What is an aura?
Medically speaking an aura is a feeling or symptom noticed prior to a medical incident. In the medical field there are two types of auras. These two types are migraine with aura and an aura prior to a seizure.
Migraine with aura
This is the medical term used for individuals who have auras prior to their migraine.
- What is a migraine?
A migraine is a severe throbbing or steady headache that can last from a few hours to a few days. The headache often occurs in the front of the head on one or both sides of the temples.
Symptoms of a migraine may include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Yawning
- Irritability
- Low blood pressure
- Feeling “hyper”
- Light sensitive
- Motion sensitive
- Sound sensitive
- Dark colors under eyes.
- What is a migraine with aura like?
A migraine with an aura is when the person feels symptoms prior to a migraine.
The aura may last a few minutes or as much as a half-hour. The aura usually arrives twenty to thirty minutes before the migraine, but can continue after the headache is over.
The symptoms of an aura may include:
- Blind spots
- Blindness if half of the visual field
- Seeing flashing lights
- Black and white zigzag lines
- Weakness
- Feelings of prickling on the skin
- Hallucinations.
Auras associated with a migraine are usually visual and last greater than five minutes.
Often the visuals are colorless, glittery, and come in the form of black and white zigzag lines. The person remains conscious during an aura preceding a migraine.
When pins and needles are felt it usually begins in the hand and moves upward. This sensation often skips the shoulder, but will involve the face and tongue.
- Who gets migraines and migraine with aura?
Over time migraines lessen rarely occurring after the age of 50. Migraines can start in childhood and increase into adolescence. There are more young males than young females reported as having migraines, however, there are more adult females than adult males reported as having migraines.
Migraines run in families and are linked to factors such as genetics, overweight, substances, behaviors, and environment.
Migraine with aura only occurs in about one fifth of migraine headache sufferers.
Common food triggers for migraines include:
- Chocolate
- Cheese
- Red wine
- Citrus fruit
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Raisins
- Plums
- Artificial sweeteners
- MSG
- Cold foods.
Common over the counter medications triggers include:
- Cimetidine
- Estrogen
- Hydralazine
- Nifedipine
- Nitroglycerine
- Ranitidine
- Reserpine
Other common triggers include:
- Stress
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Illness
- Missing meals
- Being tired
- Menstruation
- Flicking lights
- Florescent lights
- Bold visual patterns
- Change in pressure or altitude.
- What causes migraine with aura?
Scientists are unclear what causes an aura before a migraine, however they have a theory that serotonin and dopamine may be a contributing factor. These chemicals maintain homeostasis for the brain. Scientists suggest that something in this regulation goes awry causing the body’s own immune system to react. With this response more chemicals are released and blood vessels begin opening and constricting bringing on pain and severe throbbing.
Seizure with an aura
This is the medical term used for individuals who have auras prior to their seizures.
- What is a seizure?
A seizure is a misfire in the brains electrical system causing uncontrolled physical, emotional, and sensational feelings for a short acute time period.
Seizures can be small and hardly noticeable or they can be large and completely debilitating.
The cause of seizures is unknown but they are often a symptom rather than a disease themselves.
- What is an aura with a seizure like?
An aura before a seizure is a feeling or series of symptoms that can be used as a warning sign for the person to prepare for the seizure.
Auras are different for each individual and can occur just moments before a seizure or hours prior.
Common symptoms of an aura moments before a seizure include:
- Changes in bodily sensation
- Changes in ability to interact with the outside world
- Changes in familiarity with the outside world.
Common symptoms of an aura hours before a seizure include:
- Depression
- Irritability
- Sleep disturbance
- Nausea
- Headache
Auras before seizures are usually not visual and last less than five minutes. When an aura is visual it often involves multicolored circular and spherical patterns.
Auras prior to seizures often contain head and eye movement along with lethargy, confusion, and alterations in consciousness.
Unlike the numbing and tingling sensations reported during a migraine with aura when the aura is before a seizure sensory disturbances are reported as burning, aching, cramping, stinging, electric, or throbbing.
- Who gets auras with their seizures?
The location of seizure activity in the brain can sometimes be linked to the type of aura. Reporting what type of aura experienced to the medical professional can be very helpful with treatment.
The most common type of seizure involving an aura is a complex partial seizure. Over half of the individuals experiencing this type of seizure also experience an aura.
However, auras are very individualized. Anyone experiencing seizures of any type can exhibit symptoms of an aura.
- What causes an aura with a seizure?
Auras prior to seizures are a result to a misfiring in the brain. Sometimes when this misfiring begins a person feels symptoms associated with an aura.
Research suggests there are common patterns to an aura and that the symptoms on an aura follow the same path each time. For example a person may have a feeling of fear, then déjà vu, then a taste in their mouth. Each time prior to their seizure these symptoms will manifest in exactly the same manner.
Studies have shown that no specific aura is linked with a poor or negative outcome. However, some research has found that when the feeling of fear is felt during a seizure there is an increased association with psychological and behavioral disturbances. The reasons for this correlation are unclear.
Conclusion
Although the phenomenon of an aura is unclear scientists agree it involves the function of the brain going awry. Whether an aura comes before a migraine or a seizure it can be used as a warning sign to prepare and as objective data to assist in treatment.
Local and helpful resources:
Kids and Canines
Assistance Dogs International-Full Member Address: 3215 Nundy Rd.; Tampa, FL 33618
Phone: (813) 558-5406
Website: www.kidsandcanines.org/
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Okada Specialty Guide Dogs
Assistance Dogs International-Full Member
Address: 7509 E. Saviors Path; Floral City, FL 34436
Phone: (540) 635-3937
Website: http://www.okadadogs.com
Types of Animals Trained: Hearing, Guide, and Seizure.
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