7 images show what people see when they get debilitating migraines with aura, from flashing lights to geometric shapes

• Migraines with aura affect 20 to 25% of people who get migraines. 
• It is common to experience visual disturbances such as flashing lights or blind spots. 
• Seven images depict what these aura symptoms look like. 

Only those who experience migraines truly knows the unique pain that they cause when one hits. But seven new images give an insight into what someone having a migraine with aura might see.

A migraine with aura involves typical migraine symptoms such as headache, sensitivity to light and sound, and nausea or vomiting, but with the addition of visual disturbances ranging from blind spots to zig zags. Some people also experience symptoms including tingling or numbness in the face, hands, or body, and hearing sounds that aren't there.

Business Insider previously reported that 25% to 30% of people who get from migraines experience aura, which typically occurs before the onset of a migraine. Its cause is not well understood.

"There are multiple different types of visual aura sufferers experience. But they can usually be categorized in seven ways: flashes of light, zig-zags, blind spots, tunnel vision, geometric shapes, shimmers, or temporary blindness," Dr Neel Patel, a general physician at UK-based Lloyds Pharmacy Online Doctor, said.

Lloyds Pharmacy Online Doctor shared seven images to illustrate what the common types of visual aura look like.

Flashing lights

Some people who experience migraines see flashes of light in their vision, which may be caused by the jelly inside the eye shrinking slightly and tugging on the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye, Patel said.

He said that if you start to see new and intense flashes, accompanied by dark shadows, it could be a sign of retinal detachment — which is when the retina lifts away from the back of the eye — rather than migraine with aura, and you should seek medical help immediately.

Zig-zags

Some people see zig-zag-shaped lines in their field of vision. "This symptom is very similar to metamorphopsia, a syndrome which distorts the shape of objects in the field of view," Patel said.

Blind spots

Blind spots are small areas of total darkness that appear in a person's vision.

Similarly to symptoms of flashing lights, they may be caused by minor retinal detachments, Patel said.

Tunnel vision

People experiencing tunnel vision typically see their peripheral vision go black or blurry, or they may experience loss of vision in one eye, Patel said.

"While tunnel vision is a symptom of aura migraines, it could also be the symptom of a mini-stroke, so it is important to seek immediate medical assistance if tunnel vision or sight loss comes on suddenly," he said.

Geometric shapes

Different colored geometric shapes, similar to what you might see in a kaleidoscope, enter the vision of some people with aura migraines.

Shimmers

Referred to as scintillating scotoma, some people see a shimmering region in their vision that often curves around the center, Patel said.

Shimmers in vision during migraines may have similar causes to the symptoms of flashing lights and zig-zags, he said.

Temporary blindness

Others experience temporary vision loss, but typically this only lasts 30 minutes or less, Patel said.