The traditional way of treating a very high fever is usually with the help of medicine accompanied by a cold compress. Whenever the skin gets bruised from injuries, it is already common knowledge to apply cold compress to minimize the swelling. And every time a minor burn is attained from cooking or from accidents, most people immediately apply cold compress. But what exactly is a cold compress for?
If an injury is attained, a cold compress is applied to reduce the swelling and ease the pain around the injured area. It is often applied with the use of gel packs, ice cubes wrapped around a clean piece of cloth, or by directly dipping a cloth in cold water. Here are four instances when applying a cold compress is highly suitable and effective:
1. Insect Bites
There are instances when the number of mosquitoes significantly increases and they go about buzzing at night. Ants can, at times, invade the kitchen or the garden. When these scenarios happen, there is a huge of possibility that while watching TV shows or while doing some gardening, one gets bitten by such insects. When an insect bites, they produce certain kinds of venom or proteins which they use as self-defense. Once these are injected into the skin, it can cause irritations. This can lead to itchiness, redness of the bitten part, minor swelling, and pain. The first thing that needs to be done is to wash the area with clean water and soap. Then after cleaning, you can apply the cold compress for ten minutes. This way, the pain and swelling will be reduced. And if the urge to itch continues to pester you, lotions and creams may be helpful. Baking soda mixed with water is also a natural remedy for itchiness caused by insect bites.
2. Puffy Eyes
Puffy eyes are a condition where swelling in the eyes appears due to various factors. Since the skin surrounding the eyes is relatively thin and is composed of many blood vessels, it is very sensitive. Applying different brands of creams to treat puffy eyes cannot fully guarantee its disappearance. However, cold compress displays a significant improvement in treating puffy eyes. The ideal amount of time in applying cold compress ranges from ten to fifteen minutes. Cold compress also shows remarkable action in treating puffy eyes faster, with its effect lasting for a longer period of time. This is because the cold temperature reduces the swelling in the eyes which is the culprit in having puffy eyes
3. Bleeding from Wounds
When clumsiness or unavoidable situations lead to wounds, sometimes the bleeding is difficult to stop. But there is an effective solution in stopping the wound from bleeding. Just apply a cold compress. The low temperature slows down the blood flow. Cold decelerates the blood flow towards the area of the injured part of the body, thereby reducing pain and swelling. Cold therapy slows circulation, reduces inflammation, muscle spasm, and pain.
4. Swelling from Injuries
If a person is athletic, there are circumstances that he can get injured and suffer from sprains, swelling, or bruising. If an athlete gets these injuries, it is essential to immediately apply cold compress in the injured area. This is necessary in order to treat the underlying soft tissues that might have been damaged due to the injury. Cold compress must be applied for no more than 20 minutes. A 10 minute gap must pass in between applications of cold compress. Bleeding on the tissues underneath may also cause swelling and pain which can delay the healing process. With the help of cold compress, the temperature of the damaged and affected tissues will be lowered resulting to the constriction of the blood vessels thus reducing blood flow.
