edit data. Becky Chambers is the author of the award-nominated science fiction novel The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, as well as the upcoming stand-alone sequel, A Closed & Common Orbit. She also writes nonfiction essays and short stories, which can be found in various places around the internet.
Some rare types of migraines can cause temporary paralysis or blindness, and can even mimic some very serious medical conditions. More than 13 percent of Americans are affected by migraines, severe pain in the head that is sometimes accompanied by vision problems, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.
A migraine that involves visual disturbance is called an ocular migraine. Ocular migraines can develop with or without the accompanying pain of a classic migraine. During an ocular migraine, or migraine with aura, you may see flashing or shimmering lights, zigzagging lines, or stars. Some people describe psychedelic images. It may also cause blind spots in your field of vision. Of people who report having migraines, one out of every five experiences this aura.