Treating burns the proper way is necessary if you do not want to have everlasting scars on your body, particularly your hands. Of course, burns are no stranger to us, but most of us can’t treat a scalded palm the correct way. Let’s know all there is about burns as well as treating them appropriately.
Methods For Treating Burns The Proper Way
However, as ironic as it sounds, most do not know the right way to treat a burn. It is usual to see burns degenerating, filled with debris, or becoming infected. In worse scenarios, the burns can become well-pronounced scars on the body, which may lead to a lack of confidence, disinterest in living, and even depression.
I’m sure no one wants any of these, so what is the proper way to treat burns?
Well, burns are treated according to their degree of severity. There’s the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-degree treatment for burns. Before looking into any of the three, though, let’s consider the immediate, general treatments for all degrees of burns.
- Stop The Burning: This is an obvious step, isn’t it? Your first and primary focus when you or someone else is burning is to put out the source of the fire. Extinguish the threat. Alternatively, it could be hot water, so get the person away as fast as possible. Remember, the longer the burning period, the worse the burns.
- Remove Hot or Burning Items: The next step is to remove burning or hot items from the person’s body. This will be necessary to prevent aggravation. If, however, there’s a piece of fabric around the affected area that’s refusing to come off, avoid pulling or tugging it away. Just cut around it carefully. Keep in mind that burns are easily inflamed, so get rid of any item that may put pressure on the spot as it swells.
Proper Treatment For 1st Degree Burns
Unlike how a murder count is charged, a 1st-degree burn is the least dangerous of all degrees of burns you could suffer. Typically, it involves just the topmost layer of the skin, without reaching the deeper layers or causing internal damages. It is thus manageable and rarely leaves long-lasting scars on you. The following are the steps to take in treating a 1st-degree burn, although you may have to consult with your doctor immediately after containing the situation.
- Place the burnt area under cool water that is preferably running. This will help to cool the burns and provide instant relief, although temporarily. While doing this, do not rub the area, as this will cause irritation and worsen the situation. Lastly, never use cold water. Make do with cool water.
- Get some protection by tying a non-adhesive and sterile bandage or tourniquet on the area. As an alternative, you can make do with a clean piece of cloth. Notice the emphasis on purity; it is to ensure that the wound doesn’t become an entry point for infections.
- Administer or use over-the-counter medications to relieve pain. This includes Ibuprofen, naproxen, and Acetaminophen.
- If, after some time, the wound looks or feels worse or shows no improvement yet; oozes pus or whatever; wider than 2 inches; looks red; extra swollen, or you start to feel feverish, you should immediately get expert help.
It is common to see people apply ointments on 1st-degree burns, and I must say it is not the right thing to do. Thinking of it, it is easy to see why complications often arise from simple burns that should be easily treated. When treating burns as discussed above, never apply oils, creams, or lotions to the spot.
In particular, avoid fragranced choices as they are a definite way to infect the wound. Instead, if you have to use it at all, the best option is petroleum jelly or ointment. Anything apart from this can be disastrous.
Proper Treatment For 2nd Degree Burns
Treating a 2nd-degree burn correctly is more important than treating a 1st-degree burn properly. This does not mean you should treat a 1st-degree burn inappropriately or anyhow you wish to, but the stakes are higher in a 2nd-degree burn. As the name may suggest, 2nd-degree burns concern the top 2 layers of the skin and are thus more dangerous. Below are the steps to treat such wounds:
- Immerse the spot in cool water for 10 — 15 minutes to cool it. Remember that you aren’t using cold water.
- Avoid breaking blisters on the surface of the wound.
- Avoid the application of ointments, lotions, or creams.
- Never use ice on a 2nd-degree burn.
- Wrap the burns with a non-adhesive, disinfected bandage, and then hold in place with gauze or tape.
- Depending on the severity of the burn or the area affected, the person may go into shock. Prevent this by laying him or her down with elevated feet.
- Keep the burnt area above the heart.
- Seek medical attention. This is not negotiable.
Properly Treatment For 3rd Degree Burns
Owing to the previous explanations on 1st and 2nd degrees burns, you should expect that 3rd-degree burns are extremely damaging and should be treated with utmost urgency. This degree of burn concerns the three layers of the skin.
Basically, treating a 3rd-degree burn is done just as you treat a 2nd-degree burn, albeit with more urgency and care. However, the very first step in treating burns of this category is to dial 911 and request for immediate care as soon as the accident happens. After that, you can then proceed to cover the wounds with a sterilized cloth, monitor heart rate for shock, and raise the area over the heart.
Here are three tips to take with extreme relevance:
- Never expose 3rd-degree burns to any liquid, even water.
- Never place the head on a pillow when treating an airway burn, as doing so is likely to shut the airway.
- Should the burns affect the face as well, do not lay the person down.
Conclusion On Treating Burns The Proper Way
Burns are frequent injury experiences for most people. It’s pretty easy to touch a recently used pressing iron or hold a still hot plate, isn’t it? If you cook regularly at home or make campfires at camping sites, it’s common for embers to burn your skin should you lose focus, even for a second.
Anyone who works with fire should know that it is a highly unpredictable and destructive element. Therefore, treating burns the proper way should be a top priority for everyone.