What is migraine aura?
Aura is a set of temporary, fully reversible neurological symptoms that can come just before or during a migraine. It's most often visual — flickering lights, zigzag lines, or a blind spot that spreads — but can also involve tingling, numbness or difficulty with speech. Aura usually develops gradually and lasts between 5 and 60 minutes. About a quarter to a third of people with migraine experience it.
What aura looks and feels like
The most common aura is visual: a small shimmering or zigzag patch that slowly expands across your field of vision, sometimes leaving a temporary blind spot, typically over 5 to 60 minutes. Sensory aura brings a wave of tingling or numbness — often spreading from the hand up the arm to the face. Less commonly, aura affects speech or language. The defining features are that it builds up gradually, is temporary, and fully resolves, usually giving way to the headache phase.
Aura versus warning signs
Aura is not the same as the prodrome — the vaguer premonitory phase of yawning, cravings or mood changes that can precede an attack by hours. Aura is a distinct, time-limited neurological event with recognisable features. Some people have migraine with aura, some have it without, and some have aura on only certain attacks. It's worth learning to recognise yours, because clear descriptions help a clinician classify your migraine accurately.
When aura warrants medical advice
Typical aura is a known part of migraine, but some symptoms need prompt medical attention rather than tracking — particularly aura that is sudden and 'maximal' at onset, lasts far longer than an hour, causes weakness on one side, or is your first-ever episode. Symptoms like these can mimic more serious conditions, so seek medical advice to be safe. Temple lets you record aura features and timing for your own pattern; it documents, and isn't a substitute for medical assessment. Temple is a tracking tool, not medical advice — for anything specific to you, consult a healthcare professional.
Temple lets you record aura type, timing and duration for each attack, so your personal aura pattern is documented for you and your clinician.
Common questions
- How long does migraine aura last?
- Aura symptoms usually develop gradually and last between 5 and 60 minutes before easing, often followed by the headache. Aura that comes on abruptly, lasts much longer, involves one-sided weakness, or is your first episode should be checked by a healthcare professional.
- Can you have aura without a headache?
- Yes. Some people experience aura that isn't followed by head pain, sometimes called silent or acephalgic migraine. Because aura can resemble other conditions, a new or unusual episode is worth discussing with a clinician.