Migraine Aura - Everything You Need To Know About Visual Auras From Migraines
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- Опубликовано: 2 авг 2024
- One of the greatest mysteries is why people get a migraine with aura! A migraine aura can be very scary and confusing. Dr. EyeGuy goes over everything you can expect from a visual aura caused by migraines. Check out the awesome migraine aura simulation as well!
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In this Video:
One of the many migraine symptoms you can have is a aura migraine. About 15-20% of the people that have migraines will experience a migraine with aura. This can very scary as you see weird lights and experience some loss of vision. This visual aura in your vision can last 30 minutes and sometimes longer. This aura in your vision is usually seen in both eyes. This video has many different migraine aura simulations as well. Sometimes you can have it in one eye if you are dealing with an ocular migraine or a retinal migraine. Dr. Guymon will go over the leading theory of what happens in your brain when you experience this visual migraine. Cortical Depression Spreading and blood flow can affect the sensitivity of your brain, causing this aura in your vision. Dr. Guymon will go over the migraine causes or triggers of the migraine aura. He will also go over treatment, or what you should do if you experience these migraine auras.
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What is discussed in this video:
0:00 Intro
0:48 Migraine Aura Symptoms and Simulation
3:20 What Causes A Migraine Aura
5:50 Migraine Aura Triggers
7:01 Migraine Aura Treatment
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Picture Credit
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#migraineaura #migraine #visualaura 
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Have you figured out what your migraine trigger is yet?
Yes and its the sun light
in my sons (16) case it seems to usually be working out. Usually jumping included. First time was end of 2018 after jumping on an indoor trampoline for 30 minutes. But today he had it at home after weight workout. He always gets headache after the aura (blind spot)
@@StephyGrowsWeed Yes, I was 15 when it first happened to me (very scary). I am now 17 and I have found out it mainly happens after I work out whether it be from doing excessive weight lifting or excessive cardio or both.
Can using a Vr headset cause ocular migraines?
@@JaydenSomething I don't know of any confirmed cases, but I would be willing to bet that it can trigger a migraine. Lights, flashing lights, screen lights can be triggers to migraines, so I would assume the light from the VR device could possibly cause a migraine.
I have suffered from migraine auras for fifty years, fortunately without significant headaches. This is the best presentation I have seen on the condition.
Thanks for saying this! Glad to hear it can hopefully help people understand.
I have invented something & I found out why too... See The Wonder Bracelets and FREE DIY :).
Very good presentation. The little simulations actually made me think I was starting to have an aura.
I’ve been having them off and on for 5 years, and I usually just figure I’m going to be useless for about 30 minutes because a large part of my vision is unusable. Im very lucky to not have headaches. I agree that it seems mostly dietary and stress induced.
For sure
Not for me, I had a brain tumor in my left parietal/occipital lobe, 95% "evicted" 4.5 years ago, the rest is inoperable
I’ve been having migraines with aurora since I was 12 I’m now 61. I was averaging about 4 a year. About 2 years ago I started taking magnesium and vitamins D3 and K2 and although I wasn’t taking the vitamins as a cure for the migraines I’ve found that I’ve only had one migraine since taking them. For all of you sufferers reading this it might be worth trying. Good luck.
I had the aura without the headaches since I was 21 and am now 72 - I also started taking magnesium vitamin D3 and K2, not because of the aura and I have only had one incident since taking these supplements. Looks like one of these supplements must be helping.
I've experienced the same visual aberrations fot 10 to 15 years, exactly as described, starting with loss of focus at the centre then expanding in a shimmering zigzag crescent to the edge of vision, often leaving me with a migraine headache shortly after. I put it down to eyestrain, watching youtube on an iphone, but it would often occur otherwise...I agree with magnesium and vitamin D3/K2, infrequent since been taking these for other reasons...
Speaking of vitamin D3 and k2, I have up the dosage of D3 to 10,000 IU per day (with about 120 mcg K2) for the last two and a half years and I haven’t had an episode of aura since then. Maybe the vitamin does help.
If I slack on my magnesium, I start getting headaches again, even with the vitamin D and K2. Definitely all necessary supplements for me!
I have similar history with migraines, no headache. I notice that caffeine drink, teas, trigger them after a binge. It’s also triggered by lack of sleep and sometimes red brake lights.
Excellent presentation Doc.
This happened to me today at work. 😢
It took about 20 min to get my vision back but I was afraid I was going blind.
My neck is very stiff from sleeping on it wrong and hurting for 2 days now so maybe that is what caused it. I don't know. But when I tell you, I was scared...I was terrified. I started crying, at work!
The first couple are terrifying
The same thing happened to me I'm very afraid of going blind I'm so scared 😭
Edit: It's a migraine aura it came suddenly I got very scared at that time but it disappeared after 1.5 to 2 hours my left side eye got fully blurred at that time it was to terrifying
I get the zig zag aura from time to time the first one really sacered me I have had a few now - never get a bad headache but dut feel a bit strange for a a few hours after - keep a log now dont get many usually one every couple of months - had one today hence the viewing of this video - the one prior to this was Mid december
Same.
Happened to me today for the second time in my life (last time was 2ish yrs ago) and for me both times, lack of sleep and STIFF neck and shoulders were an issue prior.
I get so nervous when this happens to me as well, but have learned to deal with them as they randomly come. You. shouldn't worry it doesn't affect your vision long term. Hugs to you I know how you feel!
Watching this whilst having a migraine aura. This is the perfect description of what having a migraine is like. Everyone should see this and know what an actual migraine is.
I had zig zag lines forming part of a circle but no headache. I have never had a migraine headache. Got my eyes checked and a book was pulled out with pictures of exactly what I saw. Quickest diagnosis ever!
I've had this condition for 50+ years, and no headaches! Can't figure out the cause. Happen only rarely, every few years or so.
@@alhi6240 Only had the one attack about 20 years ago, still waiting for it to return!
Same here... zigzag pattern in a partial circle, never with a headache.
Yep I had zig zag pattern it looked and varied around half to quarter of a circle in shape. Not sure about the headache bit.
I first started having the visual auras at about 35, no migraine until my 4th or 5th aura, then the migraines started. The auras were always a full circle with a tunnel in the middle. The aura just looked like light streaming out like when you look at headlights at night. I figured out quickly when I started having a migraine to take 3 buffered aspirin at the start of the 15 min of the aura ( aspirin is the only analgesic that has ever worked for even reg headaches for me), then the headache was more manageable. If I waited until the headache started, nothing touched it. Bright lights in the day could bring one on. Mine ended up being up being hormonal and more likely to happen during PMS, I ended up needing a hysterectomy for a different reason and the migraines and auras stoped.
The first one I had was scary as heck, thought I was having a stroke! I am a person who never gets headaches, and thankfully these are never accompanied by pain. They happen VERY rarely (like once every few years), & I finally realized it always happened after a 3rd cup of coffee. So now I know how to prevent it, & if it does happen that it will be gone in 30 minutes, & there's no pain. Oh -- and pull over if you're driving! It's like a shimmery, rippling curtain on the side, kind of pretty, actually. 😉
I just had one in my left eye felt a little off kinda weak and a headace on the opposite side by the temple I thought stroke too...
@greatomegax8175 same! It happened in both eyes. Full circle with the shimmering zigzags around it. Move to only the left eye and expanded to completely take over my vision in my left eye. Everything was barely shifted to the left and made typing really difficult. Went away in an hour but had a bad headache in my right eye.
Lol, just looking at the fake auras on the screen made me feel slightly nauseous 😂.
Visual intolerance- vestibular migraines
It has that effect in real life too. lol
My visual aura is the colourful zig zag type. It tends to start as a spot and grow in a curve until it leaves my vision. I don't get a headache, but am often left feeling like a mild hangover. One thing that I find helps - it makes the aura progress and disappear faster - is Irn Bru. For those that don't know it, it is a Scottish soft drink (fun fact, Scotland is the only country on earth where the local brand of soft drink- Irn Bru - out sells Coca Cola!). Apparently, it was originally developed to help ship builders overcome hangovers.
mine are always colorful zig-zags also…
Damn!gotta try this then
Mine too
@@juliemanarin4127 I get silver and black jagged geometrical patterns which clear off to the side and disappear, but thankfully I dont have migraines. It seems to happen if I'd had 'flu or a bad cough
I love Irn Bru! I drank that when I was in Scotland. Now that I am in Maine, I drink Moxie.
I am male just turned 65. Have had migraines with visual auras for more than 50 years. The odd thing is I never have been able to determine a trigger or triggers. They can happen when I am driving, when I am reading, indoors, outdoors, resting, working, under stress, totally calm, sated, fasted, drinking coffee, abstaining from coffee. They seem to happen randomly. I always get a headache after the visuals subside that lasts about an hour. Here is another odd thing about them in my case. Sometimes I will get them a couple days in row. Sometimes none for months then all of a sudden they return. Been through tests, to the eye doctor who told me it is not an eye problem. They are more of an inconvenience than a problem actually. Get checked out and relax because you more than likely will have to learn to live with them.
Even though I started getting migraines with auras when I was a teen (almost 40 years ago) I started keeping a headache journal only several years ago. I write down the date and time of the headache and what I was doing the day the headaches started. For a while I was getting them every month, but it was over a year between the last headache and the previous one. I never know when one is going to happen, they just come out of the blue. Let's just say that for me it was hormonal changes during the month that turned out to be the cause. At least the aura gives me a warning so I can take a Tylenol-3 before the real pain starts. It doesn't take the pain away 100%, but it does lessen it from feeling like my head is going to explode to a dull ache
Same here... I get them anywhere from a few times a year to a few times a month and they started with puberty (I'm nearly 60 now). Always start with a funny feeling (I know I'm going to get one), then a aura that starts centered and moves to the right of my vision in a crescent (with black and white zig-zags) lasting perhaps 30 minutes. I'll get a nasty headache that lasts for a couple days, unless I immediately take a couple pain meds upon onset... it knocks it back, but still have a minor headache for a long time.
Have you tried to see an ophthalmologist? What works for me might work for you, have a warm hand cloth , soak in hot water, squeeze it out, have your bedroom dark inside the room and place it over your eyes and do so until the aura disappears
Your experience is almost EXACTLY like mine. I’m 69 and have had them for 35 years. Kept a journal, but discovered no pattern. Most often there is no residual headache, but I do experience what can best be described as a malaise, or just feeling wiped out for hours afterward.
@Joseph Jetkiewicz my optician told me to take a mouthful of brandy or whisky, hold it as long as possible l can and then spit or swollow., the minute they start. As a school teacher l didn't want some smell on my breath so he said a peppermint liqueur would do. I promise it works in minutes.
I didn’t realize so many people have to deal with this. 😢 Good info Dr. Eye Guy!
Thanks! It can be pretty crazy for sure!
Reading your comment 10 months into the future… it sucks… the hammering head throbbing pain of a migraine is the worst part… for me, the throbbing pain was b/c of puberty… no more of that nowadays, but still get migraines… I only have my 30s to look forward to… cuz in medical terms, it’s considered as a “2nd puberty”…
Thanks for sharing your video. I have been plagued by migraines for the majority of my life. During my teenage years, I typically experienced them on Fridays, with the aura appearing first, followed by a debilitating headache. At 82 years old, I now only experience the aura, which usually occurs in my left eye, but occasionally affects both eyes. The key point here is that I have grown out of the headaches.
Thank you so much for making this video. My 56 year old wife has had chronic migraines her whole life, and we have been together since she was 17, so I know her whole history. She has told me about the aura she sees sometimes and we both know what that means. I am so glad you made this video with the images and movement of the aura you see so that I can get a sense of what she sees. She has also described seeing "disco lights." She has seen many specialists over her life, and finding how to minimize or control her migraines seemed to be a hit-or-miss process the whole time rather than any real science. They seemed to just try something, then try something else, then something else, and then again when that did not work. It seems to have taken 30 years to find the "magic treatment" to keep her migraines at a minimum. Some people have made a ton of money off of her. We could have tried those things on our own and would have had the same level of failure.
My wife's not home at the moment but I am going to show her this video and ask her how your auras compare to hers.
I'm really glad that I found this video. I had my first aura migraine when I was a child but, fortunately for me, my Dad had experienced migraines all his life so he was able to comfort me and, over the years, educate me. Light seems to be the biggest trigger for me. My migraines always have an aura and thats the first sign I get that one is coming on.
Thank You so much for making this video. I've had this a few times in my life. In the last instance, I was really worried and it lasted a lot of time. We went to the doctors and told them everything that you described. They said they had never seen it. I was sure that it was taking place in the brain since it was happening in the same place for both eyes. They told me it could be a stroke but they didn't know. I had an MRI and was told it was fine. However I was still worried, because all I really learned was that they didn't know what it was. Now from this video, I know exactly what it is, and that it is relatively common. Also now comfortable to know there is no tumour or anything, since I had it checked already. I have been worrying about this since as no one I have spoken to knew what it was. Fortunately I found your channel through your VR headset video. Thanks so much for clearing one of my biggest fears!
Thank you for this amazing compliment! I really do appreciate it. I'm glad this video could help. Stuff like this motivates me to make more videos.
Thanks for this EyeGuy. I don't get these often but it exactly describes it. I just drink lots of water, close my eyes (even though I can still see them) and rest. Usually gone in 15 minutes.
Perfect timing seeing this video, I have suffered with migraines for over 35 years but only having a visual aura now. I think I was meant to see this at this time.
The description of the visual auras / migraine is spot on. Fortunately but never get the follow-up headache but I describe the visual aura a little different; for me, it's like there's a slow rotating ceiling fan behind me reflecting in my eyeglasses. Also, I theorize another trigger: either change or approaching change in barometric pressure. Many of my visual auras precede a fairly significant drop in barometric pressure, but fortunately, changes on barometric pressure only rarely cause the aura.
The first optic migraine I ever had came about a month after my older sister had a retinal tear. I thought that was what was happening! I had blind spots, and what I call "flickering stars" in my vision, starting on my right side, and flowing across my eyesight to my left side and then disappeared. It lasted about 30 minutes. The ones I've had since then have happened the same way as the first one did. I have had migraines since I was a teenager, but this just started a few years ago. Great video - Thank you!
Finally! Someone who understands what i have been going through. I get this frequently but i never get the pain of a headache, i just feel a little pressure. I had it checked out at my local eye surgeon and he said it's nothing to worry about. Although he never went into an explantion like this. I was so glad to stumble across this video. I will be subscribing.
Great video. I always describe my aura as flashing, electric white light. It is usually a pre-cursor to a headache which can be minimized with Excedrine Migraine. My triggers are stress and lack of sleep, combined. Thankfully, the severity of the headache has lessened over the years. The most frustrating part of these episodes now are the 24 hours of "fog" and lack of mental sharpness that I experience for about 24 hours afterward.
Ooh, thank you dear sir/madam. I got frightened after getting a 2nd eye migraine within 2 weeks. As I hadn't had any in years.
Though it sounds weird, I'm relieved to read that you experience the 'foggy' head as well. I also feel very tired afterwards and little cold. Do you recognise that as well?
I had my first episode while playing basketball in a gym as a young 13 year old. From many years of experience I have come to realized the triggers are certain types of lighting. In my case Bright lights, arc-welding and direct sun exposure from one side, left or right. Having experienced episodes for nearly 50 years, it is still a terrifying experience.
Thank you for sharing
Thank you for this interesting video. I had my first optical (ocular?) migraine shortly after taking a dose of Nasonex (corticosteroid for sinus relief) and have had them frequently ever since. A bit of internet research brought up many similar stories from Nasonex use. Some years later, my neurologist diagnosed ‘silent’ migraine and I’m on medication to control that. I don’t know if there’s any correlation there but I still get the auras; they’re a neon green circle with zigzag edges and, as you described, they start small, in the centre of my vision, and grow until they’re outside of my field of vision, over the course of about 20 minutes or so.
I have been getting them since I was 5 and am now 52. I agree that it is terrifying. I don't think it is something we can ever get used to.
I get them if I go out in bright sunlight without sunglasses. Sometimes the auras come up so fast and then a migraine hits awhile later.
@@Penny-nd9ze yup.
Very knowledgeable and informative, the first time I got one was 15 years ago and I honestly thought I was having a stroke
For 53 years I’ve had the sharp, jagged, crescent, flashing shape that starts small and gets closer, then massive headache and nausea. When I was a child to into my 30’s I would get a garlic taste beforehand. And my mom never used garlic. Everything was enhanced; smell, light, noise, and I needed to be in a dark room and sleep. Sometimes for days. It has lessened a lot in the past 10 years and I now tell “it” to back off because I don’t have time for this crap. And sometimes it attacked in my sleep. It feels like a personal war. But now I’m winning.
Thank you for this very helpful video. I’ve never had a migraine or an aura in my life until last month at the age of 52 . Very weird. I had 6 spells within 2 weeks. No headache at all, but I did lose vision spots when reading, faces became distorted, and I saw the strobe lights and zig zag patterns. Each episode lasted 20-30 minutes. I ruled out an eye problems or strokes. It was scary to have this come on suddenly at this age. Thanks again.
I just started having ocular migraines. They’re just as you described in your video. Some times circles, some times C shaped things that expand and go away after 30 Minutes of so.
I also have retinitis Pigmentosa so I have that going on as well.
Well it was nice seeing you!
Literally the best video about migraine auras.
The first time I had this was so scary I thought I am having a stroke. The headache came first before the aura. It was black and white staticy aura. The second time, the headache came with the aura, the aura this time was so colorful and lots of zigzag. Both of it started off as little moving line then went on full circle. Your representation of auras are, if not exactly, very close to what I had.
Excellent video - as i spent so much energy to explain to people… I have to justify myself that with migraine with aura you have to stop until the crisis is over… thank you for being an excellent advocate
Yes, it is so frustrating to experience the aura and then have to justify this terrible thing that you are going through.
Watching this while experiencing visual aura
Wow, crazy timing.
me too
Finally someone has explained this strange experience. For years I have tried to tell my family what this is like and honestly not even GPs know anything about it. I explained it as kaleidoscope or broken glass affect almost like LSD depictions and your decription on how it starts at the centre and slowly moves outward is exactly right. I have searched for my trigger and what I found was nail polish or nail polish remover had been used up to a day before Also when renovating using paint thinners to clean brushes. Thankyou so much for your informative video.
With me the thing that's always responsible is fatigue Inc couple nights of bad or no sleep.
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this video it was very helpful to me as I just recently started getting these auras with no migraine. The most helpful part in your video was the fact that you took picture of your eyes when you were having one and your eyes looked fine. I have anxiety attacks very easily and deal with health anxiety so anytime I get a new symptom it is really a struggle to deal with it and this one is by far the hardest. You are also the first one to fully explain that people feel kinda funny afterwards and exactly what is happening with the blood flow and ripple waves!!! Thank you a million this is helpful to me healing. WORDS CANT EXPRESS HOW THANKFUL I AM!!!
I have been getting chronic migranes since i was 6. Use to get them between 1 to 4 times a week, lasting for a day to three. I no longer have migraines since i went keto, then carnivore for the last 5 years. People suffering with migraines may look into this.
I have no migraine. No pain. Just a feeling of drifting or my concentration is off just before it occurs. My vision is not obstructed, a little warped in the center, but clear. The colours are an incredible iridescence rainbow, of individual diamonds, all sparkling & moving individually. All in sharp focus. Classic "C"shape that grows until it disapates. Usually lasts 10 mins. Always around 2:00 p.m. I'd say mine comes on with stress.
I'm good at pretending there is no stress at work.🤣 Since I have retired, it has never re-occured. 👍
I stumbled across this video accidentally and am so pleased to hear you say that hormones can be a trigger. I’ve been having ‘silent migraines’ with the aura since I was 7years old. They were intermittent until I was pregnant, I was getting up to 2 a week during some of my pregnancies. After my last baby, I had a severe aura migraine in the birthing suite. One doctor and also a naturopath said it couldn’t be hormone related, however as I’ve tracked mine, it’s certainly hormones that trigger mine.
My aura starts as a blind spot and soon appears as an arc / crescent of jaggered yellow lights to the right side of my vision. It can sometimes go full circle as it expands. Lasts approx 30 minutes and is followed by slight nausea and fatigue.
Thank you for the very informative video here 😊
Just found out im pregnant like two weeks ago and now my auro migraines is starting to happen. It’s horrible I hate it! Currently in the parking lot had to pull over since it started happening while driving.
@@VanessaGonzalez-do2hf How often do you get them now? What treatment options did your Doc suggest?
Thank you for this.
To a tee what I have been experiencing for years now.
So appreciative to have people acknowledging and able to perfectly describe it.
Your presentation hits it spot on with my experiences. It started a few years ago and I get them every 6-8 weeks generally. When I get them now, I normally don't get a headache afterwards but I do get sleepy. I find that lack of sleep does promote these episodes. Also, staring into a computer screen is how I initially encounter them.
Computer/led screens, vigorous exercise, florescent lighting are my triggers.
This happened to me when I was about 8 yrs old, I was diagnosed with something else but never knew what was wrong with me. I got this migrane yesterday with this zigzag line and vision loss of only certain parts. I came to RUclips and found this. Thank you 🙏 I finally know what it is
Glad I could help!
Best description of an aura I have seen. The visual representation was also great. My aura starts on the left side of my vision, around 10 o'clock in terms of position, and then spreads to the middle of my vision. It's like a halo that gradually disappears. Once an attack occurs, I have to sit/lie down and close my eyes because I just can't focus on anything and feel disorientated. After the attack I am very tired. When I was younger, I used to get a splitting headache afterwards and had to retreat to a dark room. Nowadays, I no longer get a headache and the time between attacks is greatly reduced. The aura also no longer lasts very long, maybe 30 mins, but it's still unsettling.
@expatexpat6531 How often do you get them now? What treatment options did your Doc suggest?
@@RG....... I get them very rarely now, maybe once a year, but there is no pattern to what triggers them. Once, one attack started when I was in hot bath, of all places. Another time I had an attack when I was walking to the station on my way to work - too late to turn back. It stopped about an hour later when I was at my desk. But I suppose they mostly occurred early morning or in the evening. Once I have the full aura I know I'm over the worst of it. The frequency dropped when I entered my fifties. My doctor couldn't recommend anything - he said he also got them, but then he seemed to have other ailments that I had. I think it was his way of reassuring me.
@@expatexpat6531 So your Doc was not really concerned with this condition? He didn't suggest to do or not do anything?
@@RG....... I mentioned it in connection with another ailment, but since the frequency was now low, he didn't deem it an issue, and since there is no cure... The first time I had it as a child (aged 10), it was really frightening - I though I was going blind. My sh*tty doctor at the time didn't diagnose it correctly and didn't do any further tests.
@@expatexpat6531 Ok that's good! You know of anyone else who has them and what they might be doing or not doing to stop them?
perfect description for people that have never experienced a migraine.
Thank you for sharing this!! This is exactly what I’m experiencing. Very educational
Thank you for your informative post. I started having auras without headaches 10 years ago. The first was indeed terrifying. A trip to the ER resulted in a referral to a specialist who told me what was going on. The worst part of it is the blind area in central field of vision. The sparkly geometric shapes ( little triangles) in a circle were unusual to say the least. The events typically last 45 minutes to an hour. And are dealt with by lying quietly in a dark room.
Triggers - unknown, but typically happen after hours working on my computer. And usually at the worst possible time when facing project deadlines. I attribute yo stress, but will start noting what I eat before it happens.
Thanks again...
Thanks for you comment and sharing your experiences. It really helps others here in the comment section to read these as well.
I get the aura from extremely bright lights. Can be caused by reflections off car windows or the chrome while I drive …or from just going into sunlight from a dark room. It’s happened before from seeing a bulb directly if I accidentally see down or up under a lampshade. I never go outside without sunglasses anymore. The aura is Usually gone in thirty minutes but it’s impossible to do much while it’s happening so I just close my eyes and listen to music
@anthonysmith3850 How often do you get them now? What treatment options did your Doc suggest?
@mauradawes4456
0 seconds ago
Sometimes mine is triggered by a bright flash, too. I started using sunglasses while driving in the daytime and I've had far fewer scotomas
Excellent that is exactly what I have had from time to time. Thank you for the explanation
Im happy to see a Dr speak about a topic they personally experience also. It calms me. I’ve seen every type of aura you have pictured in this video. Most recent was last night. Lasted 45 minutes. I’ve noticed mine come after stressed induced. I’ve had them last for an entire hour before.
I’ve had migraines for a while, but this ocular effect has only started in the past few months. I was terrified. Terrified! I’m so thankful to know it’s not my eyesight. You described it so well, but my effects are incredibly vivid and stop me seeing past them. My mother had severe migraines. I’m her daughter for sure. Thank you so much for this!
Same here, the first time I experienced those coloured 'match sticks' I call them, I was totally terrified, it's scary as hell. It does help to know others get it too!
I just started having these auras! I was really worried it was a retinal detachment. Or I thought it was another of a vitreous tear, which I have had.
I thought I was having a stroke the first time 🥺
I just started having them and I thought I was having a stroke. Dr Sent me to eye hospital and they said my eyes were OK. It was really frightening.
@@lastjellyontheplate8828 How often do you get them now? What treatment options did your Doc suggest?
Your video describes it very well. My history was firstly just bad headaches, closing myself in a room, then to Visual mostly without the headaches, then I went through a stage of hemiplegic migraines, I would go numb on my left side, my stomach on the left would be icy cold so would my leg on the left side, it would feel very strange in my left hand also, like someone was spraying cold water under my skin. Then back to visual only for years until I hit menopause and they went away. Just recently visual only, two episodes just suddenly came back, the first one as I walked into the kitchen under a bright light, instantly set if off. Then in hospital for angiogram, after procedure I was under a flouro light and instantly it happened again, I had the visual zigzags everywhere all over the room, nurses face, the lot. Lasting over two hours. I always have that weird feeling after that you described. You are spot on with all you said. :-)
Thank you for sharing your experience!
You describe this perfectly. That’s exactly what I experience
Glad to have been able to have listened to this. I don't have the migraines afterwards. I've always tried to explain like sprayed oil water in my eyes. I have the pressure and anxious feeling afterwards. Cold water compress seem to help me. Thank you again for putting this out.
Many thanks for your explanations on the subject, I have been a sufferer of severe migraine since the age of 9 (now in my 50's), and it progressed to the aura about 10 years ago. Both eyes are effected and the heat or bright lights can set it off. The Summer is most frequent. However, to add to the more severe part of my symptoms I experience the loss of speech and my brain can not understand what people are saying either, like a mini stroke episode, lasts for several hours and very painful. Medication doesn't work and yes, it is very scary and upsetting. I hold no hope of a cure and don't seem to get any direct help with it. When I saw this video it brought home to me just how many others have to live with it.
Thank you for this video, I just experienced my first one today while driving and it was the scariest thing. I had to pull over for about 45 minutes, now I’m at home with a massive headache. But at least I made it home safely. I had just a bunch of Squirrley lights almost looks like a colorful kaleidoscope. I couldn’t focus on anything. I couldn’t quite see clearly the traffic lights which is very scary. It was a bunch of wavy lines for good 15-20 minutes. Definitely now I just curled up on the couch with the dog trying to sleep it off. But these RUclips videos are helping me out understand better what’s going on
Glad it could help, and you are not alone. The first experience is really scary.
The road thing scares me but it’s good to share
A doctor told me to take one Ibuprophen as soon as I see the aura. It stops the spasms in the blood vessels in the brain. Since I started doing that, I rarely get the headache after the aura stops. If I do, it's very mild. I carry a supply in my purse and a bottle of water everywhere I go so I can take it quickly because it needs time to take affect before the aura ends and the headache would normally start. Hope this helps you.
Best video on auras and migraine I’ve ever seen. Thank you. 👍🏻
Thank you!
My aura is like a stained glass window with different color and shaped glass connected. I can't see much so i have to stop what I'm doing until it's over. It goes away after about 10 to 15 mins. I have no pain before, during or after. I also have an aura that is in the center of my site that's a round light where the outside of the roundness curves around like a lense closing. I also see squiggly lines. None of these cause pain, and I'm so glad because I used to have horrible migraines and sure don't want them anymore. I've been taking all the vitamines the commenter below mentioned and they do not help but I take them to build up my immune system since I am on steroids for severe asthma a lot. I've had these auras for many years. I have no trigger for the auras but when I used to have migraines stress was my trigger.
I used to occasionally get these 'auras'. No pain, no headache, no feeling weird, always peripheral not central. like a droplet of water on glasses, or the rainbow edge of a bevelled mirror, but vibrating, only lasted 5-10 mins. They stopped a couple of years ago, but I had one yesterday. I had been working hard moving some paving slabs, but this was 30 mins afterwards, sitting out in the sunshine.
Your description of a visual aura is perfect, that's usually how mine look as well.
I have been experiencing these ocular migrainse for a few years now. Sometimes it is many months between episodes and at other times a few in a couple of days. I experience an initial blind spot in the centre of my vision then a jagged colourful aura to the outside, usually followed by a mild headache. This morning I was meditating with my eyes closed ( so no stress) when all of sudden I detected the smallest jagged flash of colour which progressed into a 15 minuteevent. I have never been able to find a consistent pattern, though dehydration seemed to cause a strong episode recently.
Thanks for the the great video and other comments, it helps to know that other people are experiencing this.
I have this like you !!! Just today 2 in the same day .. and sometime its like 3 monts whit nothing and suddently 3 per monts 🥲🥲 sorry for my english im french
I have simular symptoms started few years back
@@kristinebilodeau3839 How often do you get them now? What treatment options did your Doc suggest?
@@apiscator444 How often do you get them now? What treatment options did your Doc suggest?
@@kristinebilodeau3839 How often are you getting auras now? Have you found out triggers and what are you doing to avoid the auras
This is the best video I’ve seen on auras. I got teary knowing others understand… I’ve been having problems with them for years, but more recently they happen after any physical activity. I’m very active and stay hydrated… my aura always starts small, C shape shattered/colorful glass, within 30 minutes it’s a full circle. The full circle stays for about 30 minutes then it goes away and I’m always dizzy/off… vertigo maybe?
Hi Dr. EyeGuy,
Thanks for your video. You have explained these headaches very well that I get from time to time. I find that meditating at the beginning when the blind spot starts to happen can cut the whole process down. Just visualising the breath going in an out at a slow rate can help. All the comments I have read are a comfort just knowing that they are generally harmless.
I'm a 72-year-old male who has experienced ophthalmic migraines for nearly 50 years. I get the visual disturbances w/o a headache. Your explanation of onset and symptoms is almost identical to my experiences.
Here are a few things I might mention that you and your readers might find interesting:
1) 95% of the time, my migraines are preceded by a small scotoma near the central visual field. That's usually the tip off that a migraine is starting. That little blind spot then quickly morphs into a small scintillation that-as you described-grows into a crescent shape and eventually expands into the periphery of my visual field and after about 30 minutes slips off the edge into the vast neural bitbucket.
2) Over the years, I've had three occasions during which the migraine started in a dream, e.g., in the dream I see scintillation and think, "Oh, I'm having a migraine in this dream!" only to wake to discover, I'm indeed in the midst of an aura. [A perfect indication that the visual disturbances do not occur in the eye but rather somewhere in the brain.]
3) I've had one instance-about 30 years ago-when I had two consecutive, visual migraines. The 2nd one started a few minutes after the symptoms of the first migraine had resolved. Needless to say, that was quite unsettling.
4) When my migraines first started up in the early '70s, I'd have about 3 or 4 migraines a year. Now, during the past 10-15 years, I'll have a migraine every two weeks. Each time lasting only 30-40 minutes.
5) The initial scotoma is quite an interesting phenomenon. Whereas a temporary blind spot-for instance the afterimage of a flashbulb-is experienced as a blank area in the visual field (like a redacted portion of text,) the scotomae I've experienced are a complete absence of visual information as though whatever SHOULD be in that area does not even exist. It's not a blanked-out spot, it's simply a complete absence of the object. I've noticed this very subtle aspect of these blind spots in that many times when they first occur (signaling the beginning of a migraine), I don't really see any missing visual data, but I'm aware that something is amiss with my vision. Then within minutes, the first discernable scotoma is detected.
Reading these comments, I can see we visual migraine experiencers are in good company-so many insightful observations (no pun intended!)
I’ve had exactly the same experiences as you!!
@@gckkramer You know, George, such esoteric symptoms only afflict "highly intelligent" folks. Ha ha!
I have had a number of occasions where I will get the auras back to back. As many as 3 in a row. I too have had them on many occasions starting in my sleep and am aware that I am having one, I know then it’s going to be a long and confusing day.
Well said. I remember dreaming once that my brain was sliced in two and both sides were at opposite ends of my pillow! For me, waking up to a migraine was certainly more excruciating. The only bright side was sleeping through the aura.
Excellent description and exactly how I would describe this phenomenon …..and “Spot on”, As we say here in the U.K. !
Very well explained! Best video yet! I get these visual migraines every so often without headaches. I found that lack of sleep brings mine on. But sometimes they cause a little anxiety and it makes them a little worse. But nicely done doc! Thank you for your time.
Thank you for the awesome comment! I put a lot of work into it, so it means a lot to me when I hear this. Thank you!
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ruclips.net/video/pZpPLEvnBt0/видео.html
Thank you for the clearest description of Visual Auras I've seen. I get these at really random intervals - once I got them in successive days, but often years pass between them. I haven't had one in a while thankfully. I never got a headache with my Aura, but when I was younger I used to get migraines (or migraine - like headaches) - without auras! Oddly those migraines seemed to occur at low stress times - eg holidays...weird! My aura starts with a fuzzy spot like you looked into a too bright sun. This develops into a shimmering ring which expands into a large crescent. I seem to recall seeing blue & yellow triangles in the shimmering ring! I noticed that I could still see the aura with my eyes closed, so I guessed it wasn't anything to do with actual vision. Still its not a huge problem for me. Thanks again.
Excellent description. My visual Aura is a bright jagged curved line that grows and disappears as it reaches the edge of my vision. I then have a slight mussy head for a while.
You have explained what I have been seeing to a T. Tried to explain it to my husband but he thought I was making it up. The kaleidoscope colors were happening a little while before the migraine would hit. Thank you so much for letting me know what I was experiencing was real. Sometimes the aurora comes during the day and the next morning the migraine wakes me up. Stress tension seem to be the culprit for me.
That was my hope for this video. For those people that experience these, they could then help other understand what they were going through.
I imagine you have a lot of stress being married to a man who doesn't believe you.
Hi - I’ve had migraines since I was ten years old running around at school - always with aura which was only seeing half the point of vision - half a face or clock etc. I had very bad headaches, nausea and it was three days before I felt better - weak and washed out. they ruined my life because I was always frightened of one starting. Had up to 12 a year. Now I have retired and thankfully they have lessened. Only one or two a year but the last two were different. With the last one, I had a brain scan at hospital because they thought I may be having a stroke but it was clear thank goodness. Unbelievably I had seven lots of auras in the space of four hours, each lasting about half an hour - I was taken to A & E. The most frightening thing Ive ever had. My auras start when I realise I can’t see what I’m looking at - a whirly nothing at my point of vision - can’t tell the time or use my mobile because I can’t see the numbers I’m looking at. Then a bright flashing crescent starts in one corner of my vision and slowly spreads around the whole field. My heart pounds and I feel sick and frightened because I can’t see. It lasts about 25 minutes as the pounding on one side of my head starts. I am not exaggerating I promise you. At the stroke clinic I had to attend the next day they said it was a very rare experience - a Crescendo Migraine - I had never heard of it. I dread the next one but I haven’t had one for almost a year. Maybe the last one was the finale! I certainly hope so.
The doctor told me to take one Ibuprophen as soon as I see the aura. It stops the spasms in the blood vessels in the brain. Since I started doing that, I rarely get the headache afterwards. If I do, it's very mild. I carry a supply in my purse and a bottle of water everywhere I go because it needs time to take affect before the headache starts. Hope this helps you.
Excellent video! The first time I experienced one it was very scary. Mine are visible with my eyes open or shut confirming it is not a normal visual issue. Mine usually begin as an arc of zigzag lines like a kaleidoscope near the center of my eye and slowly expand into a larger zigzag until it is no longer in view. I have found dehydration as my primary trigger and drinking a bottle of water can help it dissipate quicker and prevent them in the first place. I never get a headache. They are scary and thank you for making this video.
This video is the best explanation of what I have occasionally had over the last two years. No headache, black and white, what I describe as a shimmering effect. The affected area comes back as the C-shape grows and eventually goes past the edge of my vision roughly 15 minutes after start. Yes, I feel a bit “blah” afterwards. Sometimes it happens after looking at a computer screen for awhile, but it has also happened while I’m sitting and eating lunch or just standing and talking to someone.
@@J-Ball They started for me a few years ago, when I was about 56. I can go for several weeks to a few months before one happens.
@@J-Ball It would be good to understand why they started happening. At least the actual migraine headache doesn’t occur to me.
Good info. I'm one of the lucky ones that hasn't had an aura or migraine. 🙌
You are lucky!
Thank you for a good description of this condition.
My migraine aura seems to be triggered when I'm concentrating on looking at a bright object then look at something darker, or vice versa. Typically it lasts 10 to 20 minutes. The effect is like a crack in a glass that flickers.
@iainwright621 - how often do you get this? What treatment options are you doing
I am from Bhopal and I am facing maigren with aura problem please send me good dr name in India for aura
@@anjalisharma-dv8ol How often are you getting auras now? Have you found out triggers and what are you doing to avoid the auras
@@RG....... I am avoid too much brightness, I am doing yoga daily and take medicine, my aura is control now but migren headache is too much High
Where are you from
@@anjalisharma-dv8ol I am from Mumbai - so you visited a neuro doctor? Did he understand the aura problem, what medicine did he give you? How many times in a month do you get aura
I presented to an optometrist with all these symptoms described in the vid, with the zigzag crescent and visual occlusion, they did a full check up but didn’t have a clue about ocular migraine. Thank you for this vid.
First time I had one thought I was seeing things !! Hit me during the menopause luckily nowadays the episodes are rare
Thanks for video I appreciate 👍
I had both with & without migraine and usually TV set mine off
I encourage people to keep a migraine journal. Track, what you were doing, how you were feeling and what you had to eat for the 6 hours preceding your migraine. You'll be able to pinpoint your triggers. Once you figure out your triggers you can avoid them and also figure out what works to treat the migraine. I find staying hydrated to be extremely helpful.
Great idea on the journal tracking. I will start that. Thank you 🤍🤍🤍
I've had this condition for 44 years. It started when I was 15 years old. I was at work and I told my boss that I needed to go home because I was going blind. He rolled his eyes. I went to my truck and realized that I couldn't drive, so I called my mother to come pick me up. We went to a doctor and I spent the next 3 days in bed sleeping because of the severe headache and was given codeine. That was the worst episode and it occurs 2 to 4 times a year. I stopped being bedridden by this by the time I was 20 years old and the Army medics in Korea also rolled their eyes when I told them what was happening and needed permission to stay in the barracks for a day or two. My auras start as a blind spot with a flickering edge that grows. As it grows, I can start to see inside the flickering edged circle. It grows out to my entire field of view. I experience slight nausea during the 30 minute aura.
Sometime in my early 20s, I learned that I could take 500mg to 1000mg of Tylenol while I had the aura which prevented the headache after the aura went away. The headaches always started after the aura went away. The aura lasted for about 30 minutes, so over the years, I always kept a bottle of Tylenol with me because I never figured out what triggered these episodes.
I'm 59 years old and and still get the aura about 2 to 4 times a year, but have mild to no headaches anymore.
Great talk about what i see during the start of a migraine
Wow! What a great video! Thank you so much for the explanation along with the visual representation of the auras!! Where where you 50 years ago when this started with me?! LOL Not one doctor has ever explained this condition this well. Bravo!
Thank you for saying that!
I started getting zig-zag rainbow coloured patterns around my eyes without headaches when I was in my mid-20's. It started off as a dot of some kind that interfered with my vision for a few minutes. Soon after, I would get these patterns around one eye that would just get bigger and bigger. They last for exactly 20 minutes each time. I can set my clock on that. Then I didn't have them for many years -- about 30 years, but they have started up again. They don't bother me at all. I don't get pain with them and I have fun looking at the clock to see when they will end. I am always amazed that they last for exactly 20 minutes.
I'm just having one right now. Everything you described in this video, that's how I feel when I get migraine aura.....with headache afterwards.
I think what triggered mine is caffeine and lack of sleep, and maybe stress.
That's some next level stuff right there...watching a video about migraine auras, while you have an aura. Thanks for commenting.
Did you stop drinking caffeine? I’m trying that now for mine.
The doctor told me to take one Ibuprophen as soon as I see the aura. It stops the spasms in the blood vessels in the brain. Since I started doing that, I rarely get the headache afterwards. If I do, it's very mild. I carry a supply in my purse and a bottle of water everywhere I go because it needs time to take affect before the headache starts. Hope this helps you. Also, if you got the aura while watching the video, you might consider avoiding flashing lights of any kind. That can definitely be a trigger.
I've had 5 episodes in the last 2 weeks. My first one was 60 yrs ago in a high school class. I watched your video, visited the Mayo Clinic and Amer Optometry Assn websites and contacted my dr. I don't know what my triggers are, but will follow you suggestions from your video. No headaches, no hyperventilation, no nausea. Just a zigzag half circle in the left eye that starts as a foggy shimmer in the middle of my left eye. It goes away in about 20-30 min. No lingering issues. Thanks for the great video.
How often do your get them now? What did your Doc suggest regarding treatment? Did you do any head scans in these years?
Have experienced scintillating scotomas w/o migraine many times, as well as double vision and even metamorphosia in which my field of vision briefly flipped upside down (only once, thank God, because it was terrifying.)
I have suffered from migraine for 30 years. My mother used to have severe migraines, thankfully mine are not as severe.
About 2 years ago I had a visual aura for the first time. I didn't know what that was and it scared me. A half ring of colorful neon lights floated in my vision. They faded away after about 20-30 minutes.
I have them only rarely though and so far never had headaches afterwards.
My trigger was every time too much screen time!
The animation of the auras that are exactly like mine is emotionally triggering , but the content was extremely validating. Thank you for explaining the science behind it, even though we don't know why. I don't know anyone else in my life who has the visual auras.
I think my triggers are stress and anxiety and maybe seasonal changes, I've had them more often in the fall (I live in the northern midwest). Also like you explained in the video, I get painless, visual symptoms for 30 minutes. Visual symptoms start with small gray spots and gradually grow and the colored zigzags appear around the gray spot. After the 30 minutes, the visual go away and about half the time (I've probably had 20 of these migraines in the 8 years since my first one) have resulted in very painful headaches where I need to go to a dark, quiet place for a few hours and then feel weird and sensitive for a day after it.
Thank you for sharing! Hopefully the visuals weren't too triggering.
Take one Ibuprophen as soon as you see the aura. It stops the spasms in the blood vessels in the brain. Since the doctor told me and I started doing that, I rarely get the headache afterwards. If I do, it's very mild.
What is different in your fall diet Emily?
My symptoms are just like yours, and I have identified triggers - one of them being ASPARAGUS! I've never seen anyone mention this as a trigger but my wife would buy and cook organic asparagus on a Thursday after shopping when it first came into season. It was only on the third week of the second year it I experienced the auras+ that we cottoned on. I stopped eating it, & stopped getting the auras (till later years when I became sensitive to other things).
Thank you - it feels so much better knowing now what I experienced, which was triggered by a panic attack/ anxiety from smoking weed. My vision basically disappeared for a couple of minutes. I didn't have a headache at all, although my mom used to get them. But knowing that this is more common makes me feel much better.
Fantastic video, thank you 😊 I am actually sitting in a darkened room at present trying to recover from a migraine (I know, I shouldn’t be looking at RUclips!) I’m 73 now and have had awful migraines since I was 17….sometimes they last several days and seem to move from one temple to the other. When I was younger I used to be very sick too . My auras are like colourful fireworks, circular and kind of exploding, and often there’s a background that looks like greeting card glitter. Main obvious causes are stress, hunger, thirst and lack of sleep…..it only takes a slight imbalance to set one off.
I get these pretty much every day. I have had Severe migraines for 30 years. The aura started about 4 years ago (in one eye) both the neurologist and opthimologist both say the visual issues are because of years of migraines.
How often are you getting auras now? Have you found out triggers and what are you doing to avoid the auras
I'll start by saying that after all of the videos I've found on this subject, this one nails my symptoms perfectly. I could not describe a more precise explanation for what I see.
I have documented every episode of mine for the last 12 years, tried many changes in diet, lifestyle, and things to make them pass once they've started and if I've learned anything, it is that no single thing seems to matter. I've increased hydration, eaten less salt, less fat, less calories, less alcohol, and have yet to discover any causal relationship. Once they start, I've tried OTC pain relievers of all types, closing my eyes, resting, drinking copious amounts of water, and nothing is any better than doing nothing at all.
If there's anything good to say about having had so many of these, it's that I've noticed the pain element seems to have lessened greatly recently, to the point where I barely feel any headache at all anymore. The last 8 I've described as 'mild to no pain', the colorful aura that interferes with my line-of-sight being the main issue.
Perhaps it is related to some change in my lifestyle, but learning to cope with it instead of fighting it is what works for me.
Finally, I really like the explanation that it happens in the brain, possibly from brain cells losing their polarization or an issue with blood flow, causing it to radiate around the visual cortex over time. Fascinating! I just wish we could know for certain!
Thank you for this awesome comment! And thank you for the kind words... it really is comments like this that make me want to keep making videos.
My experience is exactly like yours! I have documented them all to look for patterns and there is no consistent thing that causes it. I try to avoid trigger foods such as msg. I noticed when I have neck tension it could be a trigger. One month I had 7 and I was so confused why. I started acupuncture and I’ve only had 1 in two months. It worked for me!
I've suffered aura migraine without the pain since my 30s luckily it only lasts about 30 minutes then gone but it scared the heck out of me when it first happened.
Great video very informative… Thanks for posting
Been getting the auras for 45 years, usually, black and white jagged, geometric, starting as a tiny circle enlarging into a "C" shape. They are always followed by a headache. Lately been getting more auras and less migraines. I take 200 mg Topamax, 20 propranolol and emgality shots.
I didnt know auras were colored for some people.
I get the arc shaped colorful aura without a horrible headache. The length of the aura is usually 20 -30 minutes. It usually makes me feel anxious, not sure if that’s from the aura or my reaction to the aura. During most auras I can’t think of some words and at least once I’ve had tingling in my hands. The weird feeling can last for several days or weeks but I’ve always gotten through it and am thankful not to have the strong painful headache although I do have some pain. Triggers can be caused by very hot and sunny weather or barometric changes and probably other things I don’t know about. Your explanations are spot on, of course you experience them so you know first hand. Thanks for the video.
And thank you for sharing your experience.
@@DrEyeGuy Is mri scan required for this DOC to rule out a brain problem? Have been getting these regularly without headache since a few years, same pattern, lasting 20 minutes
This video is a trigger!!! Those simulations were getting me, causing fear. Haven't had a migraine in several years but man this video had me worried 😫 had to look away
Thank you for helping me to understand why and how the auras occur!!!
I’ve only had one migraine that had visual auras 30 mins before it hit. It looked like the water rippling in my peripheral vision on both sides. Since then I’ve experienced a few ocular migraines where I see what looks like broken glass dancing in front of me.
Here is my experience with migraines:
I am 74 and I've had migraines since I was 9. I have a family history of them. Mine begin with a sensitivity to light and sound and then I get an aura which starts as a bright spot that partially blocks my vision. As soon as this appears I start to get a frontal "brain freeze" headache which grows in intensity, as the aura-sometimes C-shaped in the beginning-spreads across my vision, always from left to right. At the height of this phase the aura covers my whole vision, blocking out large sections with kaleidoscopic moving bright lines with colored edges. At this point the frontal headache is at it's most intense, and has even had me in an emergency room on one occasion. As the aura fades to my right side, usually after about 30 minutes, the frontal headache is gradually replaced by a base of the neck headache that is equally intense but different. This phase has me nauseated and extremely sensitive to light and sound. I usually have to seek out a dark room to cut down on sensory stimulation. The bulk of the headache will pass in around 12 hours, but the nausea, sensitivity along with a feeling of being washed out will linger to the day after.
How bad do they get? I have told my family/friends that at their height, I would never wish these on anyone-even on my enemies. The severe "brain freeze" headache is completely debilitating pain that you cannot escape. That, accompanied by the sensitivities and the loss of vision can be overwhelming. Once, when I was 20 and my migraines were at their most severe, I was admitted to an E.R and was administered a drug to knock me out. Whatever I was given, it shortened the migraine considerably. Afterwards I was prescribed Cafergot which I was told to take as soon as they start.
I would get these migraines maybe once or twice a year in my teens/early 20's but as I aged into my 30's, they became less frequent and seem to stop for several decades-that is, until a couple of years ago. Now I will very occasionally get the start of the aura part but it does not progress and lasts maybe 10 minutes or so. So far I've had no accompanying headaches or light/sound sensitivity or nausea. I have never discovered a trigger as they appear random.
Thanks for your video. I wish that I could have shown this to me, at 9, when I when I went through my first migraine. Hopefully someone who has just experienced this for the first time will benefit from your video.
Very thorough explanation of the visual aura. You answered all my questions.
Thank you!
Thank you for the demo screen of visual migraine!
Thank you for this video!
I had my first migraine with aura yesterday. I ended up in the ER… I was convinced i had a stroke. The performed an MRI and it came back clear. I feel a little embarrassed that I had to cause such a fuss, but I was very scared since I’d never experienced anything like that before. My aura started as a short curved iridescent line on the right sight of my periphery. It went away after about ten minutes. I didn’t think much of it and went about my day. About an hour later it hit my whole field of vision and made everything blurry. Later it felt like I was walking under an arch of shiny zig zag lines. It would have been beautiful if if wasn’t so scary.
Don't feel embarrassed at all. I worked in the ER for 7 years, and a first migraine is a scary thing. Lots of people are convinced it's a stroke or brain tumor when it happens. Do yourself a favor. Keep a journal. When you have a migraine list all if your activities, how yoy were feeling, and everything you ate in the hours before a migraine. After you've had a few headaches, you'll be able to learn what your triggers are. For me, stress, lack of sleep, strong fragrances especially perfume are triggers. Also try to figure out what treatments work well. A dark, quiet space to relax is helpful, sucking ice chips, an ice pack properly placed on the head are a big help. I'm lucky. Over the counter meds work best for me.
Don’t feel embarrassed! ❤ my first aura I called for an ambulance, I never heard of an aura before so I didn’t know what it was. I thought I was having a stroke or going blind, I was hyperventilating and crying when the paramedics arrived. I had blind spots, zig zags and tunnel vision. It was so scary! Especially when you don’t know what it is and it suddenly happens for the first time. At ED they did an MRI and confirmed it was a migraine aura. I had no idea migraines could sometimes come with an aura until this happened!
@-ina-7914 How often do you get them now? What treatment options did your Doc suggest?
@@markrichards6863 How often do you get them now? What treatment options did your Doc suggest? Is a brain scan required for this?
@@Tahliattv How often do you get them now? What treatment options did your Doc suggest?
my first one was very scary as it went from geometric patterns to total white blindness in both eyes. That never happened again fortionately. I can feel them coming on. Sometimes the pattern moves straight thru from one eye to the other. Never a headache.
I can also often tell when an aura is about to happen, I feel very strange in the moments before it appears. I also, occasionally partially lose my vision altogether following this but mine is grey rather than white. It is as if someone is holding a piece of card across my eyes and I can only see what is above it or to the side, depending on where it is. I was terrified when this first happened and went to my optician thinking I was losing my sight but he was very quick to diagnose me. I never have pain with it and count myself very fortunate as my mother used to spend most of an entire day in a dark room with hers.
@@bojo88 i was over 50 when i had the first one. My sister started getting them too.
Fascinating! Thank you. ✨
Your channel is very informative! I think it is so ideal that you are an eye doctor who has personally experienced Ocular migraines and that you have the ability to analyze your symptoms!!
I remember the first time I had one it seemed to coincide to new led light bulbs the shop owner installed the night before. Yet, simultaneously there was something else was brewing in that shop up in the ceiling. There was moisture intrusion and black mold in the storage room. I am like a meter when it comes to being exposed to mold or mildew, my body will react. So there are actually two distinct triggers that I experience symptoms with my vision.
Back to the first occurrence, I had no idea what was happening to me and I asked to go home. I feared that I was about to have a stroke or this was a sign of a brain tumor or something very wrong in my brain or I that was maybe getting a torn retina. His niece ended up having severe headaches the following days, that's when they figured it out it was the light bulbs triggering these symptoms. Though for me, trying to explain it to a doctor, I was hesitant assuming they would think I was some kind of crazy person than imagining these symptoms because I tried to draw as well. It was like a photograph of whatever I was seeing, yet as if it was torn in many pieces and then placed back together but unevenly (puzzle-like). How fortunate your patient's are to have you understand any oddities and know you are passionate about causes and remedies 🧐
I also can pretty much know what to expect these days is it typically goes almost blinding bright white and like you said about 15 minutes ( not longer) , I have to step away from any work or whatever I'm doing and just ride it out.
Thanks for freely sharing and educating!
Always surprises me when something common like this can still have unknown answers as to why.
Right?! I think there are best guesses as to why. But what's tricky is that it's different from person to person.
We don't even know how anesthesia works!
I had my first ocular migraine waiting for my physician to come into the exam room. When I described it to him (central field of vision blur which morphed into a circular lightning bolt pattern. This grew larger until it disappeared). He labeled it as a ocular migraine which should be gone within 20 minutes. (It was.) They're happening more frequently from every six months, to every week as well as twice in one day recently. My opthalmologist finds nothing wrong with the retina and will keep an eye on it with an annual exam. I also experience that feeling of being "off" afterward. Dr. EyeGuy, thanks for your video. Very helpful.
And thank you for sharing your experience. In a way that's good that you had your first episode while in the physicians office. Have you found anything that triggers them?
@@DrEyeGuy , there's no rhyme or reason. I'm having other sensory / neurological things happen too. Here's hoping my brain holds out for a long time to come.
My first one just happened waiting for my physician to come into the exam room. It was the zigzaggy lightening bolt type in only my right eye. It disappeared before he came in so I didn't mention it. I think the stress of the visit triggered it.
My aura looks like stained glass. In a crescent, snake shape. The colors are red, yellow and blue. Looks very psychedelic. First time scared the holy hell out of me.