Migraine Symptoms | Side Effects | Stages

Migraine symptoms and attacks can be scary, particularly on your first attack. With common symptoms like lights, colored spots, zigzag lines, blindness, nausea, vomiting, weakness and a skull-crushing pain, it’s not surprising many rush to the hospital fearing the worst.

Symptoms during or pre-migraine

Common migraine symptoms may be experienced before or during migraine attack. Some warning signs can appear a day in advance whilst others may be minutes prior or only during the attack itself.

Below are common symptoms that a migraineur may experience:

• Aura – this is a term used to describe the visual disturbances that can occur during migraines. These can include dots, colored spots, sparkles, stars, flashing lights, tunnel vision, zigzag lines, blind spots and even temporary blindness.
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty concentrating, poor articulation, cognitive impairment, and confusion
• Difficulty speaking
• Dizziness or vertigo e.g. feeling like you’re spinning
• Mood changes, irritability
• Partial paralysis
• Pins and needles, tingling or numbness
• Sensitivity to light, noise, and odors
• Stiff neck or shoulders
• Tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears)
• Weakness
• Yawning

Will I experience all of these symptoms?

Every migraine patient experiences a migraine attack differently.

It is highly unlikely that all of the above symptoms are experienced by one individual. Typically a migraineur may recognize one or two obvious symptoms from above with their own condition.

There are several symptoms outlined below to help you confirm if you may be experiencing a migraine. Note: a medical professional is required for medical diagnosis. This is the guide they often use.

How common is each symptom?

See how common or uncommon your symptoms are with this symptoms chart:

Many migraineurs are surprised to see how common and strange some migraine symptoms are. Take reassurance knowing that many symptoms are strange, varied and leave many migraineurs wondering if they are the only one in the world with these symptoms.

If you’ve already realized you have migraines, getting good treatment can make a big difference. See the blue button below to unlock free access to proven migraine treatments normally reserved for paid medical journal subscriptions.

How do I know if my headache is a migraine?

The most widely accepted classification amongst the medical community comes from an international body called the International Headache Society (IHS). (1)

The IHS classifies a headache as a migraine when:

1. The pain has at least two of the following characteristics:

• Moderate to severe pain intensity
• One-sided location in the head
• Pulsating or throbbing quality
• Aggravated by general movement

2. There is at least one of the following

• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Sensitivity to light and noise

3. The headache attack lasts from 4-72 hours if untreated.

What happens during a migraine attack?

Our understanding of migraines has improved significantly over the last decade, but there is still a long way to go. Researchers still don’t know exactly what causes a migraine, but the leading theories relate to hyperexcitability within certain areas of the brain or a glitch from the brain stem which triggers the migraine. (2)

The brain stem is a small but extremely important part of the brain. It allows the nerve connections of the motor and sensory system to pass from the brain to the body. That covers basically all of our sensations and the ability to move our body. It’s pretty important.

At the start of an attack, chemical changes are thought to develop at the brainstem which trigger a series of reactions causing the brain to react abnormally to otherwise normal signals. The result could be the migraine attack. (3) Basically, it’s a complicated way of saying migraine is a brain malfunction.

Understanding which symptoms you’re likely to experience depends to some extent on the type of migraine you have.

What are the main types of migraine?

There are essentially two basic types of migraine as classified by the IHS (4). These are:

1. A migraine without aura (most common)
2. A migraine with aura

Within these two categories are a range of different types of migraines.

Migraine without aura

Often called the ‘common migraine’ these are the most commonly occurring type of migraine. (5) They are often linked with menstruation for women. Sub categories for migraine without aura include ‘Pure Menstrual migraine’ and ‘Menstrually-related migraine’. Migraine without aura is most likely to accelerate with frequent use of symptomatic medication which can result in a new headache called ‘Medication-Overuse Headache’. Very frequent migraine attacks are labeled ‘Chronic Migraine’ provided that there is no medication overuse.

Migraine with aura

This type of migraine is often called the ‘classic migraine’. Within this type of migraine are a number of different subtypes of migraine which are listed below:

a)  Typical aura with migraine headache

Visual disturbance with a migraine headache.

b)   Typical aura with non-migraine headache

Visual disturbance occurs without a migraine headache. Headache is experienced that does not fulfill the migraine criteria.

c)    Typical aura without headache

Visual disturbance of the aura, but no headache occurs.

d)   Familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM)

This is a migraine with aura that includes motor weakness. Let’s translate this medical speak. ‘Hemiplegic’ relates to the symptoms of motor weakness which is essentially the same thing as your muscles being temporarily weak. Symptoms can resemble a stroke and may progress until one side of body feels paralyzed for a few hours. Migraineurs may confuse weakness with numbness, but they are not the same. ‘Familial’ refers to the fact that a 1st or 2nd degree family relative is also diagnosed with migraine aura including motor weakness. Symptoms of FHM may include slurred speech, difficulty talking or weak muscles.

e)    Sporadic hemiplegic migraine 

If no family relative has been diagnosed or identified with FHM, then you may be classified with Sporadic Hemiplegic migraine. This is the same as FHM, except without the family connection.

f)     Basilar-type migraine

This is a migraine with aura that, according to the IHS, has symptoms which clearly originate from the brainstem, but no motor weakness. In these migraines the aura symptoms have at least 2 of the following:

• difficulty articulating speech
• vertigo/ dizziness
• ringing or buzzing in the ears
• hearing impairment
• double vision
• the loss of full control of bodily movements
• reduced level of awareness and alertness
• an abnormal sensation, typically tingling or pricking (‘pins and needles’), caused chiefly by pressure on or damage to peripheral nerves.

As a general rule of thumb:

• if you get the aura with a migraine headache
• don’t experience motor weaknesses
• but you get pins and needles,

then you have a basilar-type migraine.

Other less common types of migraine

a)    Retinal migraine

These are repeated attacks of visual disturbance in one eye, including light flashes, sparkles, partial loss of vision, blind spots or blindness related to migraine headache.

b)   Abdominal Migraine

Usually occurring in children, this describes a recurring abdominal pain which may last between 1 to 72 hours. Symptoms include a loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting.

c)    Complications of migraine:

I. Chronic migraine

When a migraine goes on for 15 days or more per month for over 3 months in the absence of medication overuse. Most chronic cases of migraine start as a migraine without aura.

II. Status migrainosus

A painful migraine attack that lasts for more than 72 hours. Sleep and medication may not be effective in these attacks.

III. Persistent aura without infarction

‘Infarctions’ are the death of an organ or tissue caused by an obstruction of the blood supply. This type of aura occurs when symptoms persist for more than 1 week without radiographic evidence of infarction.

IV. Migrainous infarction

When an inadequate blood supply occurs for too long it may cause a lesion or damage to an organ or tissue. This can be demonstrated by neuroimaging.

V. Migraine-triggered seizure

An epileptic seizure triggered by a migraine aura.

Is it possible to have a migraine that overlaps across one or more migraine types?

Yes. According to the IHS, patients with FHM have basilar-type symptoms in 60% of cases. Doctors are advised by the IHS to code a migraine to the FHM in these cases. And only code migraine to the basiliar-type where there is no motor weakness experienced.

What are the main stages of a migraine?

There are 4 main stages of a migraine.

1. Early Warning Symptom (Prodrome) 

This describes the certain physical and mental changes that can precede a migraine attack. Changes such as excessive yawning, stiff neck, feeling thirsty, changes in appetite, drowsiness and mood changes. There is a wide range of changes that can occur which stem from the hypothalamus, the deep-seated part of the brain which affects the regulation of several bodily systems which can affect mood, gut, mind, behavior and muscular and fluids. They can last from 1 to 24 hours.

Most migraineurs suffer migraines on a recurring basis, which makes it important to understand what your early warning signs are to either avoid a migraine entirely or effectively intervene with treatment. The next time you experience an attack note how you felt or what happened before it to help minimise migraines or avoid it in the future.

2. Aura

Typically lasts from 5 to 60 minutes and is characterized by visual disturbances such as flashing lights or sensory symptoms like pins and needles.

3. Headache

This is when the migraine is experienced which lasts between 4- 72 hours. The pain is often on one side of the head and throbbing. The most common symptoms are sensitivity to light, sound, nausea and vomiting.

4. Resolution & Recovery (Postdrome)

The resolution refers to the end of the attack. The way in which s migraine attack ends varies significantly. Many may be gradual whilst some may be resolved suddenly, for example, being sick can help children feel better quickly. Sleep is restorative for many. Some medications can offer relief. For others, little is effective except letting the migraine run its course.

The recovery can also be called the Postdrome. After a migraine attack, migraineurs may feel drained for up to 24 hours, others may energetic or on top of the world. Some experts consider the resolution and recovery as separate stages. (6)

Not everyone will experience every stage of a migraine. For example, an aura only occurs for those who experience that particular type of migraine. In other cases, some people may experience vertigo or the visual aura without headache.

Migraines are still a relatively unknown condition that medical researchers and scientists are still unraveling. As new treatments, studies and technologies are released our understanding of migraine improves and we move closer towards a permanent cure.

Learning your symptoms is a start, understanding which proven treatments are available is logical next step…