According to the International Headache Society's classification of headaches, there are five separate complications of migraines: chronic migraine, status migrainosus, persistent aura without infarction, migrainous infarction, and migraine seizures. Many times each of these complications causes worry and distress beyond the pain itself.
Chronic Migraines
As the name suggests, the problem with chronic migraines is that they continue over a long period of time. The name "transformed migraine" is also used, since chronic migraines can evolve (or transform) from episodic to almost daily headaches. Symptoms may be mild, but migraines can occur in addition to the daily discomfort.
Status Migrainosus
The symptoms of status migrainosus are similar to whatever your "typical" migraine symptoms may be. The main difference is that in status migraines the symptoms are continuous for more than 72 hours. There may be periods of relative relief, but these generally last no longer than four hours.
Persistent Aura without Infarction (PAWI)
There are a number of rare complications of migraines, and persistent aura without infarction (PAWI) is one of them. As the name suggests, migraine aura is a necessary feature of PAWI. Not a lot is known about PAWI, but there are a few treatments that can be used.
Migrainous Infarction
According to the International Headache Society, a migrainous infarction occurs when, during a migraine with aura, a patient also has a stroke in the area of the brain from which the symptoms of the aura originate.
Migraine Seizure
A migraine seizure is an epileptic seizure that follows a migraine with aura. Auras can come in a variety of forms, but most have some sort of visual change or loss, including zigzagging lines, bright flashes, or a temporary blind spot.
Sources:
Headache Classification Subcommittee of the International Headache Society. The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edn. Cephalalgia 2004; 24(Suppl. 1): 1-160
Morley, Sharon Scott. "Guidelines on Migraine: Part 3. Recommendations for Individual Drugs." Am Fam Phys. 2000; 62:2145-52.
