3. Overview
Migraine with aura (also called classic migraine) is a recurring headache that
strikes after or at the same time as sensory disturbances called aura. These
disturbances can include flashes of light, blind spots and other vision changes
or tingling in your hand or face.
Treatments for migraine with aura and migraine without aura (also called
common migraine) are usually the same. You can try to prevent migraine with
aura with the same medications and self-care measures used to prevent
migraine.
4. Symptoms
Migraine aura symptoms include temporary visual or other disturbances that
usually strike before other migraine symptoms — such as intense head pain,
nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound.
Migraine aura usually occurs within an hour before head pain begins and
generally lasts less than 60 minutes. Sometimes migraine aura occurs with little
or no headache, especially in people age 50 and older.
5. Visual signs and symptoms
Most people who have migraine with aura develop temporary visual signs and
symptoms. which tend to start in the center of the field of vision and spread
outward. These might include:
• Blind spots (scotomas), which are sometimes outlined by simple geometric
designs
• Zigzag lines that gradually float across your field of vision
• Shimmering spots or stars
• Changes in vision or vision loss
• Flashes of light
6.
7.
8. Other disturbances
Other temporary disturbances sometimes associated with migraine aura include:
• Numbness, typically felt as tingling in one hand or on one side of your face that
may spread slowly along a limb
• Speech or language difficulty
• Muscle weakness
9. When to see a doctor
See your doctor immediately if you have the signs and symptoms of migraine
with aura, such as temporary vision loss or floating spots or zigzag lines in your
field of vision. Your doctor will need to rule out more-serious conditions, such as
a stroke or retinal tear.
