Migraine

A migraine is divided by doctors into four stages. Not all patients experience all of these stages and each stage may have different symptoms.

Prodrome

The migraine prodrome is the very first part of a migraine and the symptoms can last hours or days. It is experienced by most patients, although not all may realise this. Some just somehow know that an attack is coming.

Common symptoms include:

• Being irritable, depressed or low
• Feeling tired or yawning a lot
• Craving certain foods or feeling thirsty
• Neck stiffness or pain
• Restlessness
• Needing to pee more often

Aura

Aura symptoms, or warning signs, are experienced by around a quarter of people with migraine. They can last up to an hour.

Common symptoms include:

• Sight problems, such as seeing flashing lights, zigzag lines, blind spots, or coloured spots
• Numbness or tingling (pins and needles)
• Difficulty talking or understanding someone talk
• Dizziness or feeling unsteady
• Ringing in the ears

Migraine attack

This is the headache part of a migraine, which people are most familiar with. Headaches caused by migraine last from a few hours to several days (if they are untreated).

Migraine headaches are usually felt as throbbing moderate or severe pain on one side of the head. Often, they are made worse by simple movement, and sufferers also become very sensitive to bright lights or loud noise. Feeling sick or vomiting are also common.

Sufferers often want to sleep off the migraine attack in a dark room.

Migraine hangover (postdrome)

This recovery phase of a migraine often feels similar to a hangover caused by too much alcohol and can last several hours to a few days