Pleasant warmth, soothing coolness, fragrant herbal blends, nourishing oils and healing substances from fruit, vegetables and other natural products such as young barley, propolis and aloe vera bring considerable relief from a wide range of health problems.
Compress treatment depends primarily on how you feel and your mood. As a general rule, cold (or ice) compresses are used for inflammation, fever, sore throat, swelling, bruises, toothache, mouth ulcers, eczema and insect bites, and conversely, warm compresses are used for colds, coughs, hoarseness, bronchial pressure, menstrual cramps, abdominal pain from indigestion and growing pains in children.
The basic rule – testing and observation
When preparing a cold compress, pay attention to its temperature. It is not always true that the colder it is, the more effective it is. For example, some types of tonsillitis require very cold temperatures, so the best way to relieve the pain is to eat ice cream. With some types of tonsillitis, however, this could actually cause harm.
A cold compress or poultice is recommended for fever, but it must not be icy! If you are unsure about the correct temperature, use a curd cheese poultice instead, which you apply to your feet, wrap with a towel and leave to work for about 20 minutes. Repeat as necessary. For headaches, a pleasantly cool compress on the forehead or, conversely, a hot compress on the shoulders and neck can provide relief.
Similarly, cold compresses are generally recommended for middle ear infections, but warm, dry compresses may bring you relief. Perhaps only in the case of swollen ankles, bruised knees and other similar injuries do very cold compresses or ice packs work well for most people. Do not place ice or frozen vegetables in a bag directly on the sore spot, but wrap it in a towel first so that direct contact does not damage your skin.
Cold compresses are recommended for eczema, hives and rashes. However, some people find that showering the irritated area with as hot water as possible helps more. So try carefully to find what works best for you in your individual case. For inspiration, I have prepared a few tips for healing compresses. Hopefully, they will bring you relief.
Lavender helps with colds
One of the wide range of uses for the medicinal properties of lavender is for the early stages of a sore throat, cough, and runny nose.
You can rub lavender massage oil into your chest, back or neck area. Then apply a warm dry compress or wrap your neck in a warm cotton scarf. This may help to ward off an unpleasant cough and burning pain in the bronchial tubes.
If you use herbal pillows, you can keep them warm for longer by heating them in the oven at a moderate temperature before use.
Cold sore on the lips
You can use various types of compresses. They are, of course, most effective in the early stages of the disease. Apply a few drops of propolis mouthwash, which you can buy at a pharmacy or health food store, to a cotton swab. You can also prepare a compress from hypermanganic water. In an emergency, place a used tea bag (black and green tea contain tannic acid, which has an antiviral effect) or an ice cube on your lips. Apply the compress for a few minutes and repeat as often as possible until you feel relief.
Propolis mouthwash also helps with mouth ulcers. Put a few drops of the liquid on a cotton ball and apply it to the sore gum for a few minutes. If you repeat this often, the symptoms will soon go away.
Green powder made from young barley has also proven effective on cold sores. Due to its healing, cooling and astringent effects, it is also suitable for treating cuts.
Sage relieves toothache
Sage can provide first aid for sudden toothache. Prepare an infusion and allow it to cool to a comfortable temperature. Then take the liquid into your mouth and try to keep it there as long as possible (preferably until it cools down), essentially creating an „internal compress“. Spit it out and repeat the process several times in a row. Sage is not recommended for pregnant women!
Horse chestnut is effective in treating haemorrhoids.
For this unpleasant venous disease, you can prepare a horse chestnut compress according to the recipe of healer Věra Slavíková. Collect horse chestnuts in season, dry them, peel them and grate them finely. This will give you a raw material that you can use throughout the winter until the next harvest. Mix half a teaspoon of powder with a little high-quality oil so that the mixture remains firm. Then heat it to 40 °C and maintain this temperature for about 2 minutes. Place the mixture in a clean cloth and form a poultice. Allow it to cool to body temperature, then apply to the affected area for about 20 minutes.
Dry dressings for varicose ulcers
Apply a compress made from a mixture of borage and mullein flowers in a 1:1 ratio to a normally treated varicose ulcer. Pour the mixture of dried and crushed herbs into a linen or cotton bag. Heat everything to body temperature, apply to the affected area and leave the compress on overnight. This recipe also comes from the repertoire of healer Věra Slavíková.
Nosebleeds want winter
In the event of acute bleeding, apply a very cold compress (or ice in a handkerchief or scarf) to the bridge of the nose and the back of the neck. Change the compress regularly to keep it cold. Repeat until the bleeding stops. (In addition to the compress, it is necessary to immediately plug the affected nostril with cotton wool. The bleeding has stopped when you can no longer breathe through the affected nostril.)
We treat corns with lemon
Before going to bed, soak the affected foot in hot water for a while to soften the corn. Then dry your foot thoroughly and apply a piece of lemon peel with a little pulp to the problem area. Tie it up so that the compress does not fall off during the night. Remove it in the morning and repeat for several evenings in a row. You should see a noticeable improvement within a week.
For purulent inflammation of the nail bed, hypermanganese and aloe vera
Prepare a hot bath in a bowl or large mug with a few grains of hypermanganese (just enough to give the water a pinkish colour; ask at the chemist's for the correct dosage of hypermanganese!). Place the affected finger in the bath for a few seconds, then remove it and repeat the procedure for about 10 minutes. Repeat the entire procedure 4 times a day. In the evening, after the last procedure, apply a piece of aloe vera leaf pulp to the sore spot. If your finger still hurts a lot, surgery is necessary. You can also try this procedure for purulent inflammation caused by skin injuries, etc.
Minor burns from cooking and irons
Immediately place the affected area under cold running water until the pain subsides. You can also apply a cold compress. Cold water helps stop the spread of burns or scalds and relieves pain. Do not apply ice to the affected area, as this will further damage the skin. According to old recipes, it is recommended to rub egg white on the burn. If a blister forms, leave it alone. The surface of the blister acts as a protective layer for the healing skin underneath, and breaking it can lead to infection. Lavender oil is an excellent remedy for minor burns. However, some doctors do not recommend the use of oils and ointments because they retain heat in the skin. On the other hand, in addition to its medicinal essential oils, the oil has the ability to isolate the wound and thus reduce the risk of infection.
Acute and chronic rhinitis and salt compress
Heat the salt in a pan, then pour it into a cotton sock or linen bag. Place the centre of the hot bag over the bridge of your nose and the ends on either side of your nose. The heat provides relief and gradually heals the inflammation. Repeat the procedure several times a day as needed. You can use the salt again and again to make more compresses. Salt is also suitable as a warm compress for other health problems. For example, traditional Chinese medicine uses salt compresses on the feet for fatigue and exhaustion.
Help with headaches
Make a mushy compress from half a horseradish root according to old folk medicine. Grate the horseradish, add two tablespoons of water, and spread the mixture on a linen towel. Then fold the towel so that the fabric is on all sides and place it on the back of your neck. Leave it on for up to 5 minutes. Sensitive people may experience reddening of the skin, so try the poultice on a small area of skin first. Horseradish poultices also alleviate the symptoms of rheumatism and arthritis. Instead of horseradish, you can try a lemon peel poultice. Place pieces of lemon peel with the white pith removed on your temples with the moist side down and leave on for a while. The pain may intensify where the lemon peel is applied, but it should subside after a while and eventually disappear completely.
Yarrow wrap for digestive problems
You can use this herbal recipe for abdominal cramps caused by digestive problems. Pour boiling water over four tablespoons of yarrow flowers and leaves, cover and leave to steep for five minutes. Then strain the infusion and soak a towel (cloth) in it. Apply the prepared compress to the painful area. Keep the compress warm, for example with a hot water bottle. It is advisable to supplement the effect of the compresses on the abdomen with a massage. Massage gently in a clockwise direction, in the direction of food passing through the digestive tract. You can use a little oil for the massage.
Medicinal use of pulp
If you have a fruit and vegetable juicer at home, you can use the waste, i.e. the pulp, for medicinal compresses. The book Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Juices states that pulp from vegetables containing sulphur, such as cabbage, kale and onions, accelerates the healing of burns. Sulphur disinfects the wound and aids in the regeneration of damaged tissue. The poultice should be changed every few hours.
The author of the book, Dr. Lendon Smith, recommends the pulp of carrots, cucumbers, squash and pumpkin for the treatment of skin inflammations caused by eczema, rashes, cold sores or sunburn. A poultice made from the pulp of these vegetables is also suitable for fevers, when applied to the forehead, chest and abdomen. Compresses made from the pulp of starchy vegetables (potatoes, turnips, rutabagas) are suitable for local infections. You can use them on diabetic foot ulcers, open wounds, gangrenous sores, blisters and similar skin injuries.
The pulp from very sour or astringent juices can be used as a poultice to promote the healing of cuts and scratches. It also helps to stop bleeding.
Final note: If you are suffering from a serious health problem, you should take this into account and consult your doctor first about the effects of natural medicine.
Author: Petra Forejtová, Eng.
This article was published with the kind permission of of the magazine Sphere
casopis-sfera.cz / gnews.cz-HeK
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