Q Before a migraine I see flashing lights and my hands and feet tingle. Is this migraine with aura?
A Yes. Typical visual aura (lights, zigzag patterns, blind spots) and sensory aura (tingling in the hands and feet) are hallmark symptoms of migraine with aura. The aura usually lasts 5 to 60 minutes and is followed by the headache.
Detailed Answer
An aura is a temporary neurological symptom that occurs when a wave of neuronal excitation spreads across the cerebral cortex. Visual aura (flashes, blind spots, zigzag lights) is the most common, and one-sided sensory changes or speech difficulty may accompany it. By ICHD-3 criteria, an aura lasts 5 to 60 minutes, is fully reversible, and when it appears before or during the headache it is diagnosed as migraine with aura.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
At Dongjedang we view aura symptoms as the heat of Ascending Liver Yang rising upward and causing temporary disturbance to brain function. The moment you feel an aura, applying acupressure to the Baekhoe (GV20) and Taeyang (EX-HN5) points for 1 to 2 minutes can help reduce the intensity of the attack. When the Liver's heat is steadily lowered over time with brain-clearing herbal medicine, the occurrence of aura itself often decreases.
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