Picture of a Migraine

I've had migraines for many years. Nothing can spoil a day faster than the initial inkling that an aura is beginning. In it's smallest stages, the aura is barely noticeable, I try to deny that it's happening, again, but within a few seconds, I can deny it no longer. My field of vision is diminishing, the jagged edges, the semicircle of triangular teeth gets larger, and larger. The colors are so vivid and vibrant that classifying them merely with the words red, blue, black, and white is an injustice. Quick, take something, anything, to prevent or minimize the headache, find the darkest room possible, and close my eyes. Then the aura is more alive, it flickers, it changes, but the pattern remains, more vibrant on the dark background of my tightly closed eyes. The experience is surreal, and the image of the aura would make beautiful artwork, if the experience was not followed by the pain.

My links won't work but here's the sites if you want to copy/paste:
http://www.migraine-aura.org/content/e24966/index_en.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrrviW0Od-w

Then my math brain kicks in. What is the pattern? Can I draw this image and analyze it? As with many other natural phenomenon, I would imagine this image to be fractal in nature, consisting of layers of repeating semicircles of jagged triangles, regressing into nothingness due to our limited visibility, but infinite in its ultimate regression.



Due to my curiosity, I decided to research the visual aura. The image, under other circumstances, would be a welcome diversion. The video gives an example, if you've never had the aura, but the colors are limited by video, so I can't fix that. A simple Google search on "migraine aura picture" let me to the website MigrainAura.org which contains artwork in several mediums related to migraine headaches and auras. There are some interesting collections here, including several video montages of artwork inspired by migraines. While none of these are exactly what I see, as I assume each individual has a similar but unique aura, several accurately represent the migraine aura, albeit with colors limited by manmade materials.

I hope this post has helped to put a picture to migraine auras. I will now go bury my head beneath a pillow in a dark room and hope for relief!