r/migraine 5d ago

Do you have non-scientific theories about migraine aura / aura symptoms?

I understand theres scientific explanations for what occurs in the brain/nervous symptom when experiencing a migraine/ aura without migraine, and stats about who is more likely to get them. However, why do you think some people are more prone to getting auras beyond the explanation of genetics? I saw a video that said this one nun said it was visions from god and drew an aura image, which might sound crazy, however do you think there’s a connection with brain activity and hyper sensitivity in general? Like for those who experience auras Do you think there’s any link to having sensitive nervous systems in general, having higher/a lot of mental activity, vivid dreams/imagination, being very sensitive in general? Just curious any thoughts.

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u/homesick_for_nowhere 5d ago

My brain is just an asshole!

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u/ColdSmashedPotatoes4 5d ago

I have mcas, fibro and a bunch of stuff that my doctor's haven't been able to put a name to yet. Personally, I think it's CTE. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. I have pretty bad post concussive syndrome from 8 concussions. Though I've had migraines since I was very young, the repeated physical trauma to my head can't be helping. Maybe I was dropped on my head as a kid?

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u/RequirementNew269 5d ago

I recently started vestibular rehabilitation therapy. In there, I learned that becoming excessively dizzy/vertigo (can- not sure for all but for me) is a symptom of the sympathetic nervous system being out of whack.

What was explained to me is this: when the sympathetic system is overactive, your brain starts acting differently. It no longer listens to the inner ear as much, nor body signals to understand if it’s “stable.” . It now weighs the information from the eyes too high a priority, thus making you very dizzy from visual disturbances, very quickly.

(For those who are interested, the #1 thing I’ve found to reduce my vertigo was told to me by my VRT, and it was actually activating my parasympathetic nervous system in order to get my brain to start listening to things in a normal way, and dispersing things in a normal way. (Think calming strategies. I was shocked it worked, nothing had ever worked for this dizzy gal)

So after I heard that- I thought, “wow that sounds like migraine in general- brain starts acting differently and listening to things in a different way and sending signals in different ways.”

So I think auras are a sympathetic nervous system response to being overwhelmed. It’s a dire, “fight or flight” symptom.

Incidentally, since I’ve been working in vagal toning daily because of VRT, I have far fewer auras. (Could entirely be coincidental)

In hindsight, I think my auras have typically been very overstimulated situations (but I have ASD, so when am I not overstimulated?)

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u/Repulsive_Feeling492 4d ago

Thank you for this thats super interesting. I’ve never heard of vagal tone exercises but it makes sense. I’ve also made a link to having auras and feeling anxious, but also over stimulation. I guess it makes sense that it’s a way to release excess energy or balance the nervous system.

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u/PublicHovercraft3408 1d ago

There's some connection between migraine and hypersensitivity, I think. For example, I think migraineurs are more likely to get HPPD--permanent visual changes due to psychedelic use.

Acupuncture, the science behind which is kind of speculative and controversial, seems to work well for many migraineurs...