The effects of the aura develop progressively over a period of a few minutes and may last for anything from twenty minutes to an hour or so before the start of the headache. Previously categorized as a “classic migraine” the Headache Society has recently reclassified it as “migraine with aura”. Approximately 20% of those who suffer from these regularly experience the aura before the onset of the pain.
Aura Characteristics
Generally auras are a visual experience and are normally called a visual disturbance because their vision can fade or go dark or they can experience hallucinations. Examples of auras experienced include:
- Aura or halo effect – a circle of light or haze encompassing objects particularly where there is a source of light.
- Hovering or flashing lights – white or colored and sometimes but not often dark spots that appear to move.
- Bolts of lightening – a zigzag or jagged line of flashing or sparkling light that appears in your field of vision. The intensity of it increases over time and may result in the person affected experiencing a whiteout and no longer being able to see. This effect normally stops when the pain of the headache starts.
- Photophobia/Phonophobia – extreme sensitivity to both light and sound may be experienced and will often last for the duration of the headache.
Generally the aura will last for no longer than an hour. Those who suffer the aura for more than an hour are described as having a migraine with prolonged aura. Although sometimes an aura may be experienced without suffering from a headache it is still regarded as being a symptom of chronic migraines. It is possible that at various times the same person can suffer from all three variations, migraine with aura, migraine with prolonged aura or aura without headache.
Migraine auras are one of the more obvious symptoms of migraine headaches but as stated they are not a prerequisite for a headache. Click on cause of migraine for more details.
