Micro Aura - What is it?
No... seriously: What is it? Is it migraine related? Is it eye strain?
Someone posted on a thread on Usenet's (link is to Google Groups) alt.support.headaches.migraine group about a situation where they were experiencing mild aura like symptoms, particularly in situations where the lighting was bad or when they were working on the computer. This has prompted me to talk about something that I've referred to as "micro aura" over the past year.
After my entrance into the world of frequent migraines, I started noticing that I would get these very short-lived auras. Primarily, they would be a small, pinhead sized either negative or scintillating scotoma (sometimes a combination of the two) in one eye-- primarily the left eye. These aura would not progress to the curved jagged "classic" scintillating scotoma, nor would they cause significant negative scotoma. Instead, they would simply stay there for anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. Most often, the aura would not be followed by a headache, and, in the cases that a headache did follow, it was relatively mild.
Like the Usenet poster mentioned, these either occurred or were most notable in "bad" lighting conditions. For me, the definition of bad lighting is either high contrast situations (bright monitor, dark room), or being surrounded by fluorescent lights. I most typically notice this aura when I am working on a computer hooked up to an LCD panel.
In addition to the visual aura, I sometimes experience an auditory aura. For me, this is manifested as a short sharp attack of tinnitus in one ear (again, typically the left). I get a sharp ringing sensation that quickly fades to nothing, though hearing in that ear might be degraded for a short amount of time.
Anyone else experience this? The worst part about it for me is that when it happens, I don't know if it is going to be simply micro aura, or if it is the precursor to a "banger."
-R
posted by Robaticus @ 9:39 PM
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I experience exactly what you describe. Sudden loud noises will do it too, making things sound muffled and giving a sudden increase in tinnitus.
My theory is that the underlying brain hypersensitivity has two properties: a strength, and a threshold. The standard aura you read about in books occurs in a brain that reacts very strongly, but also a high threshold. It does not get set off very often, but when it does the migraine attack is a real humdinger.
For folks like you and me, the strength is low, but the threshold is also very low. So we tend to get little light shows all the time with almost no provocation.
I read in a book about an aura-like event that happened to someone while they were in an MRI scanner. It swept slowly across the surface of the brain exactly like auras do, but the person felt nothing and did not get a headache. Who knows, it might even be fairly common in normal people, there just haven't been enough measured in scanners to catch it very often.
I get this too. actually, my aura is starting to change shape. it used to be zigzag lines, but now it's perfect circles that almost look like iridescent bubbles. when I first stared getting migraines, any aura would become a full-blown visual attack followed by a splitting migraine. but now (about 5 years since my first attack), I get mini visuals and usually just a slight pain if I over-exert myself. I also get auditory disturbances; more often that not it's one ear (my left) that stops hearing for a moment, or i get a phantom tugging pain near the cartilage. I guess I've gotten used to all this stuff, but the aura changing shape is what's really confusing me, as it just started to happen. Any one else seeing spheres instead of triangles?
I too have this problem and am sure it is a sensitivity to fluorescent light and high contrast of bright light in a dark area (eg bright light shining into a darker room through the window).
I have floating black dots in front of my eyes, numb face and mouth (sometimes feels as though I have a loose hair on my face, which I try to brush away) and feel hungry and nauseous all at the same time, when it gets bad.
I also have problems with saying words sometimes.
Having a v persistent one at the moment - entering week 5 so quite worn out by it.
Beta blockers helped in week 4 but bad side effects meant I had to stop them - so back to the Docs for further advice.
Any help & advice welcomed - will update with the Doc's advice once I have seen her.
Best of luck to all.
Debbie
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