June 18, 2026

The four phases of a migraine, explained

Most people think of a migraine as one thing: the headache. But for many, an attack is really a sequence — a slow build, a possible warning, the pain itself, and a hungover aftermath — that can stretch across a day or more. Learning to recognise these phases changes how you experience an attack, because a symptom you can name is far less frightening than one that seems to come from nowhere. The American Migraine Foundation describes migraine as having up to four phases, though it's worth saying up front: not everyone gets all of them, and the same person can have different attacks on different days.

Phase one: prodrome

The prodrome is the earliest phase, and it can begin hours or even a day or two before the pain. It's easy to miss because the signs are vague and don't feel headache-related at all: yawning, food cravings, mood changes, irritability, difficulty concentrating, a stiff neck, sensitivity to light or sound creeping in, or unusual thirst and frequent urination. On their own, none of these announce a migraine. But logged over time, many people find they have a personal prodrome signature — a particular cluster that tends to precede their attacks. Learning yours is one of the quiet benefits of keeping a record; it can turn "I had no warning" into "I recognise this pattern."

Phase two: aura

Aura affects a minority of people with migraine — commonly cited as about a quarter to a third (roughly 25–30%) — and does not occur with every attack even in those who get it. It's a wave of temporary neurological symptoms that usually builds over about five minutes and lasts up to an hour, typically just before or at the start of the headache. As ICHD-3 sets out, aura is most often visual — zigzag lines, shimmering or blind spots, flashing lights — but it can also be sensory (tingling or numbness spreading up an arm), or affect speech. Aura symptoms are reversible and resolve fully. Because they can be alarming, and because new or unusual neurological symptoms always deserve medical attention the first time, it's worth reading what is aura and, if anything is ever sudden or unfamiliar, when to see a doctor about migraine.

Phase three: the headache (attack)

This is the phase most people mean by "migraine." The pain is often — though not always — on one side, throbbing or pulsing, and moderate to severe. What sets it apart from an ordinary headache is the company it keeps: nausea and sometimes vomiting, and a strong sensitivity to light and sound that sends many people to a dark, quiet room. Movement usually makes it worse. Untreated, this phase can last anywhere from 4 to 72 hours, per the ICHD-3 definition — which is exactly why how long does a migraine last is such a common question. An attack that runs beyond 72 hours has its own name, status migrainosus, and warrants medical help.

Phase four: postdrome

After the pain lifts comes the postdrome — the "migraine hangover" that too few people are warned about. For a day or so afterward, many feel drained, foggy, low, or oddly washed-out, sometimes with a tender head or difficulty concentrating. It's a real phase, not weakness or laziness, and recognising it helps you be gentler with yourself while you recover rather than expecting to snap straight back to full capacity.

Why the phases are worth tracking

Knowing the four phases — prodrome, aura, headache, postdrome — does two practical things. It demystifies the experience: a strange cluster of yawning and cravings becomes a recognisable prodrome rather than a mystery, and the flat day afterward becomes an expected postdrome rather than a worry. And it sharpens your record. When you log not just the headache but the warning signs before and the fog after, you capture the true footprint of an attack — which is far more useful to a clinician than the pain alone. The four stages of a migraine covers the essentials briefly, and keeping a migraine diary shows how to note the phases without turning logging into a second job.

Temple is a tracking tool, not medical advice — consult a healthcare professional.

Temple is coming soon to the App Store — it lets you log the whole arc of an attack, not just the headache in the middle.