What is a typical migraine aura?

Migraine aura symptoms include temporary visual or other disturbances that usually strike before other migraine symptoms — such as intense head pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine aura usually occurs within an hour before head pain begins and generally lasts less than 60 minutes.

What is a complicated or atypical migraine?

Atypical migraines generally skip the aura phase. This phase would typically include flashes of light, blind spots, or tingling in the extremities. Instead of aura signaling the start of a migraine, an atypical migraine abruptly begins with headache pain. Researchers have yet to determine how many people are affected.

What is the difference between classic and common migraine?

In classical migraine the headache is preceded or accompanied by transient focal neurological phenomena e.g. visual, sensory or speech disturbances. Nonclassical or common migraine is not associated with sharply defined focal neurological disturbances and occurs more frequently.

Can migraine damage your brain?

Migraines cause serious pain. If you get them, you’ve probably wondered if they have a lasting effect on your brain. Research suggests that the answer is yes. Migraines can cause lesions, which are areas of damage to the brain.

How do you treat a typical migraine?

Hot packs and heating pads can relax tense muscles. Warm showers or baths may have a similar effect. Drink a caffeinated beverage. In small amounts, caffeine alone can relieve migraine pain in the early stages or enhance the pain-reducing effects of acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) and aspirin.

How long can atypical migraine last?

The headache portion of an attack can last from four hours to three days. An entire migraine attack—including prodrome, aura, headache and postdrome—may last anywhere from a bit more than one day to slightly more than a week at its very longest, though this is not typical.