The Secrets

“One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others.” (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland  by Lewis Carroll)

Sometimes the world doesn’t look right when you have a migraine. Colors change. Straight lines turn wavy. Objects move. Time may even seem to shift. In 1955, British psychiatrist John Todd named this strange condition Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AIWS) after the storybook character, Alice Liddell. Todd used the term to describe the odd symptoms he'd heard about from people he treated for migraine headaches and epilepsy. AIWS is a rare condition that causes temporary episodes of distorted perception and disorientation, and affects mainly children and young adults. 
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A typical episode lasts a few minutes. Some can last up to half an hour. During that time, you may experience one or more of these common symptoms:

·        Loss of limb control or loss of coordination This symptom occurs when muscles feel as if they’re acting involuntarily. In other words, you may feel as though you’re not controlling your limbs. Likewise, the altered sense of reality can affect how you move or walk. You may feel uncoordinated or have difficulty moving about as you normally would.

·        Migraine People who experience AIWS are more likely to experience migraines. Some researchers and doctors believe AIWS is actually an aura. This is an early sensory indication of a migraine. Others believe AIWS may be a rare subtype of migraine.

·        Perceptual distortion If you feel that objects near you are growing larger or those they’re closer to you than they really are, you’re experiencing pelopsia. The opposite of that is teleopsia. It’s the sensation that objects are getting smaller or farther away from you than they really are.

·        Size distortion Micropsia is the sensation that your body or objects around you are growing smaller. Macropsia is the sensation that your body or objects around you are growing larger. Both are common experiences during an episode of AIWS.

·        Sound distortion Every sound, even typically quiet sounds, seems loud and intrusive.

·        Time distortion Some people with AIWS lose their sense of time. They may feel time is moving faster or slower than it really is.

It’s not clear what causes AIWS, but doctors are trying to better understand it. They do know that AIWS isn’t a problem with your eyes, a hallucination, or a mental or neurological illness. Researchers believe unusual electrical activity in the brain causes abnormal blood flow to the parts of the brain that process your environment and experience visual perception.

If you’re experiencing symptoms like the ones described for AIWS, make an appointment with your doctor. You and your doctor can review your symptoms and any related concerns. There isn’t any one test that can help diagnose AIWS. Your doctor may be able to make a diagnosis by ruling out other possible causes or explanations for your symptoms. To do this, your doctor may perform:

·        MRI scan. An MRI can produce highly detailed images of your organs and tissues, including the brain.

·        Electroencephalography (EEG). An EEG can measure the electrical activity of the brain.

·        Blood tests. Your doctor can rule out or diagnose viruses or infections that could be causing AWS symptoms, such as EBV.

To help your AIWS improve, your doctor might suggest that you switch to a diet designed to help you have fewer migraines. Tips include:

·         Eat foods like fruits, vegetables, eggs, fish, meat, and poultry.

·         Instead of three big meals, eat five to six smaller meals throughout the day. Hunger can cause headaches in some people.

·         Stay away from foods that set off your headaches. Common migraine triggers include alcohol, the sweetener aspartame, soft or aged cheeses, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and processed meats like hot dogs and bacon.

 “You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret: All the best people are.”  (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland  by Lewis Carroll)[i]

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[i] Sources used:

·        “Alice in Wonderland Syndrome and Visual Migraines” by WebMD

·        “What Is Alice in Wonderland Syndrome? (AWS)” by Kimberly Holland