How to determine whether you should apply hot or cold compress when you have acute mastitis?

When we have symptoms, we must actively seek treatment, but in daily life, how do we take care of our health, or how do we take precautions before seeing a doctor? One of the most critical ones is the issue of cold compress and hot compress. We must understand this aspect well to avoid any consequences that are detrimental to health.

Confused about when to use heat and when to use cold? It’s actually very simple, just remember the principle of “thermal expansion and cold contraction”!

If it is an external force impact, and the pain symptoms have just occurred in the acute stage, the swollen and inflamed area should be reduced in order to reduce the swelling. At this time, the principle of "cold shrinkage" should be used to reduce the swollen and inflamed area, so cold compresses should be used. When applying cold compress, do not apply ice directly to the wound. Instead, apply a layer of cotton cloth to prevent frostbite from happening. The cold compress time should not be too long. If you feel numbness on the skin surface, you can stop applying the cold compress. Wait until the numbness disappears and then continue to apply the cold compress until the swelling of the wound is relieved.

If the soreness of bones, muscles and tendons is caused by poor posture and the muscles feel tight and stiff, you should use the principle of "thermal expansion" and apply hot compresses to help the blood circulation in the sore muscles and relieve the soreness. When applying hot compress, be careful not to set the temperature too high to avoid scalding the skin. Repeat the hot compress 1 to 3 times, with each time limited to 10 to 15 minutes.

By understanding cold compress and hot compress, we can understand this clearly. Cold is for contraction, heat is for expansion. So now that we know this truth, we can use this principle to infer whether to use cold compress or hot compress for some diseases. Of course, before using cold compress or hot compress, it is best to consult a professional first.