Auras: Signals That a Migraine is Coming

If you have experienced a migraine, it may have felt like the migraine is one long pain. However, many do not know that a migraine is actually a series of five distinct stages. The first phase, the prodomal phase, usually lasts for up to two days. The second phase is the aura phase and it typically lasts for about an hour. The third phase is the headache phase and this usually lasts anywhere between four hours to up to three days. Then there is the resolution of migraine and recovery period, which can last up to two days. Finally, the last stage is the migraine interval phase. This is the time between the end of the resolution phase and the beginning of the next prodomal phase.

In this article, we will focus on the second phase, which is the aura phase. In general, around 25% of people who suffer from migraine are able to tell that a migraine is about to happen. This is the aura phase, which normally develops in five to twenty minutes and then lasts for approximately an hour.

People who are about to have a migraine attack often begin to yawn and have hunger and thirst pangs. In addition, they may become aware of a distinctive odor. Their sense of touch may become distorted and they may have a hard time speaking and moving..

In most cases, though, an aura is visual. People who are about to have a migraine attack may start seeing flashing or dazzling lights. Their vision may become distorted; objects and people will appear to be split or have jagged edges. They may also start seeing black spots and have blurred vision. Those who experience the aura phase say that it felt like they were looking through snow, seeing a distorted glass mosaic or seeing static on a TV. While auras may be the same for many people, some people report that their auras can be different at times.

Some migraine sufferers find the whole aura experience scary, disorientating and disturbing. Others feel that the experience was intensely creative. Still, some migraine sufferers experience hallucinatory auras, with people describing seeing a range of "visions" including animals, beings that looked human but not quite, psychic visions, and mystical and magical experiences.

Surprisingly enough, many of the famous people were migraine sufferers and have likely experienced auras. Famous migraine sufferers include Elvis Presley, Whoopi Goldberg, Princess Margaret, late sister of Queen Elizabeth II, "Alice in Wonderland" creator Lewis Carroll, Miguel de Cervantes, Emily Dickinson, Sigmund Freud and Friedrich Nietzsche. Some speculate that Vincent Van Gogh, Georges Seurat and Pablo Picasso were migraine sufferers too.

If you often experience auras, you can minimize or prevent the onset of migraine by staying in a dark room. Soluble painkillers and medications that have buclizine also work. However, if over-the-counter medications do not seem to alleviate your auras, it is best that you pay your doctor a visit.

For more help on the prevention, treatment and remedies for migraines please see the Complete Guide To Migraine Headaches.