A typical evening for influencer and entrepreneur Violeta Mangriñán turned into a real nightmare, leaving her genuinely fearful for her life. As she was climbing the stairs in her home, she suddenly realized that she had lost vision in her right eye. Almost immediately after, she was struck by a headache so intense, she said it was impossible to put into words. The situation grew worse as she experienced nausea and vomiting brought on by unbearable pain, and every attempt to open her eyes only led to more agony due to an acute sensitivity to light. Terrified, she was convinced that something irreparable was happening to her. A photograph from her hospital room, where she was lying under an IV drip, vividly illustrated the seriousness of her condition.
After an examination, doctors diagnosed her with migraine with aura. This verdict came as a complete surprise to her. The following day, Violeta took things as easy as possible, cancelling all her plans to recover from a sleepless night and the stress she had endured. After taking her prescribed medication, she started feeling much better. She was struck by how many of her followers responded to her story, sharing their own experiences battling similar attacks. It turned out she was not alone in her struggle.
So what exactly is this condition? Neurology experts explain that migraine is a common and highly debilitating disorder affecting around 13% of the population. Patients are typically divided into two groups: those whose migraines occur with aura, and those without. Approximately 30% of migraine sufferers fall into the first category. In addition to severe pain, their attacks are accompanied by various neurological symptoms. Most often these are visual disturbances—blurred vision, bright flashes, or moving lights. However, aura can also manifest as sensory disruptions or even speech difficulties. Usually, these symptoms appear shortly before the headache begins and last no more than an hour. The underlying cause is a temporary disruption in the function of neurons in specific areas of the cerebral cortex.
The approach to treating migraine with aura has its own specifics. Doctors note that there is no medication capable of stopping an aura once it has started. Therefore, therapy is mainly aimed at prevention. Patients who experience frequent or prolonged attacks may be prescribed continual preventive medication to reduce their frequency. In addition, people with this diagnosis need to pay increased attention to their overall health. It is believed they are at higher risk for vascular diseases. They are strongly advised to strictly monitor factors such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and to quit smoking. Women should also avoid oral contraceptives, as these can further increase vascular risks.
As with regular migraines, aura episodes can be triggered by certain factors. The most common triggers include disruptions to the daily routine, lack or excess of sleep, and exposure to bright light. One of the main concerns patients experience during their first episode is the fear of having a stroke. Neurologists reassure that the key difference between aura and stroke is the gradual onset of symptoms. They do not occur all at once, but rather develop smoothly, one after another. It usually begins with visual disturbances that intensify over time and may be accompanied by sensations such as tingling or numbness on one side of the body. Visual effects rarely appear as simple vision loss; more often, people describe bright lines, zigzags, and shimmering spots.
Diagnosis of this condition is based on clinical presentation and well-established criteria. If aura episodes are typical and recur without change, additional tests are usually not needed. In uncertain cases, magnetic resonance imaging of the brain may be prescribed to rule out other pathologies. Although aura itself does not pose a direct threat, it can significantly reduce quality of life, rendering a person temporarily unable to work, interfering with vision, speech comprehension, or speaking. Therefore, timely medical consultation and correct therapy selection are crucial.
