Migraine aura: Am I having a stroke? Or am I going blind?
Migraine aura: Am I having a stroke? Or am I going blind?
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In this video, I explain what a migraine aura is, and how to differentiate it from other more sinister conditions like a stroke or retinal detachment which may cause blindness, and when you should seek medical help.
Content
0.48 -> hello this is Dr Dean today we'll
3.36 -> address a very alarming but quite common
6.24 -> visual phenomenon migraine aura
9.84 -> have you ever seen dancing zigzag lines
12.36 -> in your vision or shimmering flashing
14.7 -> lights
15.66 -> if yes you may have a migraine Aura is
19.44 -> it dangerous what should you do when
22.38 -> should you be concerned
23.939 -> please keep watching the video
27.27 -> [Music]
36.559 -> thank you
39.18 -> Steve was at home just relaxing after
41.579 -> day's work all of a sudden he started
44.219 -> seeing flashing zigzag lines his vision
47.1 -> became blurry the zigzag lines and
49.68 -> blurry vision went away eventually after
51.84 -> half an hour and he could see his flower
53.82 -> of ass again
56.52 -> he remembered having something like this
58.26 -> 20 years ago feeling very anxious he
61.379 -> thought he was having a stroke and went
63.48 -> to the emergency room
65.339 -> head CT and I ultrasound were done
67.799 -> nothing was abnormal he was told to see
70.979 -> an eye doctor
72.38 -> so now he's in my office since he was
75.96 -> concerned about the stroke I asked him
78 -> whether he had diabetes or high blood
79.979 -> pressure he denied these but he did have
83.159 -> high cholesterol which was well
85.02 -> controlled with medication he also
87.479 -> denied having headaches or any other
89.52 -> stroke symptoms
90.67 -> [Music]
92.34 -> next I examined his eyes carefully and
95.52 -> to their normal notably both eyes have
98.64 -> healthy and intact retinas
102.36 -> so the diagnosis of his condition is
104.82 -> migraine Aura without headache
107.939 -> the r is a condition where you see these
110.579 -> flashing things moving in Your Vision
112.579 -> starting in the center and gradually
115.5 -> moving out to the side such as depicted
118.68 -> in this Mayo Clinic video
120.96 -> this visual phenomenon usually
122.759 -> disappears within 5 to 16 minutes
125.78 -> typically around 20 minutes
128.58 -> you may or may not have a headache
130.2 -> during or after the aura if you have a
133.14 -> headache it may last from 4 to 72 hours
136.8 -> you may become very sensitive to light
138.9 -> and sound and may have nausea as well
142.56 -> so what causes a migraine Aura it is not
145.92 -> completely clear at this moment the
148.26 -> current understanding is that it's an
150.54 -> illusion produced by the brain
153.18 -> by a process called cortical spreading
156.3 -> depression in which the electric signal
159.78 -> of the brain goes awry
162.36 -> how do you treat migrain aura
164.58 -> if you don't have any headache there is
166.98 -> no treatment necessary
168.599 -> for the aura itself as it goes away
171.3 -> within an hour
173.04 -> if you do have headache associated with
175.319 -> the aura a series of lifestyle
177.72 -> modifications can be made to treat
180 -> migraine including improving sleep
182.519 -> reduce stress regular meals and
185.7 -> exercises
187.14 -> you should also keep a headache diary to
189.42 -> find out potential triggers of your
191.22 -> migraine and try avoiding them
195 -> in addition a number of medication both
197.64 -> over the counter and by prescription can
200.459 -> be used to relieve the pain or to
202.739 -> prevent the pain from happening
205.019 -> please consult with your primary care
206.94 -> physician or a neurologist for treatment
209.4 -> advice
210.599 -> although migraine Aura is benign there
213.18 -> are situations where you should be
214.62 -> concerned and eye doctors in particular
216.959 -> would want to rule out eye problems that
219.3 -> can mimic the aura symptoms
221.7 -> one if you see the flashes only in one
224.76 -> eye whenever you see disturbing flashes
227.519 -> always close one eye at a time to see
230.28 -> what happens migraine Aura would happen
232.98 -> regardless of which eye you close in
235.92 -> fact both eyes will see the exact same
238.62 -> phenomenon in contrast if the retina of
242.58 -> one night is having a break or
244.26 -> Detachment you will see flashes of light
246.959 -> only in the eye that's affected
249.54 -> Find a uniform background like a wall to
252.299 -> see this more easily two if the things
255.06 -> you see are more of a negative
256.739 -> phenomenon meaning you're not seeing
259.26 -> flashes zigzag lines but rather you are
262.26 -> not seeing things vision is dark or
264.84 -> graying out either in one eye or in both
267.479 -> eyes
268.979 -> If you experience other symptoms such as
271.44 -> weakness or one side of the body not me
274.259 -> of tingling sensation difficulty
276.72 -> speaking or walking these are
279.06 -> stroke-like symptoms
280.88 -> 3. the hour lasts more than one hour or
284.34 -> the headache lasts more than 72 hours
286.46 -> this is not typical for a migraine and
289.5 -> you should see your primary care
290.699 -> physician a neurologist or an eye doctor
293.639 -> immediately
295.199 -> number four if this is the first episode
297.66 -> ever in your life you should go see a
300.12 -> doctor even if just to seek confirmation
302.699 -> and reassurance
304.919 -> I remember getting my first migraine
307.02 -> order about five years ago I was using a
309.84 -> high intensity lighter device and forgot
312.06 -> to cover my eyes for a second
315.3 -> um shortly after the exposure to the
316.919 -> bright light I started seeing bright
318.9 -> shimmering waves in my central vision
321.139 -> it's almost as if I were looking at
323.759 -> things underwater
325.38 -> it was quite disturbing because wherever
328.259 -> the wave was it was attracting my vision
331.139 -> for the real world
333.06 -> I did close each High separately and the
335.699 -> phenomenon was the same
337.74 -> slowly the waves started moving out of
340.08 -> my vision and after 20 minutes
342.419 -> everything returned to normal
345 -> even though I knew this was an aura
347.22 -> without headache I was supporting awe of
350.52 -> this hallucination and feel that I had
352.8 -> to lay down and reflect
355.199 -> I also felt an urge to tell everyone
357.78 -> what had just happened
360.24 -> so I have complete sympathy to every
362.52 -> patient who comes to see me and tells me
365.039 -> there are stories
367.139 -> back to my patient Steve he asked me a
369.9 -> question that I think maybe many people
371.46 -> also have 20 years ago he saw the zigzag
374.639 -> lines and went to see his eye doctor the
377.82 -> doctor told him to see his PCP if this
380.039 -> happens again now this happened a second
382.5 -> time unable to get a soon appointment
384.72 -> with his PCP he went to the Ed but was
388.38 -> told to see an eye doctor he's confused
391.02 -> which doctor should I go to
394.86 -> I would recommend first Contact to your
397.38 -> eye doctor or primary care doctor both
400.02 -> should be able to diagnose migraine Aura
402.24 -> versus a possible retinal problem
405.12 -> but your PCP will likely tell you to
407.88 -> check with an eye doctor to rule out
409.68 -> retinal pathology and your eye doctor
412.139 -> will likely ask you to follow up with
414.12 -> your PCP for migraines
417.36 -> when should you go to the emergency room
419.639 -> if your vision is dark and dim rather
422.16 -> than seeing the weird zigzag lines or if
425.28 -> your vision loss is persistent or if you
428.16 -> have the worst headache of your life as
430.44 -> well as other neurological symptoms that
432.66 -> I mentioned earlier such as weakness of
435.3 -> one side of the body Nami or tingling
438 -> Sensations difficulty speaking or
440.94 -> walking
443.099 -> so to recap migraine oral can be really
446.46 -> alarming especially if you see it for
448.56 -> the first time if your symptom fits well
450.84 -> with the typical migraine you're fine
452.88 -> however it is still recommended to get a
455.52 -> diagnosis from your PCP neurologist or
458.94 -> eye doctor for confirmation and
461.099 -> assurance
462.419 -> however sometimes the migrator may
466.08 -> actually be from a retinal disease some
468.3 -> brain conditions or a stroke if it feels
471.06 -> like a stroke go to the emergency room
472.919 -> right away
474.36 -> that's it for today thank you for
476.34 -> watching and see you next time
478.28 -> [Music]
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUsob2Qeevo