Migraine Headaches: What Happens

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What Happens

Symptoms before the migraine begins (prodromal)

In the day or two before a migraine starts, you may experience symptoms such as fatigue, excessive yawning, food cravings (such as for chocolate), irritability, or restlessness.³

Aura

Some people (about 1 out of 5) experience a warning sign called an aura within 30 minutes before a migraine headache develops.¹ Symptoms of an aura usually develop gradually over 5 to 20 minutes. During an aura, you may see wavy lines, flashes, sparks of light, blind spots, or distortions. You may also feel tingling or a "pins-and-needles" sensation in your hands, arms, or face.

Less commonly, you may temporarily be unable to put words in proper order or have difficulty finding the right words. You may also experience short-term weakness on one side of your body. If you have these symptoms and have not had them before, call your doctor immediately so he or she can rule out a transient ischemic attack (TIA), stroke, or other serious condition.

Onset of headache and accompanying symptoms

Usually within 30 minutes of an aura, a throbbing headache begins. Without treatment, a migraine headache lasts from 4 to 72 hours. You may experience the throbbing pain on one side of your head, often behind an eye, although the pain may shift to the other side of your head or be present on both sides. The pain from the headache may be moderate to severe, and can be disabling. Other symptoms that commonly occur with the headache include:

Extreme sensitivity to light, noise, and smells.
Nausea and vomiting.
Symptoms that get worse with physical activity.

Less commonly, problems with speech; tingling in the face, arms, and shoulders; or temporary weakness on one side of the body can occur.

Symptoms after the headache (postdromal)

After the headache eases, you may experience symptoms such as muscle aches, fatigue, or even a brief period of elation. These symptoms may last up to 24 hours after your migraine headache ends.

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Last updated:	July 03, 2007
Author:	Monica Rhodes
Reviewed By:	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine, Colin Chalk, MD, CM, FRCPC - Neurology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman

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