Published on: 7/4/2025
Can you provide examples of what a migraine aura might feel like?
Examples of what a migraine aura feels like include briefly and temporarily seeing flashing lights or zig zag patterns shortly before the start of a migraine. Besides vision changes, other migraine auras can cause people to briefly and temporarily feel tingling or numbness in part of the body. Migraine aura symptoms improve and go away on their own, unlike the symptoms of many other neurological conditions.
Explanation
Migraine auras are experiences that can happen briefly and temporarily, typically before a migraine headache. About one fourth of people with migraines experience migraine auras.
Examples of Aura Experiences
- Visual Changes: Some people might temporarily and briefly see flashing lights, zigzag patterns, or spots that look blurry.
- Sensory Changes: Some people feel like a part of their body is tingling and/or numb, but this feeling improves on its own within about an hour.
These experiences are temporary and usually start and improve before the migraine headache starts. If you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms, a healthcare provider can provide a personalized medical assessment of your symptoms to determine if you are experiencing a migraine aura or a different health condition.
(References)
- Ilik F, & Ilik K. (2014). Alice in Wonderland syndrome as aura of migraine. Neurocase, 23957288.
- Kaufman DM, & Solomon S. (1992). Migraine visual auras. A medical update for the psychiatrist. General hospital psychiatry, 1601292.
- Shepherd AJ, & Patterson AJK. (2020). Exploration of anomalous perceptual experiences in .... Consciousness and cognition, 32422548.
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