A severe type of headache, a migraine can last anywhere from 4 to 72 hours. Migraine sufferers usually experience their first episode in childhood, adolescence or early adulthood.
Some migraine sufferers experience a gradual build up of symptoms a few days before the attack, known as prodrome. During prodrome, you can experience diarrhea or constipation, food cravings, moodiness, or a stiff neck. Later during the attack, severe pain and throbbing is usually experienced on just one side of the head.
Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sensitivity to light, sounds, or smells, blurred vision, and lightheadedness and fainting spells. A small number of people also experience a visual, sensory, motor or verbal disturbance known as aura. Aura symptoms include vision loss or bright flashes of light, stinging in arms or legs, and speech and language problems.