Basics
Types of migraine
Plain-language overview of migraine without aura, migraine with aura, chronic migraine, menstrual migraine, and vestibular migraine.
Migraine is not one single presentation. Clinicians classify migraine by symptoms, frequency, and patterns over time.
Common categories
- Migraine without aura: migraine attacks without the temporary neurologic symptoms called aura.
- Migraine with aura: migraine attacks with temporary visual, sensory, speech, or other neurologic symptoms before or during the attack.
- Episodic migraine: migraine on fewer than 15 headache days per month.
- Chronic migraine: headache on 15 or more days per month for more than three months, with migraine features on at least 8 days per month.
- Menstrual migraine: attacks that cluster around menstruation.
- Vestibular migraine: migraine in which dizziness, vertigo, or balance symptoms are prominent.
Diagnosis should come from a clinician, especially when symptoms are new, unusual, frequent, disabling, or neurologic.
Types can also change over time. Someone may start with episodic migraine and later meet criteria for chronic migraine, or notice aura after years without it. Track frequency and symptom changes by month so a clinician can see when the pattern shifted and whether medication overuse, hormones, sleep, or another condition might be involved.
Sources
- Mayo Clinic: Migraine symptoms and causes
- MedlinePlus: Migraine
- American Migraine Foundation: What is chronic migraine?
Migraine Manager is a personal health journal, not a medical device. It does not diagnose or treat any condition. Always follow your clinician's advice for diagnosis, medication, and treatment decisions.
Key terms
People Also Ask
Related migraine questions
What is a migraine?
Migraine is a neurologic disease with attacks that can include head pain, nausea, light and sound sensitivity, aura, and post-attack symptoms. Read the guide.
Chronic migraine?
Chronic migraine means headache on at least 15 days per month with migraine features on at least 8 days, and it needs clinician-guided care. Read the guide.
Migraine with aura?
Aura is a temporary neurologic symptom pattern that can happen before or during migraine, but new aura-like symptoms need caution. Read the guide.
Migraine vs. headache?
How migraine differs from common headache patterns, and why symptom tracking helps clinicians tell them apart. Read the guide.