Video 1. Visual aura of migraine

[ALLYCAT591]

I started getting this yesterday, and I had another one today, followed by a migrane each time. I have booked a doctors appointment, have you any idea on wether this can be cured?

[rkraig]

@ALLYCAT591 Good idea to see a doc. They can certainly be controlled (i.e., stopped) in all likelihood. That's a bit different the "cured." One would likely always have an increased ability to start a headache. - Importantly, lifestyle can reduce this likelihood such that medications are not needed. If that isn't enough medications could be used.

[nucleuscontour]

@ALLYCAT591 I have been getting these for about 12 years now averaging once every two weeks, but I think I found a way to reuce these, since I haven't had any almost 6 weeks now. If interested, let me know...Barry in Pa.

[MorningGloryD]

@ALLYCAT591 Hi, I get auras too. They don't always mean you are about to get the pain of a migraine, but its a very predictable indicator. There are migraine medications like Imitrex that can be taken at the first sign. Usually if I take one when the aura starts then the pain is prevented. Try Aleve (generic:naproxen sodium),its over the counter. There was a study that showed it to be only 5% less effective than Imitrex when taken at the first sign of aura. The side effects are less.

[rkraig]

@MorningGloryD Naproxen, not used excessively, can be very helpful against migraine.  Thanks for the comment.

[MorningGloryD]

@rkraig You're right, I should have mentioned rebound headaches caused by habitual use of painkillers. Another thing I've read about as a preventative measure but not tried for any duration is an herb called feverfew. It can be taken as capsules or tea (the tea tastes bitter, not very pleasant). It has been used since the greeks for migraine. The mechanism of action is inhibition of both histamine and serotonin release. That might be worth investigating for someone who can't use aleve.

[HeadacheTreatment]

Great video.

I watched it about four times in two weeks.

Thanks



[rkraig]

@HeadacheTreatment Thanks. I'm glad you liked it.

[Vamphaery]

I get what seem to be retinal migraines. Scintillating scotoma; monochromatic in color, gradually growing and causing monocular obfuscation of my field of vision. Always the right eye. No headache or pain of any kind. No dizziness. No numbness. No loss of sensation or weakness anywhere. Just the visual phenomenon. It looks like a sickle or arc of TV snow or static, flashing very rapidly in black and white. For some odd reason, an amino acid I take for other reasons - L-Tyrosine - helps. (???)

[rkraig]

@Vamphaery I beleive you are correct, they sound retinal. The effectiveness of L-tyrosine is interesting.

[linas328]

Oh my god!I've been seeing these things my whole life and never understood their meaning.Thought i was seeing glimpses of radio transmissions or something.But mine tend to be totally colourless most of the time.And i've been seeing them almost every day , yet i only get migranes once-twice a month.I don't really get it :)

[rkraig]

@linas328 That's a common migraine aura description too. Hope the information helps you understand the underlying cause.

[andrewdeed1]

The visual aura is depicted happening on the wrong side of the brain. The right visual field projects onto the left retinas which then project to the LEFT visual cortex. So an aura discerned in the right visual field (as shown) is happening in the left side of the brain. Nice movie though.

[rkraig]

@andrewdeed1 Good point; thanks for paying attension to this degree. We enlarged it to fit the field of view so all would be more visaully evident for the whole animation.

[floisheremuch]

Having one now, fun/

[Liquefaction]

I have been seeing this flicker for years and I never understood what it was!! But I've never felt like I've had a migraine before..

[rkraig]

@Liquefaction Sometimes visual changes of a migraine aura (or other types of change) can occur without headache.

[2BuRn4]

I've had severe migraines my whole life. They started at age 4 but were not as bad as they are now. I'm 22 now and can't go to school or work because i get 2-4 migraines a month. getting the visual auras, followed by severe pain and vomiting. then feel terrible for the next 2 days. I've been to every type of specialist and nobody can seem to find the cause of these. i have allergies to some of the medications. they've tried every type of medicine. gotta keep searching for the answer though : )

[rkraig]

@2BuRn4 Stay with it! You need a headache specialist who can help you build a program - lifestyle, medications as needed, etc that can best help you.

[reptile1000]

I'm having one right now i can barly see what i'm typing this usualls happens for about 30 minutes then disapears then the extreme head pains happen for like 3-5 hours i havent had one since augast of last year this one took me by subrise anyone have any pointers on how to feel better?

[cerro98]

@reptile1000 Well, Im quiet suprised because the same think happends to me when a Migraine starts developing but the visual aura thing stays like for 15 mins and then the the Minor Headache Occurs! and its really a big issue in currently

[xCmOn3yx777]

i get these all the time

[hammerogod]

This is very close to the type of SS I have. Been having them for about 15 years. I have one episode about every 7-8 months on average. They seem to be related to watching a computer screen (or a slot machine..lol) but not always. I am usually under mild stress when they occur. Never felt any pain. No dizzyness. They usually last from 5 mins to 15 mins. So far I have never had one while I was driving They are just annoying. Thy used to unsettle me but I am more or less used to them now.

[hammerogod]

This is very close to the type of SS i have. Neeh having them foe about 15 years. I have one episode about every 7-8 months on average. They seem to be related to watching a computer screen (or a slot machine..lol) but not always. I am usually under mild stress when the occur. Never felt any pain. No dizzyness. They usually last from 5 mins to 15 mins. So far I have never had one while I was driving. They are just annoying. Thy used to kind of unsettle me but I am more or less used to them now.

[sunade143]

me i experienced migraine since i was in high school and now im already 20 i though my migraine was vanished after the last attack when i was a first year college (im 17 years old at that time) then i just realized that is not gone as i thought when it attacked me last thursday again T_T i hate it when my vision goes terrible wrong huhuhuhuhuhu it feels like that im going to die!!!! i dont take any medication cause im afraid so.... i just endure the pain until it stop attacking...

[jdmedia]

I had one the other day. During my Migrane my girlfriend heated up an herbal eye pack and gave it to me. She said, this smells funny but try it, it might help. It was after I was suffering for 20mins or so, but when I put it over my eyes... the pattern shifted away from my vision. My vision slowly came back. *** The heat pack is available at like Bed Bath & beyond. You heat it in the microwave for a few seconds. I recommend trying it. Something to do with the heat really helped me. Hope it helps

[Bryce8537]

i get these. on the other side tho. i hate them. had them since i was about 16 and now 22. havnt figured out any trigger for it yet. but i think it may be due to stress or depression (at least temporarily). theyre the worst. ruin my whole day and difficult to do anything the next day. sigh.

[conrad11187]

I have something like this many many times already and everytime it occurs, I feel really really scared. It's like a nightmare to me. And after this, I would vomit so hard as if my intestines would go with the vomiting. I even became blind for just 20 seconds I think. I shouted because I thought I'll be blind forever. The funny thing was my that my father got angry with me (perhaps because he was scared too) and he just told me to ask forgiveness for all of my sins! Funny! Lol.

[rkraig]

@conrad11187 It might be useful for you to talk this over with a migraine doc or a health clinic with experience with migraine.

[rkraig]

@conrad11187 It might be useful for you to talk this over with a migraine doc or a health clinic with experience with migraine.

[conrad11187]

I have something like this many many times already and everytime it occurs, I feel really really scared. It's like a nightmare to me. And after this, I would vomit so hard as if my intestines would go with the vomiting. I even became blind for just 20 seconds I think. I shouted because I thought I'll be blind forever. The funny thing was my that my father got angry with me (perhaps because he was scared too) and he just told me to ask forgiveness for all of my sins! Funny! Lol.

[SeaxneatOfEssex]

Had another one of these yesterday, quite coincidental that this video should appear as recommended. This is very close to what I experience except for me the blind spot occurs in the centre, yet I still have perfect periferal vision.

Is there any understanding of why migraines occur at all? Mine seem to be brought on either by prolonged exposure to bright unnatural light or stress. Or both? That said its not the vision that worries me its the numbness felt in the hands!

[rkraig]

@SeaxneatOfEssex That's a common pattern for an aura. Many believe an aura occurs because of spreading depression (see knol). Why a spreading depression occurs seems to depend on a "sufficient volume of brain" being activated at the same time. This can occur for all the reasons that commonly trigger migraine - psuhing a brain region past a threshold that then activates it to make the spreading depression. Hope that helps.

[BellaCullen35]

Any advice for when one comes on? I'm 14 and the last one I had (Sunday) was the worst one yet. I got EVERYTHING too. The visuals (went away, then came back several times) the hand numbing (went away, came back) face numbing, and a SPLITTING headache that lasted for hours. The weird thing is once the first set of visuals goes away I'm really only left with a kinda naggy headache. I fall asleep then wake up to a horrible one.

[rkraig]

@BellaCullen35 You should see a headache specialist to best arrive at a plan to help reduce this problem. Good luck.

[BellaCullen35]

@rkraig Thanks. I've seen a neurologist already but I'm going to try to go back to the doctor because these are so terrible.

[rkraig]

@BellaCullen35 That is a good plan.

[SeaxneatOfEssex]

@BellaCullen35 Hey Bella, just so you know, your not the only one who gets the 'hand numbing' either. Its bloody awful.

[hazmat1000]

@BellaCullen35 I used to get kind of tunnel vision and that was my first sign a migraine was coming on, so I would take an aspirin, then immediately take a nap and it really helped me so the migraine was basically taken care of in my sleep and I would not wake up to head throbbing etc. Only had migraines from about 14-17 and then never again.

That worked for me, but not sure if the aspirin was necessare or even beneficial at all.

[JaseJus101]

@BellaCullen35 Funny you say that at 14. That's when mine were at their worst too. That was the only time I would get multiple aura attacks. I'm 26 now, and I only get them about 3-4 times a year now with only one aura attack lasting only about half an hour. I'm sure yours will only get better from here. Ask your doctor for "axert" to take while having the aura to help with the pain of the headache after

[BellaCullen35]

Yeah I used to get them a lot and then they stopped coming as often. But Sunday I got a REALLY bad one...with the visuals and everything. I get them full blown always and a splitting headache always follows these. Also my hand going numb as well as part of my face. We actually almost went to the hospital because of the pain. These are so scary because I'm only 14 and i've been getting these since like 5th grade. I only hope they get less as I get older

[JJJAAAMMMIIIEEEBB]

Migranes are such a horrible experiance, as soon as i start to see/feel the symtoms i instantly take some asprin and go to a dark room and try to sleep.

[rkraig]

@JJJAAAMMMIIIEEEBB That can be an effective plan.

[dpaul420]

Yup, just had first one today, no migraine so far. I wonder if this had anything to do with the fact that I just got out of a meeting where we were told that we would have to cut our hours back over the summer...The crazy patterns and colors intrigued me, but the loss of vision because of the blind spots that it created was unnerving, and hard to get any work done!

[rkraig]

@dpaul420 Sorry to hear of your troubles. Stress can be a trigger. Why, we still don't know.

[broadcastmyass4u]

@dpaul420 is it like lsd visuals with the patterns?

[rkraig]

@broadcastmyass4u Sort of - but visual changes usually less complex patterns.

[Frin63]

Occured to me twice, with a year in between. I'm only geeting the visual stuff and it dissappears after about 15 to 20 minutes. No headaches at all. Guess I'm lucky...

[rkraig]

@Frin63

15-20 minutes. That's right on target for the propagation velocity.

[muchtoocrazy]

@rkraig Mine used to last for about 20 Minutes, but last time I had no chance to lie down, so it lasted for an hour. But as soon as I lay down, it eventually moved out of my sight. I had a slight headache afterwards, but I had been having one for over two weeks.

[rkraig]

@muchtoocrazy All of those symptoms can occur with migraine.

[rkraig]

@muchtoocrazy All of those symptoms can occur with migraine.

[muchtoocrazy]

@rkraig Anyways, I felt well enough to see a doctor, he gave me Triptans and told me to take them if the headache gets to severe. I had been having scintillating Scotomas before, and as long as I didn't know that they were typical for migraine, I had no headache...I probably expected them to occur last time.

[rkraig]

@muchtoocrazy Perhaps. More likley just an evolution to a new stage of your migraine. This can occur to the postive (less headache) and negative (more headache - depedning on situation (i.e., what's going on in your life).

[muchtoocrazy]

@rkraig Thank you for the answer!

[wizardesque]

i just had my first one, fortunately, mine was painless.... beautiful colours! mine was like an arcing lightning bolt, with tiny solar flare-like prominences...very trippy! maybe im having an aneurism (spellcheck)..."Im comin lizbeth!"

[rkraig]

@wizardesque That's it. The brain can do interesting things. This is one of them.

[coloursofsleep]

i've been having migraines like this since my mid teens (now 21), even though i know what they are, when i get them i still freak out. does anyone else question their vision for a while as the symptoms are present and after they pass? i keep studying everything i can see from the sharpness of corners to the accuracy of my peripheral vision to my ability to read words - blindness frankly scares me to bits

[muchtoocrazy]

@coloursofsleep same here...I'm so hypersensitive to everything and I'm always checking my vision field. Plus I have a impaired vision, and the doctor's don't know the reason yet. But I heard that a lot people suffering from migraines have vision problems, it helps me believing that I'm not going blind

[LifetotheSwiss]

I get this one...

[dazzif]

I just had my first aura today along with a bad migraine and vomitting.. i am very freaked out.. i was just wondering how many americans approximatly suffer from these.. and could it just of been a one time thing or will it happen frequently to me now?.. i would appreciate a response

[rkraig]

Thanks for your comment. Hope you are feeling better. Millions of Americans suffer from migraine. I can't say how frequent they might occur. Best to discuss with your doctor or perhaps a headache specialist. Many things to do to help prevent them from occurring. Good luck.

[Wivanunu]

Yep...there it is...that crappy visual aura. Just a little bit more of a shiny, glittery zigzag! Migraines have ruined a large majority of my life!!! :-(

[swishpix]

these things suck. i've had them for 10 years, off and on. they usually run the same course of 30-45 minutes. i don't get the headache part, just the aura. alcohol is a major trigger for me. i would say a high caffeine drink is the next most common trigger for me.

[PlasmaOscillations]

I'm having one starting right now... Sometimes a simple meditation and deep breathing works. The aura will persist for 45 minutes but then the pain does not come afterwards like it normally would without the meditation. Just focus on healing thoughts and tell yourself "I am not having a migraine" over and over again.

[rkraig]

That can work to reduce / prevent the pain. The "why of it" is what many of us are searching for.

[COMMANDERDBOO7]

I get them every couple of days for around 2 weeks every 2 -3 years. They only happen in the winter months late morning/early afternoon. I think they must triggered by weather change or atmospheric pressure. I hate them!!!

[rkraig]

Thanks for the comment. Weather (i.e., a drop in barometric pressure (for some reason)) can trigger migraine and migraine with aura.

[blahblahblinx]

i've been getting auras for years now, luckily with no migraine. i'm having an aura right now. surprised I'm able to type this seeing as I can't properly see anything at all

[Freshhhhh1982]

Great just having an aura now complete with pins and needles and shining lights. Migrains make me want to pluck my eyeball out.

[GreenXenon]

I love migraine aurae. I just hate non-aura parts of the migraine.

[rkraig]

Never heard that said before. It can be a complex visual display. Unfortunately, most often it does come with those bad headaches. Thanks for the comment.

[bleedingxxaurora]

@GreenXenon lol trust me, if you went through it you'd have a different opinion on it.

Especially if the blindspots coverd the center of your vision and lead to blackouts, like mine.

[PlasmaOscillations]

One day my entire vision went whiteout/blackout within 2 minutes of aura onset. I thought it was 'the one', that my vision would not return or that I was having a stroke. It did return after about 30 minutes. I have not had one that bad since.. Though I am having a minor one right now lol.

[Landolakes222]

Can migraine be triggered by low blood pressure or anaemia? It's obvious light is involved but what else?

[rkraig]

It's possible. Conceivably, anything that can alter brain excitability (i.e., increase it) might be sufficient to trigger spreading depression, and so, possibly migraine.

[mrhunt08]

I never had trouble with migraines until my 7th grade year. That was when i started playing football. I am 20 now and get one, with the auras, once every 2 months or so. Could i have a neck problem that is causing them?

[rkraig]

Whether a neck problem contributes to your migraines is best left for your doctor to review with you.

[lucite11]

What's difficult is that it moves along wherever your eyes are concentrating on looking at. It makes it impossible to, say, read.

Also I get it with little to no headache.

[rkraig]

Thanks for the comment. I think these coments help others recognize similarities to their specific migraine issues. Your comment is what would be expected from the normal "wiring" of the visual system and how it is "obscured" by the migrainous aura.

[Hostog]

I have managed to reduce the headache with the right type of medicine taken when the aura starts. But the problem with the aura is that i get sick by just experiencing it. When i was a teenager i got sick first when the headache started but now i "connect" the aura to nausea...hard to describe it but i hope you understand.

[rkraig]

Thanks for the comment. Nausea can occur wihout an aura. Similarly, an aura can occur without headache. I suspect, migraine aura, nausea, and headache are interrelated but variably expressed parts of the spectrum of migraine.

[Hostog]

I have found ways to reduce the headache to a minimum by taking the right medicine when the aura begins. But the aura is very annoying. Not because of the stripes and lights but because of the nausea. Before i did not get sick before the headache started but now just seeing the aura is enough...

[rkraig]

See comment above.

[milesedit]

ive always found that the aura is harder to cope with than the actual head ache. Mine usually consits of losing half of my vision to a blank white space. Hate 'em

[rkraig]

Thanks for the comment. Auras can occur in various forms - and even occur without headache.

[rkraig]

Not clear. Literature suggests it can trigger and might help. Have a look at a Google search on the topic. It can guide you to more deatiled information.

[jellycolors]

I have been getting them more freqently I have been eating two chocolate bars every day I heard chocolate can trigger visual migrains is this true?

[JeonDeLind]

I have seen more of an hallucination when i have had migraine, what appeared when it was as fatal, i saw 2 human shaped "shadows" kind like an "alien abduction" story..

[rkraig]

Many conclude that spreading depresison 'makes' the image. It's not the pupil but the brain that makes the 'apparent' image.

[GetTheLook2010]

Pardon this question, but when one has a visual migraine, what are they seeing? What is the aura? Is the pupil actually seeing something physiological?

[MichealJackson1959]

i have migraines with aura since i was 10 and they are very frequent. my doctor said you might of had a brain problem but the mri scans are normal and so are the heart scans. It happens mostly after i exercise as I do competitive sport. Any one can help me please??

[rkraig]

Vigorous exercise can trigger migraines. Treatment strategies exist to lessen the likelihood that this will happen. It is best that you review options with your headache doctor. Good luck.

[rkraig]

Rarely. However and "aura" that last longer than seconds to minutes should always prompt you to seek medical attention/advice to be sure nothing more serious is going on.

[rkraig]

Thanks for your comment. You're quite correct. The start of the aura can be an important reminder to take an abortive medication for migraine to help stop what may be the subsequent pain.

[thebighat99]

I hate this when it happens to me my migrainous always start with numbnuss of the hands, works its way up to the back of my head then to the front of my face then my vision goes. If I don't take drugs the pain comes. It is scarry. I always think what if my site does not go back to normal.

[rkraig]

I'm sorry for the delay in responding. Visual changes that last more than minutes and do not resolve are best evaluated (by history, exam and diagnostic tests as needed) by you doctor.

[1vwgal]

my doctor said i might have visual migraine yesterday as i went in over a week ago with eye pain in my right eye but perfect vision and loss of vision in left eye- he said the correction i needed was slight and probably best to leave the perscription then about four days later the vision in my perfect eye faded and now im depending on my left which seems to be back to normal- the rights vision is pretty poor now and I cant read and its like a constant glare- is this an extended visual migraine?

[rkraig]

Sounds like a migrainous visual "obscuration" followed by a "scotma" and then the headache. Hope some of the Knol's material helps.

[rkraig]

You symptoms are all consistent with chnages seen with auras of migraine.

[unfreez]

Yeah thats exactly what i get 10-60 minutes before the pain sets in, i also gets VERY vulnerble to light, and my fingers and skins gets all numb and fragile.. like when you have a flu or something, sometimes i also have something with the hearing, and i get very distracted, and i cant understand what people say to me

[rkraig]

Your symptoms are consistent with neurological changes that can be seen with the aura of migraine.

[hollleee]

when i get these, my brain does weird things: when i speak, i mix up letters and some words don't make sense anymore. normal things like cats and bicycles seem strange and unfamiliar. does anybody else experience things like this?

[Forzaallez]

I have the same problem. I also get really irritated easily

[rkraig]

That's a migrainous aura (without the headache). It happens. Furthermore, your fatigue, the loud sounds and flashing lights can trigger them.

[politiciandiva]

This looks like what happens to me at night sometimes. I work at a bar and I find that when I'm tired, there's loud music and such, flashing lights etc I start seeing auras like these. No physical pain though...

am i weird?

[ymmmmij]

Just had one, mine is a classic aura of geometric patterns usually sparkling triangles, starts as a dot and gradually grows to a cresent shape and moves out of vision over about 20 mins, then my head feels muzzy for want of a better word for a few hours, getting used to them more now but still don`t know what sets them off.

[rkraig]

Sounds, as you say, like a "classical aura." Specific physiology of the triggers remains an important research question.

[DukeOfQueens]

thats how they look, except mine are white and sparkly, with geometric forms embedded in them, almost always in the right, 10% on the left,

[SourSweetSoul2]

What is the obstruction exactly? Is it ischemic or spreading loss of brain activity?

Sorry for bothering you, but can you go on a bit further on the answer? :P

And you vids rock :P

[rkraig]

The visual "obscuration" is an image created in brain (at the start of spreading depression (i.e., from increased electrical actvity)). The second part visaul loss or "scotoma" occurs with the loss of brain activity associated with depolarization of cells from spreading depression. Hope that helps.

[SourSweetSoul2]

That helped a lot!! Thanks

[Lesardah]

I am having this right now this very minute. I only noticed this at first when I realize I am looking right at a word and cannot read it, then the flickering starts moving to the right. I don't have a headache, but the visual is insanely distracting, even with my eyes closed. I have had this four times or so in my life before, but never seen it illustrated so well.

I hope it goes away soon....

[rkraig]

Thanks for the comment. Sounds like an aura without migraine pain. It can happen. That it can be "seen" with eyes closed begins to show that it is coming from the brain.

[lph10012003]

I had this happen to me for the first time last night. Very scary. Went to the ophthamologist today and he said I had a scintilating scotoma. This video is exactly what I experienced, except mine was on the other side. No headache. Started out as a blind spot - noticed while I was watching TV and someone's face was blurry. Thought the TV was broken. Couldn't read either. Then it morphed into the mutli-colored arc of lights you see on here. Amazing that it's so well reproduced!

[rkraig]

Your opthamologist is correct. Hope the Knol helps you to understand the aura and how it (and a migraine headache) can bre treated.

[silverpony1]

I get the visual effects and nausea but no headache. I cannot even imagine what those who get the migrane suffer through.

[rkraig]

Yes, having an aura without the headache is one form of migraine.

[silverpony1]

You know, I have had those auras for about ten years and never knew what I had was a migraine, too. I did a lot of research after your comment. Thank you.

[rkraig]

You're welcome. Keep doing the research - on this and other topics.

[Tonedef5959]

thanks for posting and sharing with the non-migraine world what it feels like for us. i get these dismissive reactions from people i know .... they just sort of downplay how bad migraines can be

[rkraig]

You're welcome. I hope it helps tol show what happens and how.

[thecalifornian310]

EXCEDERIN works better.

[rkraig]

It can be an effective treatment for many.

[heartcalling]

take 2 asprins when you know its gonna hit you :)..... the earlier you take it the better. :)

[swerz]

Imatrex (50mg) helps me most of the time. Need to take it as soon as first symptoms are noticed.

[tranurse]

zomig works too. that and 800mg motrin. but i don't always get an aura. about half the time, i don't. the other half of the time, i see little sparkly things. and they click. my headaches alternate what side they are on, but after an hour or so, my entire forehead hurts. i get nauseous, but i don't always vomit. and the side it starts on, the eye, my vision is blurry, or i can't see out of that eye. cold rag, head on, a dark room, and quiet. but i have 2 kids so that.....

[mbrenes32]

transient ischemic attack

[ztheman5]

i get these all the time its horrible i can see these visual lights start out small and eventually become big and they dissapear after an hour and leave you with a splitting headache for 2 days the power of 5 normal headaches