as well as consciousness around diet and sleep. Fun times.

[luvs2sing]

47. Interesting..

They did also coincide with my finally getting through menopause.

[Ilsa]

49. Since hot flashes sometimes respond to

low dose SSRIs, do you think low dose Lexapro or other Rx (Effexor or Paxil) could help, or is that a different pathway?

[Sedona]

55. Wow!

I was getting them monthly, with the excruciating pain and near blindness, until I finished menopause. I'm not on any estrogen replacements.

[anarch]

6. got one of those while driving a car once

that was fun...

I used to get them occasionally, but haven't really for a few years (knock on wood). Kinda unsettling, especially at first when you haven't quite caught on to what's happening. Now if I get one I try to just close my eyes and lie down until it passes; not much else you can do as far as I've figured out.

[ananda]

7. Hmm

When I was in my early 20's I got flashers and floaters
and thought I was having a stroke.

Eventually it was diagnosed as a problem with my viscous
fluid.

I was very nearsighted also, which can be a contributor.

I was told to get my retina examined every year and to watch
for signs of detachment.

I haven't had this problem for years. Three siblings have had
detached retinas, though...

I had a lasik procedure for nearsightedness in 1999 and lasik
cataract surgery on my right eye two and a half years ago, so
my vision is excellent and my eyes appear to be in good shape.
Every day I spray colloidal silver on them; and I just hope my
good vision stays that way.

[tblue37]

10. Floaties can also be caused by dehydration, and most Americans are chronically

dehydrated without realizing it.

I get floaties sometimes, but they go away as soon as I drink water.

[blueinredohio]

44. I've had floaters ever since I can remember.

I was talking at work one day about them but no one knew what I was talking about. I've had them so long I thought everyone had them. They never go away. I also had aural migraines until probably my forties.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

21. Don't

Colloidal silver isn't considered safe or effective for any of the health claims manufacturers make. Silver has no known purpose in the body.

no sound scientific studies to evaluate these health claims have been published in reputable medical journals. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration has taken action against some manufacturers of colloidal silver products

It interacts with medications and leaves argyria discoloration that does not go away when discontinued.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/colloidal-silver/faq-20058061
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-779/colloidal-silver

It's an expensive waste of good money.

[dhol82]

28. Here's an interesting article about "blue people" and how they got there.

https://www.wired.com/story/does-colloidal-silver-work/

Includes some history of use.

[still_one]

8. I know exactly what she was going through

What sometimes triggers it for me is certain kinds of lights, especially fluorescent

[tblue37]

9. I get those occasionally. I go completely blind in one eye--but there is no darkness. The

Visual field is simply not there at all, complete nothingness.

I have to go to sleep for a bit to make it go away.

[Sherman A1]

12. Thankfully she was in a place

Where she could take care of the situation and was safe.

[nolabear]

13. I get those. They're weird and alarming til you figure them out.

And mine are on the left side. I’ve had to pull over when driving a few times because ongoing traffic disappears. Fortunately mine are rare and go away in about a half hour.

[Casandia]

14. I get these from time to time.

It will start with a sudden spot in my vision, as if I looked at a bright light. But then, the "spot" begins to grow, and the outer edge of the growing spot is made up of bizarre crisscross flashing lines. This spot keeps growing until the range of vision is almost gone.

If I close my eyes, I still see the migraine. It is NOT in one eye or the other - it is totally in the brain, but will seem as if it is in my left or right field of vision. My ocular migraines last about an hour. Mine are triggered by not getting enough rest, too much stress, etc.

[AndJusticeForSome]

50. Google "Cortical Spreading Depression"

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortical_spreading_depression

I've had migraine w visual aura nearly my whole life.

Because the aura preceeded such awful pain, I avoided any kinds of flashing lights because of the association. And never really analyzed the shapes and pattern of movement, until the revelation of CSD

And what a revelation it was! Knowing that the visual aura was an actual reflection of what was happening in my brain, blew my mind! It emboldened me to watch the pattern. It caused the fear and anxiety to diminish.

[California_Republic]

51. Exactly my experiences.

[MineralMan]

15. Animated GIF: I get those fairly often. 'Scintillating Scotoma'

It started in my early 30s. A zig-zag flashing C-shaped thing that slowly expands from a small spot in my visual field until it expands out of my visual field. It almost always takes almost exactly 20 minutes to completely disappear. It was very disconcerting at first, and I went to the doctor. He asked me to draw it for him. I did. "Ocular migraine," he said, sometimes also called a "scintillating scotoma." "Harmless. Ignore it," he said. So I do. There's some visual blurring, but it's not horrible. I just go on with my day. Here's sort of what it looks like, but without the colors I see:



It can be a warning aura for some migraine sufferers, but I've never had a headache associated with it.

It's not actually anything in the eye, but is generated in the brain. Weird, but interesting in some ways. I've had them roughly about once a week for 50 years now.

More at: https://www.google.com/search?q=visual+scotoma+image

and at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scintillating_scotoma

[Demit]

17. That's exactly what I get. My ophthalmologist told me they can be brought on by stress.

[MineralMan]

19. In 50 years, I've never been able to pin their occurrence to anything, really.

Every once in a while, though, if I catch one when it first begins, I can stop it by slow, measured deep breathing. It doesn't always work, but sometimes stops it in its tracks and it disappears before beginning to expand into that C-shape.

I think they're more common that most people think. I remember describing it once to my father-in-law. He told me that he'd been getting them for years, but never bothered asking the doctor about it. He was glad to know what it was.

That GIF file is the best image I've found of the phenomenon, although I wish it also had the colors in it.

Oddly enough, for me, the C shape faces in both directions at different times when I get it. I can't figure that out, either.

Interesting, once you aren't worried about it.

[Demit]

36. I don't think I can stop mine. But then, I can "see through" them, is how I describe it, so they're

not particularly a problem. Yes, that shimmery growing thing is interesting. Along with the colors. As it gets bigger the jagged edges are almost like the facets in a gem. Sometimes I try to stop looking through it so I can look AT it, but I can't. I can only see it obliquely.

I've tried to see if it's isolated to one eye or the other, but it isn't. I can close either eye and it still happens. So it's in both eyes.

[MineralMan]

37. It's really in the brain, not the eyes.

It happens somewhere in the ocular centers of the brain. Since it's not harmful, it really hasn't been studied a lot, so the details of what causes it aren't well understood.

I just think it's interesting after all this time.

It's really easier to look at with your eyes closed. That makes it clearer so you can check out the details better. I don't bother, though, most of the time. I just try to ignore it until it expands out of my vision.

[Mrs. Overall]

22. Interesting about stress. Mine are brought on by excessive reading (vacation time plus good novel)

and by knitting or crocheting, which I never really enjoyed (knitting and crocheting) and was happy to give up.

I can usually avoid them completely by not allowing myself to read for hours on end.

[MineralMan]

31. I've noticed that they sometimes start after I've been staring at

the computer display for a long time, then get up and go do something else. That has happened fairly often. I'm not sure what the connection is.

[Mrs. Overall]

34. Eye strain? Mine definitely seem connected to this sort of "stress"

and like I stated in the post above, I have been able to minimize their occurrence by no longer knitting/crocheting and by not over-reading, all of which are forms of "eye strain."

It's interesting that I can stare at a computer screen and read online for hours without getting one. My job requires a lot of online reading and activity, so it must be the difference between the strain of computer screen as opposed to the strain of reading hard copy materials.

I wonder if you would notice a difference if you set your display for larger text?

[MineralMan]

35. I don't know. I've had them in almost every sort of situation,

so I'm not sure there is any particular trigger. I've been having them from time to time for more than 40 years. I just don't pay that much attention to them any more. I even have them in my sleep from time to time. If I wake up, there it is. I just go back to sleep.

Once I found out they weren't harmful or a sign of anything harmful, I just started ignoring them as much as possible. It doesn't even interfere with driving, although it is a bother if I'm reading something.

Funny stuff. The Wikipedia page says that over 1% of people experience them, so they're pretty common, really.

[Demit]

33. I first started getting them at a job I grew to hate & finally resigned from.

There's certainly enough to be stressed from these days too, lol, but I imagine doing close work, just generally focusing intently, is physically a big part of why we get them.

[csziggy]

40. Thanki you for posting that visual! That solves a mystery for me

I get artifacts like that - with prismatic colors - infrequently. Because they never seemed to lead to anything else and I had lots of other health, family, and real life concerns, I hadn't done anything about the phenomena or even remembered to ask my doctors about it.

I used to get migraines which were tied to my monthly cycle. Once I had a hysterectomy and especially after I stopped hormone replacement therapy the migraines went away. Now the headaches I get are from life - or sinus problems.

Again, thank you - I now know that this is not something worry about.

[MineralMan]

41. That's why I posted it.

It's such an easily-identified thing that is harmless, but scary if you don't know that.

[csziggy]

42. Mine first showed up while I was in the middle of getting my heart problems diagnosed

I think I did mention it to the cardiologist I originally went to but he shrugged it off as not related and after that I was too busy going for tests and fighting the insurance company to deal with another problem. So stress could have caused mine.

Fortunately the heart problem (stenotic aortic valve) was easily repaired as was the cancerous kidney they found on the way.

[MineralMan]

43. Yes. You had more serious concerns to deal with.

It's a common enough thing that most doctors know about it and can reassure their patients when they bring it up.

[luvs2sing]

48. That's exactly it! n/t

[Laffy Kat]

52. I get those too, most always around the holidays.

Stress has got to be related. The last time I got one was when my sister visited and I was picking her up at the airport. It hit almost the second I saw her and lasted for ten minutes. I love her dearly but on some level I'm sure it stresses me.

[suffragette]

53. Thanks for this. Started getting them recently and didn't know what they were. Looks just like

that except with shimmering colors.

[lilactime]

16. I get them occasionally too - first time was SCARY.

I immediately went to a retinal specialist who explained what it really was.

[Mrs. Overall]

18. I have occasional ocular migraines and there is no way I can read anything--

if I look at a page of text, the entire middle portion of the page is a blank. I also experience a moving rainbow-like effect on the periphery of my visual range. They aren't painful, they just mess with your sight for an hour or two.

[George II]

23. That's a great way to describe it, I tried below by using a crumpled cellophane analogy....

Your description is better. Mine last about ten minutes and happen once, maybe twice a year.

The middle of my eyes is blank (but not dark) and there's a shimmering semi-circle off to the right of my vision.

[George II]

20. I get something like that once or twice a year. Thankfully vision doesn't completely disappear...

...but it seems like I'm looking through crumpled cellophane. It lasts about ten minutes. I can still drive and function, but can't focus on small type.

Coincidentally it happened this past Sunday.

[A Brand New World]

24. I get them too on occasion. Scared me to death the 1st time.

I have no pain whatsoever, only the zigzagging flashing lights. I read someplace that magnesium supplements help and haven’t had one since I started taking that daily.

[marlakay]

32. Scared me first time to

And there is no warning. Happened at work once and i had to take immediate break. While driving I pulled over. Usually at home.

Its weird I had them for about 3-4 years then it stopped and I haven’t since. My stress levels are the same worse if anything so don’t know why.

[Mrs. Overall]

25. Do any other ocular migraine sufferers have this interesting effect?

After I experience an ocular migraine and it is completely gone, I have amazingly acute vision for about an hour--all colors are quite vibrant and I can see better. If I look outside, I can see the details of leaves on faraway trees and I can read the writing on the spines of books standing really far away from the bookshelf.

It's an interesting effect.

[sunonmars]

56. I get the venetian blind effect, that looks like I'm sat in front of one up close, very disorienting

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

27. They hurt.

I never realized how tiny she is until I saw her w Don Lemon again this year. Mr. Lemon (having met and talked w him.) is a mid-sized man and was shorter than me. Maybe, 5'9/5'10? They always kind of video her on tv at angles that gave me the impression she was a tall drink of water.
Hope she's ok.

[ROFF]

30. Mine take about a minute to take full effect.

Painless and unusual to affect the central visual area.

I am diabetic (type 2) and have macular edema. I have been getting regular injections of Leucentis but switched over to Eylea six months ago. Eylea is a better product for me. I do not believe that this condition (Ocular migraine) has any connection to diabetes.

If I close my eyes during an attack, I can still see the migraine against a black background. the migraine usually moves slightly during the attack.

[RobinA]

38. Mine Was Different

than most described here. My father and my sister got regular migraines that they grew out of in their 40's. Me, I never did. I'm sitting in my office at work one day, no particular stress, and all of a sudden something was wrong with my vision. I panicked, of course, figuring it was neurological and that I was having a stroke. My father was a doctor and I wanted to be able to describe it to him and my actual doctor, so I forced myself to calm down and figure out exactly what was happening. Turns out is was my right eye peripheral vision that blacked out. It lasted about 15 minutes and went away gradually. I was never so relieved when it was back to normal. I had a bit of a headache, but that's normal for me, I was born with a headache. Hasn't happened since, but my doctor made me get a carotid ultrasound, which was fine. He also wanted me to go to the eye doctor, but I didn't go right then.

[matt819]

39. I get these frequently

I guess there's a spectrum of how bad it can be.

I get bright stars or pulsating horizontal lines. They're annoying but not debilitating, but, then again, I'm not a newscaster who is reading from notes or a teleprompter.

I certainly prefer these to the typical migraines.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

45. It could have been much, much worse.

[Meowmee]

46. She should get

Checked out in case it is something else. I have had migraines for years with multiple symptoms. But I’ve only had 2 ocular migraines with floating lines and no headache or other symptoms, they lasted about 20 minutes. I don't normally get auras at all and wondered what it was. Family members have had auras with vision loss.