3 Types of Migraines: What You Need to Know

Migraine is a common condition that affects millions of people around the world. It is characterized by severe and debilitating headaches that can last for hours or even days. There are several types of migraine, each with its own set of symptoms and treatments. The three main types of migraine are migraine without aura, migraine with aura, and chronic migraine.

Migraine without aura is the most common type of migraine and is characterized by a throbbing headache on one side of the head, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.

Migraine with aura

is less common and is characterized by visual disturbances such as blind spots or blindness in one eye, as well as other neurological symptoms such as numbness or tingling in the face or extremities.

Chronic migraine

is a variant of migraine that involves repeated and continuous episodes of migraine. Other types of migraine include abdominal migraine, acephalgic or silent migraine, migraine with brain stem aura, hemiplegic migraine, and retinal migraine.

Abdominal migraine is a fairly common condition that affects 4 out of 100 children and some adults as well. It is characterized by abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and pallor.

Acephalgic or silent migraine

is a type of migraine without headache that involves other symptoms such as visual disturbances, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.

Migraine with brain stem aura

is a rare type of migraine that involves neurological symptoms such as difficulty speaking or understanding language, vertigo, double vision, and hearing loss.

Hemiplegic migraine is another rare type of migraine that affects a very small percentage of people in the United States. People with hemiplegic migraine attacks experience paralysis or weakness on one side of the body, speech and vision disturbances, and other symptoms that often resemble a stroke.

Retinal migraine

is a rare variant of migraine that is characterized by repeated cases of visual disturbances such as blind spots or blindness on one side of the field of vision. Sometimes you or your healthcare provider may assume that the pain you feel is a sinus headache or a tension-type headache. It is common for this type of headache to require physical therapy in addition to medication or other treatment.

Focusing on exactly where your head hurts and the symptoms that come with it can help you and your doctor determine what type of migraine or headache you have, resulting in a more effective treatment plan and fewer painful days. If you think you may be suffering from any type of migraine, it's important to talk to your doctor about your symptoms so they can help you find the best treatment plan for you.