To help reduce swelling from a closed wound, you should?

To help reduce swelling from a closed wound, you should?

• A. Apply 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off, and elevate.
• B. Apply heat immediately.
• C. Massage the area to increase blood flow.
• D. Keep the limb below heart level without ice.

Answer: (A)

Cold therapy combined with elevation helps control swelling after a closed wound. Applying cold causes blood vessels to constrict, which reduces blood flow to the area and limits fluid leakage into the tissues. Doing this in short cycles—about 20 minutes on, then 20 minutes off—helps prevent skin and nerve damage while still giving the tissue the cooling effect it needs. Elevating the injured limb further reduces swelling by using gravity to drain excess fluid away from the area. Heat right after an injury would increase blood flow and swelling, so it’s not helpful here. Massaging the area can push more fluid around and may cause tissue damage. Keeping the limb below heart level without ice doesn’t address the swelling as effectively because it lacks the cooling and the vascular effects that cold plus elevation provide. Tip: use a cold pack wrapped in cloth, apply as described, and avoid placing ice directly on bare skin. If numbness, color changes, or increased pain occur, stop and seek guidance.

Cold therapy combined with elevation helps control swelling after a closed wound. Applying cold causes blood vessels to constrict, which reduces blood flow to the area and limits fluid leakage into the tissues. Doing this in short cycles—about 20 minutes on, then 20 minutes off—helps prevent skin and nerve damage while still giving the tissue the cooling effect it needs. Elevating the injured limb further reduces swelling by using gravity to drain excess fluid away from the area.

Heat right after an injury would increase blood flow and swelling, so it’s not helpful here. Massaging the area can push more fluid around and may cause tissue damage. Keeping the limb below heart level without ice doesn’t address the swelling as effectively because it lacks the cooling and the vascular effects that cold plus elevation provide.

Tip: use a cold pack wrapped in cloth, apply as described, and avoid placing ice directly on bare skin. If numbness, color changes, or increased pain occur, stop and seek guidance.