Stages of a Migraine Headache

There are five different stages of a migraine headache which a person can experience. While each person is different every person who suffers from migraine headaches will experience at least two of these phases. In addition the symptoms of each phase can also vary by person. These phases are prodrome, aura, headache, headache termination, and postdrome.

Prodrome is the first phase of a migraine headache. This phase is the phase experienced by some people before a migraine headache even begins. This phase can start a few hours before the migraine headache or even days before it. During this phase many people will begin to feel irritable, depressed, or euphoric. Other people report feeling very fatigued and having muscle stiffness in the neck. Some will also begin to will have cravings for certain foods or not hungry at all. Other symptoms that are hard to deal with are constipation, diarrhea, and an increase in urination.

Aura phase is the second phase that some people will experience with a migraine headache. For these people less than an hour before a migraine headache they will experience an aura. These people will have an aura as described above and for others during what is classified as the aura phase they will have blurry vision. Others will have an increased sense of smell or an altered sense of smell. Some people will experience vertigo, and others will begin to feel tingling I their face or hands. Some may even feel sensitive to the touch.

Headache phase is the phase when the actual migraine headache is felt.. During this phase people will begin to feel a throbbing pain that will slowly become more intense. This phase can last anywhere from a few hours to several days depending on the person. During this phase some people will being to sweat while others report feeling very cold. This is also the phase when many of the major symptoms such as nausea, fainting, photophobia, hyperacusis, and many more begin to occur.

The next phase is headache termination, and all people with migraine headaches will experience this phase. During this phase of a migraine headache the symptoms will start to go away. This is the phase where the actual headache will begin to hurt less and eventually end. Although for some people the symptoms will not go away completely during this phase for many this is the last phase they experience. Even if the symptoms do not stop completely the majority of them will and what remains will not be as strong.

The final phase of a migraine headache is postdrome phase. During postdrome phase some people will continue to experience a minor headache. Some will also continue to feel dizzy and will lose their appetite. Many people also continue to experience photophobia and will try to stay out of brightly lit areas. Some people will experience a feeling of depression during postdrome phase and will feel very fatigued. Other people will actually feel refreshed during postdrome and may even feel euphoric.

Next, we are going to talk about how you Test for a Migraine Headache.