#Hot Compress

[macgyvermedical]

Home Nursing Advice Column #2: Tracking and Treating Small Skin Infections

Small skin infections occur when bacteria enter the body through a cut or nick in the skin. As the bacteria multiply, the body's immune system responds, causing the area to become hot, swollen, red and painful. This response encourages blood flow through the area, bringing bacteria-fighting white blood cells and carrying away dead bacteria and other waste.

You can tell whether you need to see a doctor about this infection by tracking how quickly it spreads through the skin. Do this by drawing an outline around the reddened area. The line should be tight against the edge of the infection so you can see if the infection gets bigger or changes shape.

If the redness spreads rapidly (if you can see a significant difference within about an hour), call a doctor, as this might require antibiotics to treat. Other reasons you might want to see a doctor is if there is a pocket of pus below the site of infection, you have diabetes or vascular problems, or if the area is more than 2 inches across.

If the infection is spreading very slowly or while waiting for a doctor to call you back, you can help the process along and speed up healing by using hot, moist compresses.

Take 2-3 cotton washcloths or rags and put them in a pan of tap water. Heat the water on a stovetop to about 107-110 degrees F. Take the first cloth out, wring the excess water out of it, fold it, and press it against the site of infection. It should be uncomfortably hot, maybe somewhat painful, but it should not burn you.

Every minute or so, put the first cloth back in the water, and take the next cloth out, wring it out, fold it, and place on the infection. Repeat for 20-30 minutes, then allow the site to go back to it's normal temperature.

Do this every 2-3 hours while awake. Right before each session, draw your outline of the reddened area the same way you did initially. You should start to see the red area shrink. If you don't see any change within a day, call a doctor.

[fruitwhimsy]

guys............ sniff.............. they're so underrated....... i need more fanfiction of them.............. please................. they are SO fine idc........

[saetoshis]

FUUUCKKKKKKK

[spndxjck2]

[vincentmeatballs]

I need to touch another meaty man.

[kathegoose]

cool cat lookin' for a kitty, gonna look in every corner of the city...

mimic in the fit i am wearing right now with the awesomedude tiger shirt,., carrying a plastic bag just as i did today

oohhhh actually have a tiger closeup. awesome redraw

[henrylam261]

Rodolfo

[cyanoprawn]

Steel Ball Run paper dolls ☆

[aimeninspandex]

[alaskan-wallflower]

Darry used to work as a lifeguard at a local pool when he was maybe 17 or 18 and he made everybody in the gang learn how to do CPR and other basic medical procedures. It comes in handy pretty frequently, shockingly enough. Especially when Sodapop forgets his inhaler at home, everybody knows how that goes.

[henrylam261]

[spndxjck2]

[zytes]

7.4.2022

[aimeninspandex]