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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you experience signs and symptoms of aura that are followed by typical signs and symptoms of migraine, it's likely you have migraine with aura. Your doctor may diagnose the condition on the basis of your medical history and a physical exam.
But if your aura isn't followed by head pain, or the visual disturbances affect only one eye, your doctor may recommend certain tests to rule out more serious conditions, such as a retinal tear or a transient ischemic attack — a temporary decrease in blood supply to part of your brain — that could be causing your symptoms.
Your doctor may recommend:
- An eye examination. During this exam, your doctor will use an instrument the size of a small flashlight (ophthalmoscope) to project a beam of light into your eye to examine the back of your eyeball (fundoscopy).
- Computerized tomography (CT). This X-ray technique produces detailed images of your internal organs, including your brain.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This diagnostic imaging procedure produces images of your internal organs, including your brain.
Your doctor may also refer you to a doctor who specializes in nervous system disorders (neurologist) to rule out brain conditions that could be causing your symptoms.
- Bajwa ZH, et al. Pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis of migraine in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 6, 2011.
- Headache: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/headache/detail_headache.htm?css=print. Accessed Jan. 6, 2011.
- Pelak VS. Approach to the patient with visual hallucinations. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 6, 2011.
- Ramzan M, et al. Headache, migraine, and stroke. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 6, 2011.
- Bajwa ZH, et al. Acute treatment of migraine in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 6, 2011.
- Hauge AW, et al. Trigger factors in migraine with aura. Cephalalgia. 2010;30:346.
- Bajwa ZH, et al. Preventive treatment of migraine in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 6, 2011.
- FDA approves Botox to treat chronic migraine. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm229782.htm. Accessed Dec. 2, 2010.
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