All of us in childhood, mothers and grandmothers put a compress for colds. This tool has always been considered very effective and efficient and has been used for a long time. This method of treatment is considered folk, but it is often prescribed by pediatricians and doctors for various diseases.
What is a compress?
Compresses are different, and the effect is also different. A compress is nothing more than a medical bandage. That is how the word is interpreted. Compresses are wet and dry. Dry are used by doctors to protect a bruise or damage from pollution, cooling. They are prepared very simply: several layers of gauze and cotton are attached with a bandage on the affected area of the body.
Wet compresses are a kind of physiotherapy procedure. At the same time, gauze with cotton is impregnated with an appropriate solution and applied to the injury site. Wet compresses are divided into cold, hot and warming. The alcohol compress known to all of us since childhood is warming. What is it used for? How to do it correctly, with what diseases? You will learn about all this from our article.
How to make an alcohol compress?
For colds, probably the mosta commonly used and affordable home remedy is just that - a compress. Despite the ease of preparation and low cost, this remedy is one of the most effective in a number of diseases.
So how to make an alcohol compress? It's completely easy. From its very name it becomes clear that you will need alcohol. It can be replaced with the most ordinary vodka. Also get gauze (can be replaced with a wide bandage) and cotton wool in a roll. You will also need a plastic bag and a scarf, preferably woolen and old. After all, alcohol, if it gets on a thing, may well shed the fabric. So, the process itself:
- Dilute alcohol with water in a ratio of 1:3. If you use vodka, then for adults there is no need to dilute it, but for children the situation is different: you need to dilute it too (in a ratio of 1: 1).
- Heat the mixture to such a state that it is hot, but the hand "tolerates" the temperature.
- Soak gauze in the hot solution. A piece of it should be thick, folded in several layers.
- Wring out the gauze so it stays fairly wet, but not dripping.
- Smear the desired area (such as the skin of the neck) with oil or a very heavy cream. This will save you from possible burns.
- Apply gauze to the affected area.
- Place the bag on top so that it covers all the gauze with a margin of 2-3 cm on each side.
- Put a thick piece of cotton on the bag. It is convenient to cut it off the roll, these are sold in any pharmacy.
- A warm bandage in the form of a scarf should be fixed on top of the cotton wool. It is convenient to doif the compress is placed on the throat or knee. The scarf will enhance the warming effect.
If your throat hurts
Colds are often accompanied by a sore throat. This may be due to tonsillitis, pharyngitis, tonsillitis. Each sip is accompanied by pain that you want to get rid of as quickly as possible.
And one of the most effective methods of treatment is a compress! It is done in a course, within 4-7 days, but, as a rule, significant relief comes after 1-2 procedures.
How to make an alcohol compress on the throat? The instruction in this case is the same as described above. One procedure should last from 6 to 8 hours, so it is better to make such a compress at night. If a sore throat is also accompanied by a runny nose, it is very useful to add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to the compress.
If your ear hurts
How to make an alcohol compress if the disease has affected the ear? In this case, the procedure is somewhat different, and the mixture for preparing the compress will also be different. For the treatment of otitis media (not purulent!) camphor oil is mixed with alcohol in a ratio of 10:1. The bandage is applied directly to the site of inflammation, that is, to the ear itself. How to do this?
- Take a square piece of gauze folded in several layers (5-6) approximately 10 x 10 cm in size.
- Make a slit in the middle of the gauze.
- Dip a cloth in a pre-prepared solution of alcohol and camphor oil.
- Gauzeattached to the ear. In this case, the auricle is outside, threaded into the slot made.
- A plastic bag is placed on top of the gauze and ear.
- They put cotton wool on the bag.
- You can also put a piece of flannel or woolen cloth on top of the cotton to enhance the warming effect.
- The whole bandage is fixed with a bandage, wrapping it around the head.
This compress is left for 6-8 hours and is done once a day.
Other mixtures can be used as a solution: ordinary vodka, all the same diluted alcohol. About which remedy will be most effective in each case, of course, it is better to consult with your doctor.
If you overcome a cough
What to do if a vicious cold has spread to the lungs, and the cough does not allow you to sleep peacefully?
And in this case, a compress can help. True, it is not recommended to prescribe such treatment for yourself, because cough and cough are different. For example, with bronchitis, the compress is contraindicated. But if the doctor gave the green light, let's find out how to make an alcohol compress for coughing?
- Dissolve the same amount of honey in one tablespoon of hot sunflower oil. Add one tablespoon of vodka or alcohol diluted with water (in a ratio of 1:3), mix.
- Take a thick piece of fabric, preferably canvas (not thin cotton or gauze to avoid burns).
- Cut the fabric to fit your back.
- Dip the canvas inof the mixture prepared in advance, wring out a little and apply on the upper back (on the lung area).
- On top of the fabric in the area of the lungs, put 4 mustard plasters along the spine. Mustard plasters should lie with the back to the back (that is, not “hot”).
- Cover it all with a bag.
- Tie a criss-cross scarf, preferably wool.
- Lie on your back and apply the compress for 2-3 hours.
This procedure must be done 1 time per day for a course of 3 days.
Indications and contraindications for alcohol compress
When can and should I do an alcohol compress? It is indicated for diseases and troubles such as:
- tracheitis;
- laryngitis;
- otitis media (but not purulent!);
- gout;
- cervical and lumbar osteochondrosis;
- bruises;
- inflamed injuries;
- rheumatism;
- sciatica.
No alcohol compress:
- at temperature;
- to places affected by lichen, fungus;
- to places that are mechanically damaged (scratches, wounds);
- with purulent otitis media;
- for bronchitis;
- Babies under 1 year old.
It is not recommended to put an alcohol compress on young children from one to three years old. If your child is more than three years old, but you still doubt whether it is possible to make a compress (alcohol) for a child, be sure to consult your pediatrician!
Basic mistakes
What mistakes do people make when betting for the first timean alcohol compress for yourself or a loved one? Let's focus on this again in order to avoid them and not harm the body instead of good.
- Do not smear the skin at the site of the compress with cream or oil. Do not neglect this, and then you will not be burned!
- Forgetting or changing the sequence of compress layers, in this case losing all the effectiveness of the procedure. Do not forget: wet gauze must be covered with a waterproof film! This will prevent the alcohol from evaporating.
- Wrong dilution of alcohol. Remember - it is better to dilute alcohol with water more than less. Then your skin will thank you. Children need to dilute with water not only alcohol, but even vodka (1:1)!
And always remember the basic rule: an alcohol compress is only an additional method of treating colds and other diseases. Such treatment, despite the many years of experience of our mothers and grandmothers, it is advisable to use under the supervision of your doctor.
