The link between migraine 'with aura' and stroke

Migraines with pre-attack symptoms such as brief vision loss, tingling, and numbness in the face or other areas slightly increase the risk of stroke.

Migraines are often accompanied by symptoms that can be confused with strokes. These symptoms are a collection of visual, sensory, or neurological abnormalities that usually last from a few minutes to an hour before the headache, called an aura. People with migraines may experience auras, or transient symptoms without a headache.

These common auras are visual effects that feel like flashing lights or spots, or zigzag lines in your vision. Other pre-migraine symptoms that may occur include brief loss of vision; tingling and numbness in the face, hands, or other areas of the body; and hearing sounds like buzzing or music. People with migraines may also experience language problems such as difficulty finding words or understanding speech.

Another type of migraine that can cause stroke-like symptoms is hemiplegic migraine, which is a rare condition that occurs sporadically or runs in families. The symptoms of this type of migraine are similar to those of aura migraines but include muscle movement and weakness on one side of the body that can last for days or weeks. Hemiplegic migraines rarely cause fever, confusion, loss of consciousness, or coma.

Migraine headaches do not usually lead to stroke, but migraine with aura increases the risk of stroke. When a stroke occurs as a complication of migraine with aura, it is called a migraine stroke or migraine infarction. Migraine stroke is rare, accounting for about 0.2-0.5% of all ischemic strokes.

According to neurologist Dr. Ava Liberman, New York Presbyterian University School of Medicine, USA, the increased risk of stroke due to migraine with aura is generally low, but people with this disease should know the symptoms of aura and how to handle them to prevent stroke from happening. Both migraine and stroke can lead to localized neurological deficits or abnormal function in specific locations in the body.

Focal neurological deficits often include weakness or loss of muscle control, numbness and tingling in one area of the body; problems with speech, vision, or hearing caused by damage to the brain or nervous system.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the leading causes of stroke are high blood pressure and cholesterol, smoking, obesity, and diabetes. To reduce the risk of stroke, people should eat a healthy diet, maintain a healthy weight, get regular physical activity, quit smoking, and limit alcohol consumption.

Good control of medical conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes or heart disease also helps reduce the chance of stroke.

Women of childbearing age who suffer from migraines should talk to their doctor if they are taking birth control pills. Some birth control pills contain higher levels of estrogen, which increases the risk of stroke.

Mai Cat (According to Everyday Health )

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