Migraine with Aura – Symptoms and Causes
Overview
Migraine with aura involves recurring headaches that appear with or after sensory disturbances. These aura symptoms might include flashing lights, vision changes, or tingling sensations in the face or hands.
People who experience migraines with aura can use the same treatment approaches as those with common migraines (without aura). Both prevention and management strategies are similar for these conditions.
Treatment typically includes medication and lifestyle modifications to reduce frequency and severity of attacks. Working with healthcare providers to develop a personalized treatment plan is often recommended for best results.
Signs and Warnings
Visual disturbances often happen before other migraine symptoms appear. These typically start in the middle of your vision and move outward.
Common vision changes include:
- Dark spots in vision (sometimes outlined by simple patterns)
- Wavy or zigzag lines moving across your field of view
- Sparkling or shimmering spots
- Partial vision loss
- Seeing flashes of light
These visual symptoms usually happen within an hour before headache pain starts and typically last less than 60 minutes. Some people may experience these visual disturbances without getting a headache afterward, especially those over age 50.
Other Symptoms
Migraines can cause several other temporary disturbances, including:
- Tingling sensations, often starting in one hand or on one side of the face, sometimes spreading along the arm
- Problems with speech or finding words
- Temporary weakness in muscles
Additional Facts
These symptoms typically appear before intense head pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound develop. They serve as warning signs that a migraine is beginning.
For many people, these symptoms follow a similar pattern with each migraine attack, making them recognizable warning signs.
When to Get Medical Help
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience new symptoms of migraine with aura. These include temporary vision problems, difficulty speaking, or weakness on one side of your body.
These symptoms need quick evaluation to rule out serious conditions like stroke.
Your doctor will perform tests to determine the cause of your symptoms and create an appropriate treatment plan.
Causes
Migraine aura occurs when an electrical or chemical wave moves across different parts of the brain. Where this wave spreads determines what symptoms you experience.
The most common type is visual aura, which happens when this activity passes through the visual cortex. These waves can also affect areas that handle sensory signals, speech, or movement control.
These electrical and chemical changes are part of normal nerve function and don’t harm the brain.
Common triggers for migraine with aura include:
- Stress
- Bright or flashing lights
- Certain foods
- Some medications
- Sleep disruptions (too much or too little)
- Hormonal changes during menstruation
The same factors that trigger regular migraines often trigger migraines with aura.
Risk Factors
Several factors may increase your chances of experiencing migraines:
- Family history plays an important role in migraine development.
- Gender differences exist; women experience migraines more frequently than men.
These patterns help doctors understand who might be more likely to develop migraines, though specific risk factors for migraine with aura are less clear.
Complications
People with migraine and aura face a slightly higher risk of stroke. However, this connection remains modest in scale.
The presence of aura symptoms—like seeing flashing lights or experiencing temporary vision loss—appears to be the specific factor linked to this increased stroke risk.
