here are five well-defined phases of a classic migraine attack: prodrome, aura, headache, termination, and postdrome. You may experience more than one phase, although not necessarily all of them.

Aura Migraine Phase

The aura phase immediately precedes or accompanies an attack. About 20% of migraine sufferers experience neurologic symptoms (the aura), usually developing over 5 to 20 minutes and lasting less than an hour.

Migraines with visual disturbances are called classic migraines. The most common aura is flashing lights in a her- ringbone pattern. Some people see bright lights in other geometric patterns, or half of their visual field is blank.

Others may experience difficulty speaking, weakness on one side of the body, or numbness or tingling in a hand or arm or on one side of the face. The most prevalent form of migraine (common migraine) occurs without an aura. Common migraines typically last longer and occur more often than classic migraines.