The French word “patch” is what gave shape to the term patch that we are now going to analyze in depth. However, that was an evolution of the Latin term “parthica”, which was used to refer to pieces of tanned skin, which were even used to shape instruments such as drums.
The concept of patch is used to refer to a piece of paper, fabric or other material that is adhered to an element with the intention of repairing it or restoring its functions. Depending on the context, it has different specific meanings.
A patch can be a piece of something that is glued or sewn onto a surface to cover a hole . If a pair of pants tears in the knee area, for example, it is possible to apply a patch and continue using it. A leaky blanket can also be fixed with a patch.
Patches, on the other hand, can be decorative elements . Patches with shields , logos, drawings or phrases can be sewn onto coats or shirts as ornamentation or to personalize them.
In the field of health , patches are products that contain active ingredients ; When you apply the patch to the skin, the drug or substance is released slowly. This means that the patches allow the administration of drugs transdermally.
The best-known transdermal patches are contraceptive patches (which release hormones ) and nicotine patches (used in smoking cessation treatments, replacing cigarettes).
In the same way, in the field of health we cannot ignore the existence of what is known as a heat patch or thermal patch. This is used to treat muscle pain in certain parts of the body, such as the lower back, shoulders or even the neck. If you manage to alleviate these discomforts, it is by applying several hours of heat to these areas.
Of course, we must not forget about the so-called slimming patches, which are those that are placed on the body and help to lose fat, activate the metabolism or even reduce the marks that cellulite is leaving on the skin.
To achieve these objectives, they have elements such as caffeine or L-carnitine in their composition, for example. Of course, however, there is no clear agreement on whether these patches help you lose weight or not.
Likewise, we have to establish that some of the best-known eye patches are the patches that some pirates wore to hide problems in one of their eyes as a result of a battle.
However, similar patches, saving the distance, are those that are used today in the treatment of children who suffer from what is known as “lazy eye.”
On drums , heads are the membranes that are placed over the openings of the instrument. To generate the sound, the musician must hit the head, causing it to vibrate.
For computing , finally, a patch is an application that corrects software errors, updates the program or adds functionality . It is common for patches to be used in video games to modify the original options (adding teams from different leagues in a soccer game, to mention one possibility).