To relieve the patient’s condition, modern medicine can offer not only medicines, but also devices specially designed for these purposes. Such products include: corsets, orthopedic insoles, bandages. Next, you will learn that this is a bandage, its purpose, read the instructions for using this medical attribute.
What it is
Bandage - what is it? This is an elastic belt on fasteners or Velcro, reliably fixing the necessary organ. When wearing a bandage product, the patient begins to feel relief, which contributes to a faster recovery. Due to its elasticity, wearing a band helps reduce the load on the spine, prevents pain in the lumbar and reduces the feeling of heaviness in the body during physical overwork.
Kinds
The main goal when wearing a bandage is to provide constant moderate pressure on a certain area. In this regard, bandage products can be divided into the following types:
- Postoperative. The bandage after surgery is effective to prevent postoperative hernia, it is used to reduce pain and quickly heal wounds and tighten scars.
- Prenatal. The bandage for pregnant women is a wide belt with Velcro, which evenly supports the stomach, thereby relieving stress from the back and abdominal cavity, and also prevents the development of uterine hypertonicity.
- Postnatal. This bandage can be applied immediately after birth. It is recommended to wear it to return organs to the correct position, to quickly return to shape, especially after cesarean section.
- Prophylactic. The appointment of a bandage is indicated for suspected development of an inguinal or umbilical hernia. In order to prevent surgical intervention, the bandage must be worn constantly for a long time.
- Knee. A bandage of this kind is used, recommended for sprains and bruises of the knee joints and lower leg muscles.
- Hernial. This kind of bandage is used for inguinal and umbilical hernia. The bandage helps to maintain the hernia in an adjusted state and prevents it from being infringed, thereby avoiding surgery. Children put on such a bandage with an umbilical hernia.
Forms
What is it - a bandage and what types exist, it became clear. Forms of bandage products are also distinguished by their diversity:
- To maintain the lower back, a bandage or belt is usually prescribed. It is convenient to use this product for pregnant women, since it is usually fixed under the stomach and does not put pressure on the uterus.
- Bandage in the form of underpants. Effective with a corrected hernia, helps maintain it in the correct position, not allowing it to be infringed. It is often prescribed after surgery to remove a hernia or after childbirth.
- Combination. Such a bandage effectively and evenly distributes the load throughout the body. It is prescribed during pregnancy to strengthen the back and with pain in the spine.
- Grace. Bandage in the form of a corset with fasteners located in the side and bottom of the product.
Indications for use
There are several indications in which the doctor can prescribe wearing a bandage:
- Surgery to remove the uterus, hernia, or cesarean section.
- Hernia. A bandage is prescribed for excessive physical exertion, despite the presence of a hernia, and also if wearing a bandage will help to avoid surgery.
- Varicose veins, accompanied by severe pain.
- Multiple severe pregnancy or threatened miscarriage.
- Prevention of back pain and the development of an umbilical or inguinal hernia with severe physical exertion.
Contraindications
In addition to the indications for the use of the bandage, there are also a number of contraindications for which you can not wear it:
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular, gastric ulcer, in which organ compression is strictly prohibited.
- Dermatological diseases, localized presumably at the place of contact of the bandage with the skin.
- People with kidney failure and other kidney diseases in which swelling appears cannot be worn.
- Fresh postoperative sutures and scars. Do not put on a bandage immediately after surgery. Only a doctor can decide how long after surgery you can start wearing a bandage.
- An allergic reaction to the material from which the product was made.
- It is not recommended to buy a postpartum bandage product in advance during pregnancy, since after birth the woman will necessarily lose weight, and the size of the bandage should correspond to the real volume of the hips.
How to wear
Often, in his prescriptions for wearing a bandage, the doctor recommends wearing it constantly without removing it. However, the period of wearing the product can be from four months or more, when the desired result is achieved, it can be removed.
It is important to remember the moment that the bandage must be removed at night, since the organs must rest at this time without any pressure from the outside.
Wearing a bandage after surgery should alternate with moderate physical exertion, that is, performing exercises from the exercise therapy program.
Wearing a prenatal bandage should begin from the fourth month of pregnancy until delivery. It is necessary to put on the product during pregnancy in a supine position, this is how the stomach takes the most correct position.
Postpartum bandage should be worn for at least two months, but a day should be taken for 2-5 hours. Wearing a postpartum bandage should be combined with physical activity.
If there are rashes, redness, or itching on the skin where the product comes into contact with the skin, it is better to remove the bandage and consult whether it can be worn in this case and what measures should be taken to avoid health problems.
How to choose the right
What is it - a bandage is understandable, but here's how to choose the right option? The choice of product must be approached with particular care, because it may have to be walked on for a long time.
When buying, you should first familiarize yourself with the instructions for using the bandage, see what material it is made of, while natural cotton should be at least 30-40%. The material itself should be soft and easy to wash.
When trying on a product, it should sit tight, but not squeeze organs, it should be comfortable in it, breathing and movement should be free, without tension. No pain or discomfort when wearing a bandage is excluded.
Fasteners must be durable, easy and secure to fix. The straps and Velcro should not rub.
Wearing a bandage product should only be beneficial, and not cause any harm, so you need to buy it only with the permission of the attending physician, having previously learned what it is a bandage, what it is intended for and how to wear it. After purchasing the product, you must carefully follow the doctor’s recommendations for its use.