Migraine with aura

DEFINITION

Migraine with aura is a migraine that’s preceded or accompanied by sensory warning signs or symptoms, such as flashes of light, blind spots, or tingling in your hand or face.

Migraine with aura is generally treated in the same way as migraine without aura. And the same medications and self-care measures that help to prevent a migraine can also be used to prevent migraine with aura.

CAUSES

The cause of migraine with aura isn’t clearly understood. It’s believed that the visual aura that may accompany migraine is like an electrical or chemical wave that moves across the part of your brain that processes visual signals (visual cortex). As the wave spreads, it may cause these visual hallucinations.

Many of the same factors that trigger migraine can also trigger migraine with aura, including stress, bright lights, too much or too little sleep, and menstruation.

SYMPTOMS

Migraine aura symptoms include temporary visual or sensory disturbances that typically precede the usual migraine symptoms — such as intense head pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine aura usually occurs within an hour before head pain begins and generally lasts less than 60 minutes. Sometimes migraine aura occurs with little or no headache, especially in people age 50 and older.

Visual signs and symptoms

The majority of people who experience migraine aura develop visual signs and symptoms. These may include:

• Blind spots (scotomas), which are sometimes outlined by simple geometric designs
• Zigzag lines that gradually float across your field of vision
• Shimmering spots or stars
• Changes in vision
• Flashes of light

These types of visual disturbances tend to start in the center of your visual field and move outward, or spread.

Other sensory disturbances

Other temporary sensations sometimes associated with aura include:

• Feelings of numbness, typically felt as tingling in one hand or in your face
• Difficulty with speech or language
• Muscle weakness

When to see a doctor

If you experience the signs and symptoms of migraine with aura, such as temporary vision loss or floating spots or zigzag lines in your field of vision, see your doctor immediately to rule out more serious conditions, such as stroke or retinal tear. Once these conditions are ruled out, future migraines with aura won’t require a visit to your doctor, unless your symptoms change.