The causes, symptoms and treatments of migraine 2025

In Hungary too, migraine makes life miserable for many people. This type of headache, which today counts as a widespread disease, mostly affects women and rarely occurs in men. Its underlying cause is still unknown; only a few factors that trigger an attack have been established, based on observation (e.g. menstruation, certain foods and drinks).

There are 3 types of migraine, and we distinguish 4 phases, which can also differ from person to person, and attacks do not always develop in this step-by-step way.

Attacks are most often treated with medication, and there are already many options to choose from. In every case regular medical check-ups are important, so that the medication is set correctly!

Besides medication, prevention and acupuncture can also be effective. Today the migraine piercing is also widespread; combined with the Shenmen piercing, it can make life considerably easier for a significant percentage of people with migraine.

If you would like to find out more about migraine, its treatments and the piercings, read my detailed summary of the subject below!

1. The causes of migraine

The underlying cause of migraine is still unknown, but many studies are currently under way to map this type of headache more thoroughly. Genetics may also play a part in the brain periodically developing abnormal activity, which temporarily changes the function of the brain area concerned.

So, as for the triggers, for now we can only rely on the observations of people who struggle with migraine attacks, on the basis of which it can be said that the headache can be triggered by:

• hormonal change (much more common in the 3 days before and after menstruation)
• cold / warm weather fronts
• stress
• certain foods (e.g. wine, cocoa, coffee, cheeses)
• tiredness

2. Types of migraine headache

We distinguish three types of migraine:

Migraine without aura

Without any warning signs, the headache practically explodes.

Migraine with aura

The headache attack is preceded by some warning sign, e.g. seeing sparks, or numbness in the arm or leg.

Aura only, without migraine

Rarely, it can happen that no headache develops, but the other symptoms typical of migraine and the signs of aura are present.

3. The symptoms of migraine

Migraine headache is typically:

• usually on one side only
• moderate to very strong throbbing pain
• worse with movement
• in rare cases it can spread to both sides, the face and the neck

The headache may be accompanied by:

• nausea, vomiting
• sensitivity to light and noise
• in rare cases: sweating, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, difficulty concentrating, hot flushes

It is also important to cover the symptoms of aura, which appear 5 minutes to 1 hour before the headache. These may be:

• visual disturbances (flashes, zigzag patterns, blind spots)
• complaints starting in the hands (and then creeping up into the arm and face): tingling, numbness, loss of sensation
• speech disturbance
• dizziness / balance problems
• in rare cases fainting

4. The phases of migraine

The phases below do not always develop step by step like this; it may even happen that you experience the headache straight away. The length and intensity of the phases can vary from person to person.

Phase 1: early symptoms

The early symptoms may appear a few hours or days before the attack: changes in behaviour and energy level, mood swings, decreased / increased appetite.

Phase 2: Aura

As already mentioned, aura does not always develop 5 minutes to 1 hour before the attack. Visual disturbances can be a serious

problem in this phase.

Phase 3: Headache

This phase can last from 4 hours up to 72 hours. Alongside the one-sided, throbbing, strong headache, nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and noise may also appear.

Phase 4: the symptoms fade

The headache and the accompanying symptoms gradually pass, but because of the great strain on the body you may feel very tired.

5. Forms of migraine treatment

Below I present the most popular treatment options for migraine.

a) Migraine piercing / acupuncture

Acupuncture, a method known from traditional Chinese medicine, is a healing method with a complex effect that not only relieves pain but restores the physiological balance of the whole body. With acupuncture needles that go under the skin, the tissues are stimulated at the junctions of the nerve pathways. The piercing placed at acupuncture sites also works on this principle.

The migraine piercing, together with the Shenmen piercing, is placed in acupuncture points that may have a pain-relieving and relaxing effect on the whole body.

In the Western world, the effect of the piercing, first used as fashion jewellery in the 1990s, was only discovered afterwards, when headache complaints decreased significantly among the people wearing it. Today research is under way to confirm this effect, and the London Migraine Clinic has also launched a more serious study in this direction.

Most people who come to me at the Medical Piercing studio come with migraine headaches, and based on the feedback I see that in 80% of cases the migraine piercing is able to seriously reduce or eliminate the symptoms of migraine headache. I wear a migraine piercing myself, and since then I have been completely symptom-free. That is why I decided to help others fight migraine too. My studio is in District 13, at Újpesti rakpart 7, where every week I place migraine piercings for more than 100 people who come to me. If you too decide to give a life without headaches a chance, you can book an appointment with me here, straight away:

b) Migraine medication / painkillers

Over-the-counter painkillers used already in the early phase can be effective, but it is important to take them when the symptoms that come before the headache appear, because they need time to be absorbed and take effect. Such medicines include those containing paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin, which you can freely ask for at pharmacies.

During the attack only very strong painkillers can work, which a doctor can prescribe, and their dosage is very strict.

Long-term use of over-the-counter painkillers can also cause headache attacks! That is exactly why continuous specialist medical check-ups are important.

c) Triptans

Medicines containing triptans were developed specifically for migraine and can only be prescribed by a doctor. It is important that this is a complementary therapy, so it is worth using other treatments too to prevent / stop migraine.

Forms:

• tablets
• nasal spray
• injection

Triptans make the blood vessels of the brain narrow, and so prevent them from widening (one of the main causes of migraine).

It is important to use the medicine only under medical supervision, that is, to follow the prescribed dosage exactly and to attend check-ups regularly. Overdosing the medicine can also trigger headaches.

The side effects of triptans may include:

• numbness
• a feeling of warmth
• skin redness
• stiffness
• a feeling of heaviness in the face, limbs and chest
• in rare cases: dry mouth, nausea, drowsiness

d) Other treatments

Among anti-sickness medicines, it has been found that tablets containing certain active ingredients may help relieve migraine symptoms in cases where you do not experience nausea or vomiting.

A combination of medicines (over-the-counter, triptan-containing and anti-sickness) can greatly reduce the unpleasant symptoms caused by migraine. However, all of this is only symptomatic treatment – none of the medicines treats the underlying cause itself!

6. Managing migraine at home in everyday life

It would be easy to say that the first and most important thing is to avoid the main trigger of migraine, stress, but doing so in today’s hectic world is almost impossible. That is exactly why I have collected some important tips that you can definitely follow so that headaches don’t make your days so miserable:

• During an attack, ease your pain with a cold compress or an ice gel pack wrapped in a towel.
• Ginger, nettle or lemon balm tea can also ease the discomfort caused by migraine.
• Exercise regularly!
• In small amounts caffeine can also have a positive effect, but it is worth first checking that coffee definitely does not trigger a migraine attack for you.
• Avoid the triggers. Above all, cut out the foods and drinks that you have already found definitely give you a headache.
• If your migraine is linked to menstruation, it is worth taking magnesium, which may help prevent migraine.
• Have a migraine piercing placed so that your symptoms can ease as much as possible!

7. Complications of migraine

A really recent study (23 November 2022) showed with MRI scans that migraine changes the structure of the brain, because the attacks can damage the small blood vessels of the brain. This process causes structural changes similar to those in dementia.

Another complication of migraine can be stroke. Ischaemic stroke (that is, the death of a certain area of the brain due to blocked blood vessels) occurs more often among people with migraine.

Many psychological problems can also go with migraine, as the illness can make social connection considerably harder, for example. It has been shown that among people with migraine the following occur more often:

• anxiety
• panic disorder
• depression
• bipolar disorder

8. Migraine and the migraine / Shenmen piercing

It was already recognised in ancient China that stimulating certain points of the ear can have a positive effect on certain internal processes. It was observed that certain points in the area of the outer ear are connected to the organs, and these were written down. Reflexology of the soles of the feet and the hands came about in a similar way.

The migraine piercing (known in English as the Daith piercing) and the Shenmen piercing both work on this basis. The piercing at the piercing site keeps the 10th cranial nerve, also called the vagus nerve, under constant stimulation, which has a pain-relieving, calming and anxiety-reducing effect on the whole body.

In the Western world, the Daith piercing only began to be used in the 1990s, and then only as a fashion, not because of its healing effect. However, wearers noticed that they had fewer or no headaches since the piercing was placed, and that their anxiety had also decreased. That is when its effect on the body began to be studied.

The Shenmen piercing began to spread in Hungary from 1985, after Dr Ajándok Eőry invited an American psychiatrist, Dr Michael Smith, who in his home country had successfully treated people addicted to drugs and alcohol with acupuncture therapy of this point.

The migraine piercing is placed in the fold above the ear canal, while the Shenmen piercing is located in the uppermost segment of the outer ear. The piercing requires great accuracy and precision.

A study carried out by the London Migraine Clinic examined people with migraine who had received a Daith piercing.

The results of the study are as follows:

• 75% of the participants state that after the piercing was placed their headaches eased significantly or went away completely
• 82% of those with the piercing are completely satisfied
• only 11% reported that they did not notice a significant change after the piercing

According to the doctors who carried out the study, Dr Chris Blatchley and Professor Arnold Wilkins, this procedure puts less strain on the body than constant use of medication, and if the piercing is done by the right specialist, the rate of positive results may be even higher.

source: https://www.london-migraine-clinic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Daith-Survey-Report-Version-2-EV1-24-10-17.pdf

9. How effective is the migraine piercing?

As the results of the American study published in 2017 above show, the headache went away partly or completely in 75% of the subjects who received a migraine piercing.

In Hungary, the number of people who have achieved significant or complete improvement through the migraine piercing can currently be put at several tens of thousands.

What I see myself – beyond the fact that both my son and I have been completely symptom-free since our own migraine piercings were placed – is that the migraine piercing is effective for 93% of our guests. A great many positive reports come in; I am copying only a few of them here, but you can read them all on our Google page by clicking here.

“I am happy that after a long time I finally decided on the migraine piercing. I don’t regret it! And Gabi’s hand is pinpoint-accurate and confident! Thank you, I am very grateful! P.S.: the fact that you asked how I was even 2 weeks later meant an incredible amount to me!”

“My child struggled with constant headaches (and we struggled along with her), then a friend recommended the migraine piercing. I didn’t know it was possible for 13-year-olds too, but because of all the medication we eventually agreed. Gabi was reassuring and kind, and although my daughter got very stressed about it, it remains a positive experience for her. Especially since she no longer has to stay in bed every week because of headaches, and can go and hang out with her friends!”

“First I had a migraine piercing, but somehow it didn’t bring the result I had hoped for. I went back to Medical Piercing, and they suggested the Shenmen as well. I agreed, because I didn’t want to take any more medication. I can say I absolutely don’t regret it! I am grateful that I didn’t give up, and thank you, Gabi, for your patience! I can only recommend it, especially the two together!”

“There’s no point taking medication unnecessarily – get the migraine piercing done as soon as possible (together with the Shenmen). You can be sure of its effect!”

10. Booking a migraine piercing

If, like me, you have already tried every possible treatment for your migraine but nothing has brought lasting improvement, I definitely recommend giving the migraine piercing a try! Week after week I see the change in the people who come to me, and I myself have been symptom-free since my piercing was placed.

I look forward to welcoming you at my studio in District 13, at Újpesti rakpart 7! Just click the button, book an appointment in 2 minutes and give a life without headaches a chance!