Migraine Headaches Phases and Treatment

The stage-by-stage question with migraine is where in the sequence you are right now. Cleveland Clinic says there are four phases or stages of a migraine, and the first phase, prodrome, begins up to 24 hours before you experience a headache.

Articles by stage

Below are four headache patterns. Pick the one closest to what you feel, and use a general headache overview if none of them fits yet.

• Cluster Headaches Around One Eye is for pain centered around one eye.
• New Daily Persistent Headache is for a headache that is new and present every day.
• Chronic Migraine 15 or More Days a Month is for readers who count their headache days across a month.
• Occipital Neuralgia at the Base of the Skull is for pain that sits at the base of the skull.

A term worth keeping straight

According to Cleveland Clinic, the headache phase of a migraine usually lasts at least four hours, but it can also last for days. Because the first phase comes before the headache, it is worth noting in a diary what you feel in the day before one starts.

When to see a clinician

If your headaches change in length, location or how often they arrive, write that down and take it to a clinician in Clifton or wherever you are seen. For more general reading beforehand, a pain management resource is one place to look, and a professional society for pain medicine is another.