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What is an aura?

Fri, 10/05/2007 - 21:53
Can anyone tell me what exactly an aura is? I've had epilepsy since I was 5 and all I have been able to explain to the many neurologists I've seen when they ask if I have any "auras" are what I call "seizures to get rid of". I know that sounds funny, but the only way to describe them is that they're like a seizure only 1/2 second and just interupts my vision like a camera flash. This can happen up to three days before an actual seizure or sometimes I have a full seizure without any warning. I have never had any weird smells or feelings if that's even what an aura is. If someone has any feedback so I could tell my new neurologist, that would be great.

Comments

Re: What is an aura?

Submitted by babzy on Sat, 2007-10-06 - 01:52
hi thats a good and difficult question to answer Only because everyone feels auras differently..in my perspective my auras feel like a chill or numb tingling in my head and it travels down my body. i dont get odd smells or lights flashing. the aura is any unusual feeling you may experience before a seizure. it takes time to recognize and understand them. i would advise you to try to explain your own auras to your neurologist if you want him\her to help you.. good luck babzy

Re: What is an aura?

Submitted by kareterra on Mon, 2007-10-08 - 09:38
My auras were always a sick feeling in my stomache. So much so that when I first started having seizures I thought it might be my stomache - not my head. Wishful thinking, I guess. Now that I only have nocturnal seizures, I don't have any auras. Karen

Hi... As everyone else said,

Submitted by dtsecofr21 on Mon, 2007-10-08 - 11:38
Hi... As everyone else said, auras are different for everyone. I have a few different tpes of E.... I know I'm gonna have a Tonic Clonic when i get really sick in the pit of my stomach. It's about a 20 minute warning as it slowly moves up and I begin gagging and sometimes throwing up. With a few minutes to go , I get an “underwater sensation” where everything sounds like your ears would be in a pool. If someone asks me something, it takes about 10-20 seconds to answer a question. Things then become very dreamy and distorted visually; this is usually the last thing I remember. I also get simple partial psychics that come on suddenly that usually start with an out of body experience, and quickly turn into comprehension issues, forming scattered letters on papers into words or phrases, reading /writing, and crying among other things. Luckily, these are much easier to manage relatively speaking. We're all different, so just keep looking for that common occurance that seems to always be part of them....sounds like you're on the right track. Doug

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