You could use hot and cold compresses for many things. You should know when and how to use these very simple home treatments.
The purpose of hot compresses is to increase blood flow into blood vessels to facilitate healing, while the purpose of cold compresses is to constrict blood vessels to reduce swelling and pain.
Before using hot and cold compresses, you should classify if they are treatable by using these criteria:
1. There are no open or invasive wounds.
2. There is no nausea or vomiting.
3. Patients with debilitating or lifetime illnesses like diabetes, heart ailments, should consult first their doctors before commencing treatment.
4. The swelling or bump is not caused by other internal conditions like hepatomegaly, uremia and the like.
5. Bring to the hospital immediately persons with second degree and 3rd degree injuries. This is when the epidermis is already involved. It is in the epidermis that blood vessels, capillaries and venules are present.
So when do you use the cold compress?
Cold compress is used when there are swelling/inflammations caused by bumps. You apply the cold compress after every 15 for 5-7 minutes for 30-minute duration at least 3 times a day. Do not apply the ice directly into the skin as it may cause injury to bare skin because it has the tendency to cling to the ice. Wrap the ice in a clean cloth or placed it in an ice water bag. You could buy and ice water bag so you could use this whenever necessary. Shorten the time of application, if severe pain is experienced.