TYPES OF MIGRAINE

There are many different types of migraine.

Research shows that it is important to accurately diagnose and treat by migraine type to effectively manage migraine. 

Many people who experience significant or frequent migraine attacks have more than one type of migraine, and may find that different treatments work for different types of attacks.

Types of migraine are:

Migraine without aura, also called common or typical migraine, is the bad headache, nausea, sensitivity to light, smell and sound,

Migraine with aura, also called classic migraine, has all the symptoms of common migraine, with an additional phase before the headache where many strange symptoms are experienced. Aura symptoms are usually one of the senses not working quite right (for example numbness or pins and needles, seeing colours or flashing lights, strange tastes).

Migraine Aura Without Headache (MAWH) involves all of the elements of a migraine attack with aura, but without the headache.

Hemiplegic migraine typically involves significant weakness and numbness on one side of the body. Paralysis to either part (such as a facial droop) or all of that side (which looks a lot like a stroke) can also happen.

Migraine with brainstem aura (also brainstem migraine, previously called basilar type migraine) can involve visual disturbances, speech disturbances, hearing problems, weakness, vertigo, decreased consciousness, and in the most severe attacks, coma.

Retinal migraine is migraine symptoms with temporary blindness or visual disturbances in one eye.

Vestibular migraine affects vision and balance. Often people with vestibular migraine don’t have headache during their migraine attacks.

Abdominal migraine, common in children, involves abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal upsets, but not necessarily headache.

A migraine attack can last for days, weeks and even months.

A migraine attack that will not end is sometimes called ‘status migrainosus’ or ‘intractable migraine’. Persistent migraine that does not respond to treatment or lifestyle modifications is called ‘refractory migraine’.

People are said to have ‘chronic migraine‘ when they have at least 15 days of headache, 8 of which are migraine days, every month for at least three months.

Sometimes migraine is described by trigger, rather than symptom. The three most common of these are Saturday or weekend migraine, menstrual migraine, and exercise Induced migraine.

If you are not sure what type of migraine you have, ask your neurologist or GP. Some treatment options are not recommended for some types of migraine, and some have higher risks than others.