Migraines are complex, and given that they often come in phases, there are symptoms that are unique to these phases. Again, not all individuals who suffer from migraines will experience every phase, symptom, or even these symptoms during the same phase. There can be a crossover between any and all of them3. That said, if you experience similar symptoms, it can be used to identify what you’re experiencing as a migraine and help you and your doctor to determine the best treatments for you.
Prodrome
Prodrome is the first phase of a migraine. The importance of recognizing this phase falls on the fact that one can “intercept” the migraine before it starts in some instances. This phase lasts several hours to a few days prior to the more severe symptoms3. These symptoms can be broad and nonexclusive to head pain; keeping a journal of symptoms surrounding your headache will help you recognize them as prodrome.
Some of these symptoms include:
- Trouble concentrating
- Frequent yawning
- Nausea
- Difficulty sleeping
- Mood changes
- Fatigue
- Muscle/Neck stiffness
- Irritability
- Difficulty speaking or reading
Aura
Aura is the peculiar phase that occurs before the attack in roughly 30% of individuals with migraines1. It is largely characterized by intrusive sensory (namely visual) disturbances. It’s not decided why exactly these occur, but it does have something to do with the neural interactions within the brain.
Common aura symptoms are typically visual, sensory, or speech/language-related. These can include:
- Partial or full loss of vision in one or both eyes
- Seeing stars or flashes of light
- Seeing spots
- Numbness of the face or body extremities on one or both sides
- Slurring speech, mumbling, using wrong words1
These symptoms can be alarming sometimes. Their severity and duration can differ, but do pay close attention to them. It is a good idea to speak to your doctor if you experience any symptoms that affect your state of consciousness or if you have weakness in one side of the body, as those can be signs of a stroke as well.
Attack
The attack phase is the part people are most familiar with. Aura symptoms can accompany this phase for some individuals. During an attack, people traditionally experience a debilitating, pulsating pain that grows in severity, starting near the eyes or one side of the head which can then drift to the rest of the head or move location. Movement, or leaning forward can be painful. This pain can be exceptionally debilitating and last 4 – 72 hours5. Sensitivities to sound, light, and smell as well as nausea and vomiting are common during this phase as well. Less common are migraine attacks without pain, known as silent migraines.
Postdrome
“Migraine Hangover”; the lesser known, lesser discussed migraine event. It is characterized often by mental fog, body aches, dizziness, and nausea among others. Postdrome is actually part of the migraine itself as the same activity of the attack persists, but generally to a lesser degree2. This phase may persist for a day or more following the main attack. During this stage, it is important to avoid triggers, hydrate, and get more rest. Sufferers may find additional remedies that seem to help heal, but this is a trial and error game; one thing that helps for one individual could do nothing for another. The important thing is to do what works for you.
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References
- American Migraine Foundation. (2017, July 6). Migraine with aura: Types, symptoms & treatments: AMF. American Migraine Foundation. Retrieved from https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/understanding-migraine-aura/
- American Migraine Foundation. (2017, September 17). The science of Migraine – dealing with postdrome: AMF. American Migraine Foundation. Retrieved from https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/how-to-deal-with-postdrome/
- American Migraine Foundation. (2022, March 17). Migraine Prodrome: Symptoms and prevention: AMF. American Migraine Foundation. Retrieved from https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/migraine-prodrome-symptoms-prevention/
- Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Migraine headaches: Causes, treatment & symptoms. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/5005-migraine-headaches
- The Migraine Institute. (2020, January 17). Migraine stages: Prodrome, migraine aura, migraine attack & postdrome. THE MIGRAINE INSTITUTE. Retrieved from https://www.themigraineinstitute.com/migraine-overview/pre-and-post-migraine/