A burn is a type of injury to the skin or other tissues caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, friction, or radiation. Burns are not only a burning sensation, but also damage the skin and deep tissues under the skin.
(Injury caused by burns)
Depending on the extent and extent of the spread of the skin, burns are divided into 3 types:
– Grade 1: lesions in the epidermis of the skin, with manifestations of red, painful skin and very sensitive to the touch.
– Grade 2: lesions in the dermis layer of the skin, with red, painful, sensitive skin, and often blisters on the skin.
– Grade 3: lesions throughout the depth of the skin and subcutaneous tissues, with white, black skin manifestations, less sensitive to the touch and painless, few blisters appear.
First-degree and second-degree burns with a small area are considered minor burns and can be managed and treated at home. 3rd degree burns, 2nd degree extensive burns, chemical burns and burns to the hands, feet, face, groin are classified as severe burns, needing to be urgently taken to the hospital.
Treat the initial burn properly
Treating burns correctly at the early stage is very important when caring for burns, if left for more than 15 minutes, the effectiveness will be halved. The first step to do when a burn is to cool the burn under clean running water, you can use physiological saline to gently wipe the burn. For minor and minor burns, the burn can heal quickly by using a clean towel soaked in cooled strong tea or cool water to cover the blister for about 30 minutes, then cover the blistered area with a bandage. to avoid collision, causing blister rupture.
(Cool the burn under clean running water)
Do not arbitrarily treat at home with oral experiences such as: applying soap, rubbing fish sauce, applying toothpaste, applying medicine, or pouring ice water on the burn,… The effects of these methods are not yet known. true, while complications are more severe because they easily cause wound infection. Clean, cool water is the best first aid remedy for burns. Cool water will relieve pain, reduce burning immediately, and at the same time have the effect of reducing inflammation, reducing edema, reducing the depth of damage for superficial burns. Do not use cold water or ice to cool the burned skin because it can cause vasoconstriction, making the burn worse.
Poking blisters from burns can cause inflammation
Usually, minor burns will heal after 3-4 days, the skin will heal, but if handled improperly, poking the burn will cause infection, pain and slow healing.
Note: if the wound drains from the blister with a bad smell, the blister is painful, red, widespread, and slow to heal, the blister is infected. In this case, the patient should immediately go to a medical facility to be examined and treated by medical staff.
Care for broken burns
When the burn is broken, it will cause discomfort and pain to the patient and needs careful care to avoid infection. There are a few simple steps you should take every day to take care of a burst blister to ensure it heals quickly.
It is necessary to change the burn wound regularly as well as change the dressing on the burn. Before changing the dressing, gently clean the burn and apply antibiotic ointment. The patient should keep the wound ventilated and dry and use a bandage until the burn is completely healed. If the wound is itchy because of the young skin, do not scratch or touch the wound much.
If the burn is no longer painful, the skin below gradually heals and is not softened, the peeled skin can be removed with sterile tools. In case the burn has an inflammatory phenomenon: redness, swelling, pus, fever, pain, … the patient needs to see a doctor for timely resolution.