There are so many ways that we can burn ourselves, even when we try to be very careful, burns can happen. While we can burn ourselves in many ways there is one thing they all have in common – they can hurt like crazy. The one exception is if you burn yourself and you can’t feel a thing – this is called a 3rd degree burn and it means that the burn has penetrated to the deepest of tissues and killed all your nerves. This is the most serious of burns and needs immediate burn care from a doctor.
Step One – Remove The Source Of The Burn
The burn source needs to be removed as soon as possible. If it is a hot object then it’s likely that you will have moved instantly, but there are other types of burns such as electrical and chemical burns which require more care. Chemical burns can be particularly hazardous to treat because the chemical might react with the water to form an acid which will burn even more. If the chemical is a liquid it is best to use a lint free cloth to try and remove the chemical. Take care not to use a scrubbing motion as you might remove the fragile skin.
Step Two – Cool The Burn
If you have ever had sun burn (the sun is one of the biggest sources of skin burns in the world) then you know that it can continue hurting well after you have removed yourself from the sunlight. This is because your skin retains energy so well so you need to immerse the burn in cold running water for at least 20 minutes to cool the skin sufficiently. If you don’t do this it will continue to burn and cause even more damage. If you find that the burn still stings, continue to keep it immersed in cool water.
Step Three – Care For The Burn
Burns are very susceptible to infection because the skin will blister and become very tender and fragile. Under no circumstances should you ‘pop’ the blister as this can cause all kinds of problems from bacteria entering it. The best course of action is to be prepared with a household medical supplies box which contains lint free bandages and medical tape and lighter secure a bandage over the burn – do not use a plaster to cover the burn as you don’t want anything to stick to the skin. In the case of sunburn, your skin will have lost a lot of moisture so regularly rub in after-sun to rehydrate your damaged skin. Don’t peel the skin once it starts to blister either.
Most burns can be treated with a little bit of common sense and a good household medical kit. Just remember to remove the source of the burn, cool the burn and then care for the burn properly.
