The benefits of ice when you’re sick

Welcome back Dispotech friends to our weekly appointment on the blog!

Thanks to an article published on itv.es, we will tell you about the benefits that ice can bring in these situations!

How is ice used?

If you are about to take some medicine with a terrible taste or smell, we recommend putting ice cubes on your tongue or in your mouth first. Putting a cube on the tongue will make the glands in the area virtually insensitive. In fact, taste buds can be gradually "deactivated" for a short period of time when using ice.

Something similar happens even when we drink something very cold or eat ice cream. Obviously the sense of taste does not completely disappear, so we are still able to perceive the flavours - even if "weakened" - especially if the medicine has a high chemical concentration (which makes it taste particularly strong).

Alternatives to ice cubes

If you don’t like the idea of ​​ice in your mouth, there are some excellent alternatives to consider. For example, take a glass of water and put it in the freezer. After a few minutes the glass should be cold enough. Take a nice big sip, keeping the water in your mouth a few seconds before swallowing - or anyway, when you feel you are losing sensitivity to cold on the tongue. Another more pleasant option is to eat a nice ice pop! The cool sensation on the tongue will certainly not be immediate, but the pleasure of eating something tasty will help with the wait. Try to keep the ice pop on the tongue as long as possible, so as to make the taste buds “fall asleep”.

How to help the little ones?

When we talk about bad-tasting medicines, we often think of children. It has been scientifically demonstrated that the development of the child significantly influences the taste buds, as well as preferences towards some tastes as opposed to others. This means children can be more susceptible to some strong flavours, something that changes over time and goes hand in hand with growth. Following this line of reasoning, it may happen that a three-year-old who is able to tolerate a medicine with a strong taste can forget this resistance after a few years, or in adulthood.

Returning to medicines, probably emulsions and syrups are the most difficult to get children to take. Instead of inhibiting the taste buds of children, you could try cooling the medicine, putting it in the freezer for a few minutes. In most cases, this allows the medicine to maintain its active ingredients, but to anaesthetize the bad taste.

Lessening the bad taste of medicine will make it easier for children to take, especially when they are sick and the senses tend to be more susceptible.

How about that? Ice has lots of benefits, all waiting to be discovered!

Did you know about this aspect of cold therapy? Continue following Dispotech, your disposable excellence to discover other interesting notions about ice and its beneficial properties!

Don’t hesitate to contact the Dispotech team for any further information.