Migraine

The prodrome phase occurs hours or days before the migraine headache. About 40 to 60 percent of migraine sufferers go through this phase. The symptoms of this phase include fatigue, depression, irritability, excessive yawning, constipation, and stiffness in the neck.

The aura phase occurs after the prodrome phase and right before the migraine headache. The symptoms of the aura phase occur in about 20 to 30 percent of migraine sufferers. These symptoms can last from 5 to 60 minutes. Visual symptoms occur most frequently. Some migraine sufferers see a combination of white, black, or multicolored flashes or spots of light (photopsia) or formations of zigzag lines (scintillating scotoma). They may also get double vision. Other symptoms that migraine sufferers might experience include paresthesias, ringing in the ears, aphasia, numbness of the face and hands, a feeling of heaviness, and vertigo. The symptoms normally affect just one side of the body.

The pain phase is also known as the headache phase because this is when the headache occurs. This phase occurs within several hours after the end of the aura phase. The pain from a migraine headache generally occurs to only one side of the head but it can occur to both. The pain may even switch sides. The pain can be throbbing. The intensity of the pain can range from mild to severe. The pain gets worse over the first several hours. Adult migraine sufferers can expect the pain to last between 4 and 72 hours. Children with migraines might suffer pain for 1 to 48 hours. A person can have anywhere from several migraines a day to one every several years. Studies indicate that the average migraine sufferer has about 1 to 3 migraines a month.

During the pain phase, there might be other symptoms. About 90 percent and 33 percent of migraine sufferers suffer from nausea and vomiting, respectively. Another common symptom is vision problems. The person will probably find any bright lights or loud sounds painful. The person might also get lightheaded or pale, begin sweating, or have a loss of appetite. An artery in the temple might bulge out and there might be stiffness in the neck. His or her hands might also get cold. Any physical activity might aggravate the headache.

The postdrome phase occurs right after the headache is over. During this phase, the person might feel weary, irritable, or depressed. The person may also still have some of the minor symptoms of the pain phase such as lightheadedness. He or she may also be unusually sensitive to sudden head movements.