How often should a plaster be replaced?

Plasters are effective in treating some injuries and gout, because we can directly apply the plaster to the painful area, and the drug effect can directly play a role, thereby relieving the pain. However, the efficacy of the plaster also has a shelf life. If it is applied for too long, it will not only have no effect, but also easily cause our skin to ulcerate. So how long should the plaster be applied before it is changed?

Generally speaking, the active ingredients in the plaster penetrate through the skin at the affected part to reach the subcutaneous tissue, taking effect locally or even acting on the whole body, but the drug content in the plaster is limited. For example, for external analgesic plasters for bruises and injuries, the skin has absorbed all the active ingredients of the plaster after 8 to 12 hours, and even if it is left on and not removed, it will have no effect.

If the plaster is not removed, it will increase the burden on the skin, hinder the permeability of the pores, block the discharge of sweat, and even cause local dermatitis symptoms, which is not good for your health. Moreover, when the plaster is applied for too long, it is easy to cause symptoms such as skin itching. If you still scratch at this time, it is easy to cause dermatitis, which will cause more serious consequences to the skin.

What are the precautions for applying plasters?

1. Do not apply plaster if there is damage on the skin surface. Doing so may cause infection. In addition, before applying the mask, clean the skin of the area to be applied with warm water, and then dry it thoroughly before applying. This will help the medicine to work.

2. People with allergies should not apply plasters. For people with allergies, if they are allergic to the plaster, it will cause skin allergies, such as redness, swelling, itching, etc., which is not worth the cost.

3. It is usually painful to remove the plaster. It will be much better if you wet the surface of the plaster with warm water before removing it.

4. If the skin where the plaster was applied becomes red, swollen and blistered, do not break the blisters first. Apply sterilized gauze on it and let the blisters subside on their own. If the blister appears in a place that is easy to break, you can also use a sewing needle at home. First, burn the tip of the needle red on the fire. After it cools down a little, prick it from the bottom of the blister. After releasing the water, do not move the outer skin of the blister. Cover it with sterilized gauze and wait for it to heal itself.

5. When applying the plaster, don’t just focus on the pain point. For example, due to pain caused by cervical spondylosis, some people may experience soreness in their arms and shoulders. If you only stick it on the arms, shoulders and other parts, it will not solve the root cause of the disease. The correct method is to find the tender points on the cervical spine. At the same time, if the lesion is within the joint, the muscles of the joint will form a protective contracture. In this case, plasters should be applied on the front and back of the joints to attack them from both sides so that the inflammation can disappear as quickly as possible.