Using and Improvising Cold Packs

Disclaimer.  I am not a licensed health practitioner.  This is just another post on an item you might wish to have available if needed so that a physician can treat you and your family as best as possible.  No medication, including those available over the counter, should be taken without consulting a physician.  Information shared here is for educational and entertainment purposes only.  It is not medical advice nor a substitute for licensed medical care.  A qualified, licensed physician or other medical provider should be consulted before beginning any herbal or conventional treatment.

 

Cold packs and ice packs are most often used to reduce swelling following an injury like a sprain or muscle strain.  These packs also work well for treating bug bites (like I did earlier this week), arthritis, tendinitis,  In an ideal situation, you know, when you don't have anything else to do, the cold/ice pack is applied for 10 minutes every hour in the first 72 hours following an injury.  After that, it should be applied 3 times per day for 15-20 minutes, and especially after working, exercising, etc. 

The cold/ice pack really only works if it actually comes into close contact with the afflicted tissue.  The pack should definitely not be applied directly to the skin; there should be a cloth of some sort between the pack and the skin to prevent damage to the skin.  That being said, the pack should conform to the afflicted body part as closely as possible for maximum benefit.  

Because cold /ice packs are so easily improvised at home, many people don't actually store chemical cold packs.  And why would you, when it is so easy to use a:

• bag of frozen vegetables;
• damp towel, wrung out, and frozen for 15 minutes;
• bag of ice;
• freezer bag filled with 1 cup of rubbing alcohol and 3 cups of water, frozen until slushy;
• a cloth bag filled with rice and frozen.

However, none of these may be an option when there is no electricity and in the interesting times ahead.  And that's where the chemical cold packs come in.  These are NOT ice packs, nor are they designed to be.  They should probably be thought of more as "cool" packs.  They don't get incredibly cold, one reason for which is to prevent damaging skin tissue.  And they don't last forever, just about the amount of time a cold pack is to be applied  before taking a break, 10-20 minutes.  These chemical cold packs should not be used around the eye to avoid inflicting any damage to the eye in case the chemical cold pack springs a leak.  

Chemical cold packs are available in a variety of sizes, configurations (like for neck or back or knee), and disposable or reusable.  Lower-end options are sold at dollar stores, but even large ones through medical supply stores are pretty inexpensive, especially if purchased in bulk.  

A roll of gauze or vet wrap can be used to hold a cold pack in place. 

Every once in a while, you come across the suggestion that these chemical cold packs can be used for treating hyperthermia--heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke.  Researchers at Stanford simulated a test to determine the validity of the claim.  Their results showed that these chemical cold packs are just not effective in such a situation; regular ice packs are 5-6 times better at rapidly cooling a hyperthermic body.  Save the chemical cold packs for physical injuries.

Links to related posts:  
Tapes and Wraps  

For further reading:
https://consumer.healthday.com/encyclopedia/first-aid-and-emergencies-20/emergencies-and-first-aid-news-227/ice-and-heat-packs-645144.html
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1080603212003055
https://www.wemjournal.org/article/S1080-6032(12)00305-5/pdf

 10 september 2019