What's a migraine with Aura?

The first time I had a migraine with aura, I was sitting in my high school physics clbad. I was trudging through a worksheet, heavy eyelids and sleep deprivation, as usual, when a bright thread of light appeared on the left side of my field of vision. I blinked, rubbed my eyes and waited for him to go away. But instead of dissipating, she grew up and gradually invaded my field of vision, a twinkling crack in the fabric of my vision that was distorting everything around her. I tried to keep working, but I could not concentrate physically. I could not Lily. And when the float finally crawled out of my eye, a headache split.

Migraines with aura, also called eye migraines, cause a particular type of pain, confusion and fear. Of course, migraines are one thing, but I have never heard of headaches that can affect vision. I was terrified; it sounds like exaggeration, but I legitimately thought I was going blind.

As strange as the experience may seem and as scary and insulating as possible, migraines with aura are not uncommon. According to Susan Hutchinson, MD, director of the Orange County Migraine and Headache Center, about 30% of migraines have migraine headaches (3 million). That alone is a little comforting. What's better: It also means that doctors have an idea of ​​the causes, triggers and treatments that can make your migraines suffer.

Symptoms of migraines with aura

A migraine is an intense headache that can accompany nausea and sensitivity to light. The "aura" that some people feel is generally defined as a "set of neurological symptoms", the most common of which is visual. "People can see things like bright, showy lights that others can not see," said Dr. Hutchinson, as well as shimmering spots or zigzag lines, all called "positive visual auras". (Both "migraine with aura" and "ocular migraine" are used to describe this type of migraine, but the former is considered more factual and is preferred by some physicians.)

You may also experience a "negative visual aura", which means you could lose your vision temporarily. "More specifically, some people may have tunnel vision," says Dr. Hutchinson. "They can see in the middle but not in the peripheries." You may also encounter blind spots, sometimes delimited by a geometric pattern.

You may also encounter another scary symptom called dysphasia, which affects your speech power. You may begin to scramble or scramble your words, or have difficulty expressing yourself. Other symptoms include muscle weakness or numbness that spreads on your hand or on one side of your face.

The most important thing about migraines with auras is that your symptoms should disappear within an hour. "If the aura lasts less than an hour and the vision then returns to normal, it's very rebaduring," said Dr. Hutchinson. If your migraines last longer, she recommended seeing a doctor or a migraine specialist. If your vision is still affected for more than an hour, an optometrist can help you determine if something is more serious with your eyesight. In general, if you have symptoms of migraine with aura, it is recommended to consult a doctor in order to eliminate more serious conditions, such as a stroke or a tear in the retina.

What are the causes of a migraine with Aura?

All do not feel an aura with their migraines, but according to Dr. Hutchinson, the neurological activity is the same. In other words, doctors think that people who do not physically feel the aura will still go through a "silent aura" phase. There is nothing strange in your head, in particular, that causes an aura and not another person; it's just that you are more aware of it.

Dr. Hutchinson explained to POPSUGAR five phases of a migraine: a prodrome, an aura, headaches and a postdrome. You can consider the prodrome as the "preparation phase", a period during which some people may know that a migraine is imminent. you may have changes in appetite, lethargy or irritability. Then comes an aura, visual or otherwise, "that people may not feel clinically," said Dr. Hutchinson, followed by painful headache. Finally, there is the "postdrome" phase, which can leave you tired or confused for a day, depending on the severity of the migraine.

The real and neurological cause of migraines is not 100% understood, but Dr. Hutchinson explained that recent research has shown a common "way". Migraines have been badociated with high levels of CGRP, a protein in your brain. The CGRP is still there, but Dr. Hutchinson explained that during a migraine, its levels skyrocketed. "In people with chronic migraines, who have headaches more than 15 days or more a month, there is every indication that their CGRP could be elevated all the time, even between crises," she told POPSUGAR. .

That's what's happening in your brain, but what about it outside? Migraines, including migraines with aura, are usually triggered by certain circumstances. According to Dr. Hutchinson, these factors may include:

• Stress
• Hormones (especially in women who are very prone to migraines between two days before and three days after the start of their period)
• Lack of sleep
• Miss a meal
• Special foods, especially with preservatives

How to treat a migraine with Aura

Identifying and limiting your exposure to your particular triggers is one of the most effective ways to prevent migraines, said Dr. Hutchinson. She recommended keeping a diary to record your activities, the foods you ate and how long you slept in the 48 hours before a migraine. Have you suffered a lot of stress? You do not sleep enough? Have you been eating foods containing gluten or preservatives such as MSG, both of which can cause migraines in sensitive people? "Often a migraine attack is caused by a combination of triggering factors," Dr. Hutchinson told POPSUGAR. Following your lifestyle with your migraines for a long time can help you identify commonalities and make changes to reduce their frequency.

In my case, my migraines disappeared after high school, probably because I was less stressed and I started to sleep better. But a migraine in college, which caused not only a visual aura but also (for the first time) symptoms of dysphasia, was painful and frightening enough for me to watch since. I give priority to sleep especially to keep them at bay.

If you are having a migraine at the same time, you can use several strategies to reduce the pain. Put them into practice as soon as you feel a migraine, if possible. Here are some recommendations recommended by Dr. Hutchinson:

• Turn off the lights.
• S & # 39; lengthen.
• Turn off the TV and all other stimuli.
• Drink water if you are dehydrated.
• Put a bag of ice on your forehead or neck.
• Take over-the-counter pain medications such as aspirin, Tylenol or ibuprofen.

For a more powerful treatment option, you can ask your doctor about triptans, which are medications prescribed specifically for migraine. Another prescription option: CGRP blockers, injectable drugs that are relatively new to the market and help prevent migraines by compressing the amount of CGRP in your brain.

Talk to a doctor about which treatment or prevention option is best for your migraines. If you feel an aura without a migraine, Dr. Hutchinson recommended consulting an optometrist. Dr. Hutchinson does not have a cure for migraine, but that does not mean they are unavoidable. By working with a doctor and following your lifestyle, you can limit the frequency of your migraines to levels that are easier to manage.

"The idea is to get your life back, hopefully," said Dr. Hutchinson. "You're not near your migraines, you wake up every morning and you're positive, and if you have a headache sometimes, you have a treatment you can rely on."