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Migraine aura is associated primarily with various visual disturbances, however, in its course, there may also appear other ailments, e.g. sensory disturbance. It typically precedes an onset of a migraine headache, but this is not always the case. Exactly what symptoms may appear in a migraine aura and what are the reasons for its occurrence?

Migraine aura- as it is easy to guess - is a phenomenon associated with the most severe headaches, i.e. with migraines. It should be emphasized, however, that not every person experiencing migraine headaches develops an aura - it is estimated that the problem occurs in 15 to 30% of all migraine sufferers.

Migraine aura: causes

The migraine aura is a problem that has been interesting for medics for a very long time. Initially, it was thought that the related ailments appeared as a result of blood flow disorders in the central nervous system, but later there were voices that the causes of a migraine aura may be slightly different.

Currently, the dominant view is that disturbances in the electrical activity of nerve cells can lead to aura. Mention is made of the phenomenon of widespread cortical depression, which would first occur in the form of hyperactivity of nerve cells, followed by suppression of their activity.

This theory is popular mainly because the migraine aura has a wave character, which could result from the spread of electrical dysfunction of nerve cells belonging to it within the cerebral cortex.

Ultimately - as in the case of migraine headaches themselves - the causes of a migraine aura have not been clearly explained so far.

Migraine Aura: Triggers

Migraine aura can be triggered by the same factors known to increase the risk of migraines. Above all, the following should be mentioned:

  • not getting enough rest
  • consuming caffeinated or alcoholic beverages
  • experiencing a lot of stress
  • eating certain foods, such as canned meats or chocolate
  • exposure to sharp light, loud sounds or intense smells
  • intense effortphysical
  • irregular eating

It is also reported that migraine aura may be associated with hormonal changes (e.g., those that occur around the menstrual period in women) or with significant changes in the weather.

Migraine aura: symptoms

Typically a migraine aura develops within 5-20 minutes and lasts for several minutes (usually up to about an hour). The most famous symptoms of migraine aura are various visual disturbances. Patients may notice various unusual features, such as spots, reflections or flashes.

It happens that they perceive the image in a blurry manner or that they perceive things in a refracted manner, as if they were zigzagged. Some objects that patients see may appear smaller or larger than they really are. In addition to all this, there may be defects in the field of view, as well as the perception of a double image of the objects viewed.

The visual aura is not the only possible type of migraine aura. Less common forms of the problem are:

  • sensory aura (related to sensory disturbances, such as e.g. roving pins and needles)
  • motor aura (involving e.g. temporary paralyzes of various parts of the body)
  • aura with speech disorders (during its attacks, the patient may talk in a gibberish and also have difficulty finding the right words during conversations)

In the course of a migraine aura, there may be other, not yet mentioned ailments, such as:

  • tinnitus
  • imbalance
  • hallucinations (hallucinations - whether visual, auditory or sensory)
  • nausea
  • confusion
  • dizziness
  • vomiting
  • fainting

Migraine aura: connection with migraines

Most often, the aura develops at the time indicated above and eventually subsides, and after that the patient begins to experience various migraine symptoms. It happens, however, that the aura appears when the patient experiences a migraine attack.

There is one more possibility - sometimes the patient experiences a migraine aura only, after which there is no characteristic headache. These types of migraines are sometimes referred to as silent migraines.

Migraine aura: diagnosis

For a person who has been struggling with migraines for a long time, a migraine aura is certainly a nuisance phenomenon, but not necessarily considered dangerous by him. However, the situation is definitely different when a given person experiences an aura for the first time - its symptoms can definitely be extremely disturbing.

Experiencing potentialssymptoms of migraine aura, it is absolutely necessary to see a doctor (often urgently) - if the patient has not previously been diagnosed with migraine headaches, it is necessary to exclude other, even life-threatening conditions, such as e.g. stroke or retinal detachment.

Tests that can be performed in the differential diagnosis of migraine aura are, first of all, ophthalmological examinations (e.g. fundus examination and visual field assessment), as well as head imaging examinations (such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging of the head ).

Only when other diseases are excluded and certain criteria are met, it becomes possible to recognize a migraine aura.

Migraine aura: treatment

The migraine aura itself is generally not treatable - it is used for migraine headaches. Medicines intended to control the patient's headache as well as preparations aimed at reducing the frequency of migraine attacks as much as possible are used.

Patients who experience migraine aura are also advised to avoid factors that may provoke it. In order to avoid an aura, it is necessary to take care of an adequate amount of sleep, avoid stress, and to give up certain food products (in different patients, different foods may provoke the appearance of aura - each patient should carefully observe the reactions of their body and eliminate from the diet those foods that consumption increases the frequency of aura and the migraine itself).

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Category:

Neurology