Migraine aura is temporary neurological symptoms occurring 20-60 minutes before migraine headache — comes and goes gradually.
Types of Aura:
- Visual (90%): Light flashes, zigzag lines, blind spots, blurred vision. Starts at a point and expands over 20 minutes.
- Sensory (30%): Numbness starting in fingers, climbing to arm and sometimes face and tongue.
- Speech (10%): Difficulty finding words or garbled speech.
- Motor (rare): Temporary weakness on one side — Hemiplegic migraine.
When It's Dangerous:
- Aura without headache: Especially over age 40 — needs evaluation to rule out stroke.
- First time: If you've never had aura before — see doctor to rule out other causes.
- Longer than one hour: May be complications (Migrainous infarction) — emergency.
- Motor weakness: Resembles stroke — needs immediate evaluation.
At BEIT TARIQ Center, we evaluate aura symptoms and rule out dangerous causes.