You have a premonition that a headache is coming. Next is the aura, usually lasting five to 20 minutes, during which you experience visual distortion, flashing or bizarrely shaped lights or even numbness and tingling in an arm or the face. Then comes the headache. It can hit both sides of the head at once or only one side. The pain, a dull throbbing, at first may be minor, then may intensify to the point of distraction or incapacitation.
Vomiting is common.
You can't stand light, noise or odors. You retreat to a dark, cool, quiet room and lie still. After a few hours or two to three days, the headache gradually wears off. You often feel tired or depressed. In fact, a common type of migraine skips the aura completely.