Wet Socks Treatment and Therapy: Methods and Side Effects

Table of Content

• Wet sock treatment or Warming sock treatment

• Why should you wear wet socks to bed?

• When to start wet socks treatment?

• Wet sock treatment: Supplies and Steps

• Wet Socks Treatment Myth or Reality?

• Is there any scientific evidence? Does the statement wear wet socks to bed myth?

• How do wet socks benefit you?

• 10 Major side effects of cold sock treatment

• Take home points

• FAQ on Wet Socks Treatment and Therapy

Introduction

Wet socks treatment also known as a warming sock treatment or heating compress is an age-old remedy for many infections that boosts natural immunity.

Wet sock treatment or Warming sock treatment

• Ever thought that a pair of wet socks could heal your immune system? No!? Well, here it goes. So, warming sock treatment is a therapy commonly known as the "wet socks treatment".

• Wet sock therapy is a 100% natural and drug-free method to stimulate your immune system. Even sleeping with wet socks inhibits the occurrence of cold or flu.

• Wet sock treatment is a unique home remedy that has started gaining popularity and physicians often prescribe wearing wet socks to bed.

• It is fortunate to know that a simple home therapy could help us gain immunity during the pandemic situation where immunity has become quite an essential thing for all of us. So come, let's know more about wet socks treatment in detail.

Why should you wear wet socks to bed?

• Although the name might sound weird to most of you, wet sock therapy is an effective treatment as sleeping with wet socks activates the body's natural defense mechanism to fight against infections.

• The process involves soaking a pair of cotton socks in ice-cold water, wringing the wet sock thoroughly, and then wearing wet socks to bed overnight on warm-washed feet.

• When we wear wet socks to bed, the body reacts by increasing circulation, thereby stimulating the immune system. So, the Wet socks treatment boosts up the entire system to battle against stubborn viruses and minimizes the risk of long-suffering. 

When to start wet socks treatment?

• The right time to start the wet socks treatment is on the very first day of an illness or occurrence of symptoms. It gives the best results if the wet sock therapy is repeated for three nights at a go. However, people with chronic conditions or weakened immunity should talk to a doctor before starting the treatment. 

• The requirements and procedure of the warming sock treatment are as follows:

Wet sock treatment: Supplies and Steps

5 Supplies required for wet sock treatment

If this article caught your eyes, you are probably planning for wet sock therapy. So before knowing the procedure, you need to take care of things that should be kept handy to start a wet socks treatment. You will need-

1. Light cotton (90% natural fibers) or polypropylene socks up to the mid-calf length (a pair).

2. A bowl of ice-cold water (or freezer).

3. Thick warm socks (preferably woolen) up to mid-calf length (a pair).

4. A bucket filled with hot water (as hot as your skin can tolerate).

5. Epsom salt and moor mud (optional).

4 Steps of wet socks treatment

Below are the things you need to do for cold sock treatment:

1. First, take a pair of light cotton or polypropylene socks and soak them in ice-cold water. Alternatively, you can place the pair of wet socks or wrung socks in the freezer; or hang wet socks on a freezer shelf.

2. The next important step of wet sock treatment is to warm your feet. For warming, place your feet into a bucket of hot water and soak them for about 3 to 5 minutes. You can also take a warm water bath with Epsom salt to accomplish warming. 

3. Pat dry your feet with a soft towel. Then remove the wet socks from ice water or the freezer and squeeze wet socks well.

4. Now, put on the wet socks on your feet and cover them with a pair of thick woolen socks for warming sock treatment.

5. After wearing the socks, go directly tobed, lay down, or engage yourselves in reading, watching movies, or other activities so that you can avoid getting chills. 

If your symptoms don’t improve, follow this procedure to wear wet socks to bed regularly at night. Also, you should stop the wet socks treatment if your symptoms have either decreased or vanished altogether.

Instructions

• If you don't warm your feet properly, the wet sock therapy won’t be as effective as it should be.

• Make sure that you wring the wet socks so that water doesn’t drip out of them. 

• Keep a second set of nightdresses next to your bed, as your entire body might get wet out of excessive sweat. 

• Make sure that you wear wet socks to bed the whole night. After sleeping the whole night with wet socks, the next day you will see that the wet socks are dried up.

Wet Socks Treatment Myth or Reality?

• There are a plethora of myths related to health and wellness. While some of them might sound bizarre, others are famous for their effectiveness.

• Whatever the fact may be, there is one thing common to all such myths that we tend to follow as gospel since we are concerned with our health.

• The wet socks treatment myth or wear wet socks to bed myth too is one such method that seems quite odd and weird. While the debate on whether wet sock treatment is a reality or myth continues to soar, detailed studies and investigations define wet sock therapy as a fascinating phenomenon that works wonders.

• So, whether wet socks treatment is a reality or myth remains a mystery. But all we can say is that wet sock treatment is truly beneficial for improving certain health conditions.

Is there any scientific evidence? Does the statement wear wet socks to bed myth?

• Even though there is no precise scientific evidence why wear wet socks to bed? Except for some anecdotal ones, sleeping with wet socks is considered a placebo effect (a Dummy treatment effect where patients are given a fake pill or shot) whereas a strong therapeutic intervention improves a person's health conditions.

• The anecdotal evidence claims that when your feet begin to cool due to the wet socks treatment, the blood vessels in the feet start contracting, to supply enough nutrients to the organs and tissues. There is valid proof and evidence to prove that the wet sock treatment myth is true.

• Also, as your feetstart to get warm due to warming sock treatment, the blood vessels begin to dilate and eventually release toxins away from the body tissue. In this way,the warming sock treatment benefits several health issues through the underlying placebo effect, which ultimately becomes a boon for your health.

How do wet socks benefit you?

The wet socks treatment is often recommended by doctors and sleeping with wet socks is immensely effective in improving the following symptoms or conditions:

1. Wet socks benefits during pain relief

Wet sock treatment helps you in pain relief without any medication. When you wear wet socks to bed it will aid you in the faster relief of symptoms. The wet socks treatment helps in drawing blood and lymphatic flow from the head towards the feet. Some pain symptoms warming sock therapy can help you cure:

• Migraine.

• Headache.

• Cold feet.

• Pain in the ear.

Sleeping with wet socks to bed can help you get rid of symptoms in mild cases and also helps to relieve symptoms (as an emergency) in chronic cases until you visit the physician.

2. Wet socks benefits during weakness and low immunity

• Warming sock treatment helps to increase or boost your immunity by increasing circulation to the entire body including organs.

• Warming sock treatment activates the functioning of weak cells by providing enough nutrients.

• Wet sock therapy also helps in hydrating every cell and tissue by increasing water availability.

• Increased immunity helps you fight against any acute or new infections. Wet sock therapy involves activation of WBC increasing the functioning of natural scavengers of the body.

3. Wet socks benefits during sleeplessness or insomnia

• The wet socks therapy acts as a mild sedating agent that promotes better sleep and relief from stress.

• Sleeplessness or insomnia is a condition where it becomes hard to fall asleep naturally. If you experience any such situation, you can try wet sock treatment. Let’s see wet socks benefits during sleeplessness:

1. Wet sock therapy changes the sleep cycle, improves sleep quality, makes it easy to fall asleep.

2. Wet socks treatment also helps to maintain homeostasis (regulation of body temperature) making you feel comfortable in sleep.

3. Warming sock treatment provides a sedative action when you wear wet socks to bed thus prohibiting interruption from your sleep.

4. Wet socks benefits during cough

• Cold and coughs usually follow one another. If you have a weak immune system, you are more prone to these infections and it will make you uncomfortable during every seasonal change that occurs.

• Wet sock therapy will have your back in such cases. If you feel or experience any appearance of symptoms like itchy and sore throat or dryness of throat, throat infection, or inflammation wear wet socks to bed.

• Warming sock treatment will provide relief in chronic diseases of cough like bronchitis.

• Wear wet socks to bed for 3 nights to see better results of warming sock treatment. You can repeat the warming sock treatment until symptoms fade or you get well.

5. Wet socks benefits during hangover

• If you have a hangover and you are not too drunk to follow the procedure it is advised to go through wet sock therapy as sleeping with wet socks will help you relieve drowsiness, heat, headache, and any weakness that makes you feel discomfort.

• When you wear wet socks to bed, the cold sock treatment hydrates your body making you feel good and normal. Cold sock treatment makes your body work properly and actively.

6. Wet socks benefits during stress and anxiety

• Stress and anxiety have become normal for individuals due to their busy schedule, lack of time management, overthinking, bad sleeping habits and food habits, staying away from home and lack of confidence.

• Wet sock therapy can help you in all these situations. If you don’t have time to schedule a meditation time for yourself you can sleep with wet socks to bed, as the cold sock treatment helps you in calming your body and mind.

7. Wet socks benefits during fever

• Wet sock treatment for fever will benefit in reducing fever and its symptoms. Wet socks for fever support to - reduce body temperature, provide warmth, stimulate the immune system, relieve weakness and provide a soothing effect.

• We often use the wet cloth method during fever to cool the body temperature. Wet sock treatment for fever is also one such method used to reduce body heat.

• When we use wet socks for fever, it allows releasing heat from the surface of the skin like the head, hand, legs, or belly.

• Low-grade chronic fever can be decreased by the use of wet sock treatment for fever in any group of people. Wet sock treatment fever has fewer side effects than medications.

• Usage of wet socks for fever helps you to raise warmth during cold fevers or chills via increased blood circulation. Wet sock treatment fever stimulates your body to produce heat.

• But never use wet socks for fever at very cold body temperatures.

• Warming sock treatment works by increasing the immune system of the body, Nevertheless, do not practice supercooled wet socks during wet socks treatment for fever.

8. Wet socks benefits during infections

• Infections occur due to exposure to unfavorable conditions when you have weak immunity. Infections are more common in such cases that include bacterial, viral infections.

• Small children are more susceptible to these types of infections as they have weak immune systems compared to adults. It is not advised to use antibiotics very often as they may have side effects on long-term use. To boost their immunity, you can opt for wet sock therapy.

• Wear wet socks to bed if you have ear infections, viral and bacterial Infections. Thus, warming sock treatment protects your body from severity or pain.

• The wet socks treatment is also helpful in getting your body tissues toned after infections disappear.

Wet sock treatment can also be used in treating some seasonal diseases caused by viral infections, e.g., flu, cold

• Before getting into the effect of wet sock therapy on these diseases, let us have a brief knowledge about the causes, symptoms, and precautions to follow. Flu and cold both are viral infections but are two different diseases.

9. Wet socks benefits during cold

• Cold can be treated with plenty of rest, lots of water and medical treatment if necessary.

• Steam inhalation with menthol or steam capsules gives you much relief from the runny or blocked nose. Taking steam 3 to 4 times a day can be a good home remedy. Also, stay hydrated by drinking water.

• Various over-the-counter drugs you can use for cold:

1. Antihistamines - These are the anti-allergic medicines that help you cease the sneezes and runny nose caused by allergens like pollen, dust. E.g., Cetrizine, chlorpheniramine, diphenhydramine, loratadine.

2. Expectorants - Expectorants help to stimulate the flow of the nasal tract by expelling the mucus formed to ease out the stuffy nose and throat. E.g., Guaifenesin, Potassium iodide.

3. Antitussives - These act to suppress the cough. E.g., Dextromethorphan or even throat lozenges help in controlling cough. E.g., Strepsils, Vicks.

4. Nasal decongestants - Nasal sprays give you instant relief by clearing the nasal passage. E.g., Oxymetazoline hydrochloride, Phenylephrine hydrochloride.

5. Painkillers - To relieve symptoms of body pains, weakness and fever. E.g., Paracetamol or acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Aspirin.

• These medicinal drugs can be used at an early stage of illness, if you are suffering for more than 2 days it is best to consult a doctor or take medical advice.

• At the time of cold, wet socks benefits you by keeping you warm and cozy; also relieve you from sneezes and runny noses. Easy breathing is supported when you use wet socks for colds. Wet socks benefits in cold include -

1. Wet socks for cold help you clear the nasal path.

2. Warming sock treatment helps you during cold by reducing the congestion of the upper respiratory tracts, head, and throat.

3. Warming sock treatment aids you to treat the inflammations in the respiratory passage that are caused due to viral infection.

All this can be achieved if you wear wet socks to bed. However beneficial wet sock treatment is, it shares negative impacts too. The side effects of cold sock treatment are as follows:

10 Major side effects of cold sock treatment

Although the wet sock treatment relieves you from multiple health conditions, some patients may have specific contraindications or side effects. Some of the side effects are mentioned here -

1. Neuropathy - In patients with neuropathy, i.e., damage or dysfunction of nerves, the wet socks treatment might be severe as wet sock therapy can cause burning or freezing of feet.

2. Asthma - For patients with asthma, the wet socks treatment may cause sudden asthmatic attacks because of cold exposure or sudden improvement in the immune system. Consult your doctor if you want to test the effectiveness of cold sock treatment in such cases.

3. High fever - People with high fever or a fever of 100 degrees F or above, may experience more elevated temperatures due to the coldness from the wet sock treatment. You can use cold sock therapy at the early stages of fever or illness where the temperature is mild to moderate.

4. Pregnancy Complications - Pregnant women are likely to catch cold and fever if subjected to wet sock therapy.

5. Cachexia - It is a condition that causes weight loss and muscle wasting. On sudden exposure to cold sock treatment, extremely weak or wasting individuals are likely to get affected in more than one way. So wet sock treatment may cause further damage to their body.

6. Raynaud's, Diabetes, Arterial insufficiency & Advanced intermittent claudication -Patients with a history of these diseases are prone to certain health complications if the warming phase of the warming sock treatment is not done correctly. So, it is advised to consult a physician before taking the treatment if you have any of the medical disorders.

7. Low body temperature - If you are chilled or bear a low body temperature, the wet socks treatment can negatively impact your body. Cold sock treatment will give chills if you don’t warm your feet well.

8. Moist skin problems - The wet sock therapy can worsen skin problems caused due to moist skin conditions. Cold sock treatment is not for all skin type people as sleeping with wet socks all night may irritate the skin.

9. Fungal skin infections - The wet sock therapy can further deteriorate fungal skin infections on the feet. Having any skin condition like trenches may not be suitable for cold sock treatment.

10. Wool Allergy - The wet sock treatment can also be harmful to people having a wool allergy or sensitivity. When you wear wet socks to bed for such a long time, it may cause rashes or itching of the feet.

Take home points

• Consult a doctor if excessive chills, sweating or any abnormal symptoms persist.

• Wet sock therapy can be good for people of any age, starting from 3-month babies.

• All you need for the warming sock treatment is a pair of cotton and woolen socks and water.

• Repeat the wet sock treatment for 3 nights for effective relief.

• Stop the cold sock treatment as soon as you find any skin-related issues because of the wet sock therapy.

• Wet socks treatment myth is factual and works well.

References

• Wet socks benefits - sleep

• Heat loss-caused by cooling the feet

• Heated socks maintain skin blood flow

• Overview of colds and flu