Migraine with aura is a condition where a person experiences a variety of visual sensations that accompany the pain of migraine attack or in some cases these visual sensation precede the attack. These visual sensations are very disturbing and consist of flashes of light, blinding spots or zigzag patterns of light. Numbness, tingling in body parts or speech problems can also occur in migraine with aura. It is believed electrical or chemical waves movies across the part of brain that processes visual signals, hence, causing visual aura.
Migraine is a common headache disorder in women. It affects approximately 18 percent of females, while, one-third of this amount experience migraine with aura. The link between migraines and strokes, especially in females, has been studied in past and this specific type of migraine, i.e. migraine with aura, has previously been linked to strokes.
It is not clearly understood but it is seen that people who have migraine with aura are at a slightly higher risk of stroke, and particularly women with migraines have a higher risk of stroke, as compared to men. If a women has high blood pressure and she also smokes the risk increases further. Also, women above 45 have even higher risks.
This recent study analyzed a large group of women, to know if there was any association between migraine and forecast of a stroke following it. The sample size of study was based on 27,852 women of 45 years or older. Initially their medical history was taken through questionnaires. This was followed by yearly questionnaires to note occurrences of stroke, as well as, recovery and the relation of strokes to migraine with aura were also analyzed. The study was prolonged on a span of 13.5 years.
The study showed the women who had migraine without aura did not have a considerably increased risk of mini-strokes or strokes, while, the risk was 1.5-1.6 times greater in those who had migraine with aura. The outcomes after stroke were noticed to be not affected by migraine.
There are certain shortcomings in the study. It is a questionnaire based study, hence, occurrence of a wrong estimation about migraine with aura or wrong reporting cannot be ruled out. The study also doesn’t assess the effect of other risk factors, blood clotting, medication and side effect as well as duration of the headache.
If you are experiencing the signs and symptoms of migraine with aura, see your doctor immediately. The serious condition like stroke can be ruled out and once these conditions are ruled out, migraine with aura cannot be a potential sign of serious conditions, anymore. Also, migraine with aura is itself treatable.
