Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

A cold compress is used to cool the injured area, which protects body tissue by reducing metabolic rates and swelling around the affected area. A cold compress can be in the form of a towel soaked in cold water, a special pad, or a bag that is frozen through a chemical reaction. A cold compress should be used in case of soft tissue injury in the form of muscle or ligament sprains, bruises, and toothache.

Steps

1. 1 Place the affected area of ​​the person's body above the heart, but if this is not possible, then place it as high as possible without taking the person out of a comfortable position. A cold compress and lifting the affected area will prevent swelling, which can be very harmful and painful to injured tissue.
2. 2 Prepare a compress.
   • Roll up the ice in a towel or put the ice in a plastic bag. The best compress is a specially created ice pack available in pharmacies.
   • Use a pharmacy compress that was stored in the freezer. This compress can be filled with gel or special granules that stay cool for a long period of time.
   • Start the chemical reaction of the compress by tearing apart the inner bag of chemicals. This will allow the elements of the outer bag to mix with the elements of the inner bag, creating an endothermic reaction that will cool the compress.
3. 3 Gently place the cold compress over the affected area, or place the injured area on top of the compress.
   • Place a cloth or towel between the patient's skin and the compress, otherwise a self-prepared compress may cause frostbite. Most pharmacy compresses have a thick outer coating that protects the skin.
   • The patient will need to keep the compress in place depending on the location of the injury. You can also bandage the compress to the affected area.
4. 4 To improve the healing properties of the compress, wrap it around the damaged tissue with an elastic bandage. Do not tighten the bandage too tightly, or you will interfere with blood circulation in this area, which will only aggravate the patient's pain.
5. 5 Remove the compress from the affected area to avoid frostbite. If you are using a cold compress, throw it away after the end of the procedure.
6. 6 Apply the cold compress again after 2 hours. Continue using the compress every 2 hours for 20 minutes for 3 days or until the swelling is completely gone.
   • If the swelling is too severe, reapply the compress 30 minutes after the previous one within the first 2 hours after the injury.

Tips

• Although the headache is not accompanied by swelling, a cold compress on the forehead or the back of the neck will help relieve the pain.

Warnings

• Never refrigerate a chemical cold compress before use. Additional cooling can cool the compress to the point that it is dangerous to apply it to the skin.

What do you need

• Ice
• Small towel
• Package
• Frozen vegetables packaging
• Ice pack
• Cold pad
• Chemical cold compress
• Bandage