Migraine Headache Cures – Migraine Auras
A migraine aura is a specific type of premonition, or prodome, that heralds the onset of a migraine. It is a symptom or series of symptoms that let migraineurs, people who suffer from chronic migraines, know in advance that a migraine headache is about to make itself felt.
Aura effects develop over about five minutes and generally occur from twenty minutes to an hour prior to the start of a headache. They are a symptom of what used to be called “classic migraine”. Medical practitioners have, recently, moved to a more scientifically accurate term, migraine-with-aura. Approximately 20-30% of migraineurs consistently experience any kind of aura before a headache begins.
For the majority of sufferers migraine auras are visual. Aura affects the visual field of both eyes despite often seeming to affect one only and lasts from 5 to 60 minutes then the vision normally restores itself. These auras are called positive visual phenomena because, rather than their vision fading or going dark, people who experience them see things.
They can include one or more of the following:
Auras or Haloes: a haze or nimbus of light surrounding objects, particularly light sources
Flashing or Floating Lights: coloured or white (rarely dark) spots that appear to move
Lightning Bolts: a jagged or zigzag line that sparkles and/or arcs over the field of vision; with the frequency or severity increasing over time until the person can no longer see (a whiteout); This effect usually stops with the onset of headache pain.
Photophobia: an extreme sensitivity to light; this effect frequently lasts the duration of the headache
Scotomas: A blind spot or area of decreased vision in the field of vision.
Blurred vision
Eye pain: such as a feeling that the eyeball is being squeezed
Whilst it may feel longer, most auras last less than an hour. Migraineurs who experience auras that last more than an hour are said to suffer from migraines with prolonged aura. In some cases a migraineur may experience aura effects without a headache developing, but this is still considered to be a symptom of chronic migraines. The same person at various times may experience all three variations: migraine with aura, migraine with prolonged aura, or typical aura without headache.
A migraine may not be accompanied by a classic aura, but a number of other symptoms may signal the onset of migraine headache
Loss of appetite
Increased urination
Increased sweating
Swelling of the face
Irritability
Fatigue
Nausea
Vomiting
Chills