How to Ease Migraine Headaches with a Cold Rag Station

Migraine headaches are debilitating and can start with very little warning. You may be going through your day feeling fine, but start to feel the nausea that precedes a migraine. According to the Mayo Clinic, there is no cure for migraine headaches. Fortunately, there are home remedies you can use to ease the symptoms and make your headache pain easier to tolerate.

As a migraine sufferer myself, I have developed methods over the years to ease my own pain. Of all of the methods I've used, the cold rag station consistently eases my pain. I use the cold rag station whenever I get a full-blown migraine headache.

You've no doubt felt better while holding a cold, dampened wash cloth on your head when your migraine becomes unbearable. Unfortunately, you need to keep getting the rag cold since the heat of your head warms it up. That's where the cold rag station comes in.

Preparing the Environment

In order to get the most of your cold rag station, you need to create the right environment. For best results, find a comfortable place to lie down that is away from any noise or bright lights. A darkened bedroom will do the trick. If you need to, ask a friend to watch your children so you won't be disturbed.

Clear off the floor next to your bed or couch. This is where you'll place the cold rag station. If you're concerned about moisture, lay down a thick towel on the floor to soak up any drips of water.

Creating the Cold Rag Station

You'll need a bowl in order to create a cold rag station. Find a bowl that has a wide bottom and tall sides so it can hold a lot of ice water without tipping over.

Fill the bowl halfway with ice. Depending on the size of the bowl, you may need one or two trays of ice cubes to get it this full. Next, fill the bowl with water so the surface of the water goes just above the ice. Bring this cold rag station into your bedroom and set it on the floor next to your bed on top of the towel you laid out.

Using the Cold Rag Station

Now you're all set. Dip a wash cloth in the ice water of the cold rag station. Squeeze out the excess water to your desired level of dampness. Fold the washcloth and lay it over your forehead and eyes. I've found that folding it into thirds provides the best width for this task.

As you lie down and try to soothe your migraine headache pain, you'll find that the cold rag has warmed up after about ten minutes. Just reach over the side of your bed and dip the washcloth back into the ice water, wringing it out. The cold rag station eliminates the need to keep getting up to get your washcloth cold again.

Depending on the warmth of the room and the amount of ice cubes you used, the cold rag station should stay icy between one and three hours. If you still have a headache after that time, refresh the water and ice in the cold rag station and lay back down.

"Migraine Definition," MayoClinic.com