aura
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n., pl., au·ras, or au·rae (ôr'ē).
- An invisible breath, emanation, or radiation.
- A distinctive but intangible quality that seems to surround a person or thing; atmosphere: An aura of defeat pervaded the candidate's headquarters.
- Pathology. A sensation, as of a cold breeze or a bright light, that precedes the onset of certain disorders, such as an epileptic seizure or an attack of migraine.
[Middle English, gentle breeze, from Latin, from Greek aurā, breath.]
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aura
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From the Greek meaning ‘breath’, the word aura is mostly used in the metaphorical sense of someone having simply ‘an aura’ about him or, more vividly, one of ‘wisdom’, ‘saintliness’, or ‘evil’. However, for those suffering migraine or epilepsy, an aura is no longer simply a metaphor relating to their perception of a person in the external world but now a disagreeable perceptual experience heralding an impending attack of their sick headache or convulsion (grand mal). In the case of migraine the aura is most commonly visual. The images do not relate to previous visual experience but can take the form of scintillating, wavy patterns of bright, silvery light that superimpose on the current visual image — but in contrast to the latter they persist when the eyes are closed.
In epilepsy the simplest form of aura may be an ill-defined feeling of uncertainty or nausea preceding a convulsion. This may be an expression of changes in the cardiovascular and digestive systems induced by the autonomic nervous system as an early aspect of the epileptiform activity within the brain. Undoubtedly the most remarkable ‘aura’ occurs in the particular type known as ‘temporal lobe epilepsy’. At its simplest the aura may take the form of a familiar odour, or more commonly a disagreeable or even disgusting one. At its most complex the aura can be a perceptually complete image of a person with no counterpart in the external world. Such an image is to be distinguished from one summoned voluntarily in the mind's eye, or from an illusion due to the brain's interpretation of conflicting visual stimuli from the external world. Instead, that of the aura is a remarkable product of the uncontrollable discharge of neurones associated with an epileptiform focus in the temporal lobe(s) of the brain, demonstrable in the recording of the electrical activity of the brain, and, when the severity of the condition demands, abolished by surgical removal of the offending lobe.
— Tom Sears
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aura
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aura
IN BRIEF: A psychic atmosphere that emanates from a person.
Linda's aura was full of goodness and light.
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A peculiar sensation preceding the appearance of more definite symptoms. It is a well-known phenomenon in humans and, on good clinical grounds, assumed to occur in animals, appearing as behavioral abnormalities.
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n
The brief period of heightened sensory activity that immediately precedes the onset of a seizure. It may be characterized by numbness, nausea, or unusual sensitivity to light, odor, or sound.
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categories related to 'aura'
- Aspects and Components of Appearance - aura: impression given off of one’s spiritual or emotional nature
- Occult States and Experiences - aura: luminous radiation surrounding object or individual
- New Age - aura: magnetic energy field; luminous quality radiating from a person
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Aura (symptom)
For other uses, see Aura (disambiguation).
| Migraine with aura (classical migraine) | |
|---|---|
| Classification and external resources | |
| ICD-10 | G43.1 |
| ICD-9 | 346.0 |
| Migraines |
|---|
|
An aura is a perceptual disturbance experienced by some migraine sufferers before a migraine headache, and the telltale sensation experienced by some people with epilepsy before a seizure. It often manifests as the perception of a strange light, an unpleasant smell or confusing thoughts or experiences. Some people experience aura without a subsequent migraine or seizure (see silent migraine).
When occurring, auras allow epileptics time to prevent injury to themselves and/or others. The time between the appearance of the aura and the migraine lasts from a few seconds up to an hour. The aura can stay with a migraine sufferer for the duration of the migraine, depending on the type of aura this can leave the person disoriented and confused. It is not uncommon for migraine sufferers to experience more than one type of aura during the migraine. Most people who have auras have the same type of aura every time.
Auras can also be confused with sudden onset of panic, panic attacks or anxiety attacks creating difficulties in diagnosis. The differential diagnosis of patients who experience symptoms of paresthesias, derealization, dizziness, chest pain, tremors, and palpitations can be quite challenging.[1]
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Examples
An aura sensation can include some or a combination of the following:
Visual changes
- Bright lights and blobs
- Zigzag lines
- Distortions in the size or shape of objects
- Vibrating visual field
- Scintillating scotoma
- Shimmering, pulsating patches, often curved
- Tunnel vision
- Scotoma
- Blind or dark spots in the field of vision
- Curtain-like effect over one eye
- Slowly spreading spots
- Kaleidoscope effects on visual field
- Total temporary monocular (in one eye) blindness (in retinal migraine)[2]
- Heightened sensitivity to light
Auditory changes
- Hearing voices or sounds that do not exist: true auditory hallucinations
- Modification of voices or sounds in the environment: buzzing, tremolo, amplitude modulation or other modulations
- Heightened sensitivity to hearing
- Someone speaking at a level and normal tone sounds like they are shouting loudly
Other sensations
- Strange smells (Phantosmia) or tastes (Gustatory hallucinations), or where food and drinks taste different than usual
- Heightened sensitivity to smell
- Feelings of déjà vu or confusion
- Feelings of numbness or tingling on one side of the face or body
- Feeling separated from one's body
- Feeling as if the limbs are moving independently from the body
- Feeling as if one or multiple limbs are growing
- Feeling as if the mouth is too small for the teeth inside
- Feeling as if one has to eat or go to the bathroom
- Feeling as if one is going to vomit
- Feeling as if you are getting warmer or overheating
- Sudden Perspiration
- Anxiety or fear
- Weakness, unsteadiness
- Saliva collecting in the mouth
- Being unable to understand or comprehend spoken words during and after the aura
- Being unable to speak properly, such as slurred speech or gibberish, despite the brain grasping what the person is trying to verbalize (aphasia)
- Temporary amnesia, such as forgetting how to do tasks you have been doing for years
Uses
The specific type of sensation associated with an aura can potentially be used in an attempt to localize the focus of a seizure.
Auras share similar symptoms with strokes, but onset is more gradual with auras.[3] Auras can last from several seconds to as long as an hour, and can sometimes end with feelings of extreme tiredness, weakness, heart palpitation, sweating and warmth throughout one's body.
The onset of an aura can provide an early warning for those experiencing migraines.
See also
References
- ^ Sudden Onset Panic: Epileptic Aura or Panic Disorder? Robin A. Hurley, M.D., Ronald Fisher, M.D., Ph.D. and Katherine H. Taber, Ph.D.
- ^ Robert, Teri. "Living Well With Migraine Disease and Headaches" New York HarperCollins 2004
- ^ Better Health Channel. Stroke and Migraine. Government of Victoria, Australia. Accessed August 18, 2007.
External links
- About.com aura summary
- Epilepsy.com information
- Migraine Aura Foundation
- MAGNUM, the National Migraine Association
- Epilepsy Action information
- Migraines with 'aura' raise women's stroke risk
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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Translations:
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Aura
Dansk (Danish)
n. - aura, æterisk udstråling, udstråling
Nederlands (Dutch)
sfeer om iets heen, aura (bepaalde lichtkring om persoon heen), geur (van bloemen etc.), subjectieve voortekens van epileptisch insult
Français (French)
n. - aura, émanation, atmosphère, ambiance
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (μετεωρ.) αύρα, (παθολ.) αύρα (παροξυσμού), (μτφ.) πνοή, απόπνοια, ύφος, αέρας, ατμόσφαιρα, φωτοστέφανος, αίγλη, ακτινοβολία
Português (Portuguese)
n. - aura (f), aragem (f), emanação (f)
Русский (Russian)
аура, тонкий аромат
Español (Spanish)
n. - aura, emanación, aureola
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - utstrålning
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
气味, 灵气, 气氛, 预兆
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 氣味, 靈氣, 氣氛, 預兆
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 냄새, 전조, 첨단 방전에 의한 기류
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 発気, 雰囲気, アウラ, 霊気
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) جو, إحساس, مميز يصيب الشخص قد يتسبب من شخص أو حاله معينه, احساس, معين يسبق نوبه الصرع أو الهستيريا
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - הילה, אווירה
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