Migraine can cause a temporary type of aphasia known as transient aphasia. This typically only lasts as long as the migraine episode.

Migraine is a neurological condition associated with severe headaches and other symptoms. An estimated 39 million in the United States have a migraine disorder.

A migraine has four distinct phases. Not everyone will experience each phase, but they include:

  • prodrome
  • aura
  • headache
  • postdrome

Aphasia is when a person experiences difficulty with their language or speech.

If aphasia occurs with migraine, it often happens during the aura phase. Unlike other causes of aphasia, the effects are not permanent and should clear once the migraine episode has passed.

This article explains what aphasia is, whether migraine can cause it, and treatment options.

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Aphasia is a disorder that can impedeTrusted Source a person’s understanding and expression of language, both oral and written. It may occur on its own or along with speech disorders, such as apraxia of speech or dysarthria.

A person may develop aphasia due to sudden injury to the brain, such as from a stroke or traumatic head injury, or as part of a progressive neurological condition or brain tumor. Stroke is the most commonTrusted Source cause of aphasia.

There are three main types of aphasia. They includeTrusted Source:

  • Global aphasia: This impairs speaking and understanding what others are saying.
  • Receptive aphasia: A person with this type of aphasia can speak easily but not understand what others are saying.
  • Expressive aphasia: With this type, a person can understand what others are saying but has trouble speaking

When an injury to the brain causes aphasia, there is typically no cure. However, if migraine is the underlying cause, a person’s symptoms should improve after the migraine has passed.

Symptoms typically include difficulty understanding what others are saying, forming words or sentences, or a combination of both. Aphasia symptoms can appear suddenly, such as during a migraine episode, or slowly due to a degenerative disease, such as Alzheimer’s.

Migraine can cause transient aphasia, leading to interrupted speech. It can occur during migraine with aura, but it is a rare symptom of aura.

About 25%Trusted Source of people who have migraine experience migraine with aura. This means only a small percentage of people with migraine may experience transient aphasia during a migraine.

Aphasia can occur suddenly during or before migraine. If migraine is the cause of aphasia, symptoms should clear once the migraine has passed. Treatment typically focuses on reducing the frequency and severity of migraine episodes.

Aphasia associated with migraine should clear once the migraine has passed. If it is due to other reasons, such as a stroke, a person may find that therapies, such as speech therapy, may help with their speech and language.

Migraine treatments typically focus on preventing and reducing the severity of migraine and treating symptoms when they occur.

Treatment for acute migraine episodes often involves using medications, such as lasmiditan for migraine without aura, or ubrogepant tablets, such as Ubrelvy, for migraine with or without aura.

Other common short-term treatments include:

Each medication may cause side effects. People taking certain medications or with certain underlying conditions should let the prescribing doctor know since not everyone can safely take each type of medication.

A person should only use acute migraine medications for short periods of time. The American Migraine Foundation indicates that people should restrict medication for acute migraine to no more than 9 days per month and follow all doctor instructions. This can help prevent chronic migraine from occurring due to rebound headaches.

Migraine treatment often focuses on prevention. Prevention involves reducing the number of attacks, the length of each attack, and their severity. Preventive treatments may involve medication, lifestyle changes, therapies, or a combination of all three.

Some common preventive treatments includeTrusted Source:

Lifestyle changes may include:

  • stopping the use of certain medications
  • making dietary changes
  • eating regularly
  • getting regular hydration
  • establishing a consistent sleep pattern

A doctor or therapist may suggest additional therapies or treatments to help prevent migraine.

Migraine can cause transient aphasia. This means that the symptoms of aphasia, such as having difficulty with language, will clear once the migraine has passed.

Common causes of aphasia include stroke and other causes of acute or slow damage to the brain. When aphasia occurs due to damage to the brain, the effects are permanent, though they may improve with speech therapy.

Treatments for migraine typically involve a combination of medications, therapies, and lifestyle changes. They can help prevent and reduce the severity of attacks and treat acute migraine symptoms.