Doctors categorize burns from hot water, fire, electrical contact, chemicals, and the sun-according to their severity: first degree, second degree, and third degree. First degree burns are the least serious, causing redness and sometimes swelling. Second degree burns also produce blistering. Third degree burns may look white or charred and can cause serious injury to deep layers of the skin or muscle. Third-degree burns and extensive burns require emergency medical treatment.
You can usually treat superficial burns at home. But if a burn goes through all layers of the skin or blisters, or if redness and pain continue for more than a few hours, take your child to the doctor. Always see the doctor if your child has:
? An electrical burn
? A burn on the hands, feet, face, or genitals, or over a joint
? A burn larger than the palm of the child's hand
? A charred, deep white burn (signs of a third-degree burn)
? A burn near the eyes
? A burn with more than 10 blisters or an open blister
? Multiple burns or burns covering large areas of the body
You need to act quickly when your child is burned to minimize pain, discomfort, and possible complications. Follow these general guidelines for treating burns:
? If the burn that is on the child is on an arm or leg, place the affected area under cold water immediately and hold it there for several minutes. Apply cold, wet cloths to burns on other areas of the body for several minutes. Don't apply ice to a burn; it can cause more damage.
? Remove clothing from around the burned area.
? If the burn is not oozing, cover it with a sterile gauze pad.
? Never use butter, grease, petroleum jelly, or other oily substances on a burn because they can trap heat in the skin and worsen the burn. Do not use first-aid creams or sprays that contain benzocaine because they can cause an allergic rash.
? If the burn is oozing, leave it open or cover it lightly with sterile gauze and take your child to the doctor's office immediately.
? Watch for redness, swelling, a bad odor, or discharge, which can signal infection. Infection needs to be treated by a doctor.
? If the burn is painful, give your child a pain reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen (never aspirin) and carefully apply cold, wet cloths to the site of the burn.
Sunburn is one of the easiest injuries to prevent. A bad sunburn during childhood can increase a person's risk of malignant melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer, later in life. Frequent overexposure to the sun also predisposes a child to less serious forms of skin cancer. Sun exposure is especially dangerous for children with fair skin. You can reduce your child's future risk of skin cancer by limiting exposure to the sun, using sunscreen after 6 months of age, and dressing the child in clothing that covers the arms and legs. Include a hat to protect the head.
Treating Burns At Home
Getting oneself or your siblings burnt is a very common occurrence in every household. Even if you are not a child you can still fall victim to burns. Some of the common causes of burns would be through steam, hot bath water, hot coffee etc. You can also get burnt if you handle hot objects like a hot plate, curling iron, being too close to the stove etc. Electrical burns can be due to touching a live wire, sticking your fingers inside electrical outlets etc. You can also suffer chemical burns due to bleach, cleaning agents etc.
There are three types of burns first-degree burns, second-degree burns and third degree burns.
First-degree burns are considered to be mildest amongst the three. The stipulated time for healing these kinds of burns is 3 to 6 days. You will notice that the skin turns red accompanied with pain and slight swelling.
Second-degree burns are the more serious kind, where the skin's inner layer is also affected. The burnt area produces blisters which can be very painful. These burns may heal depending upon the seriousness of the burns.
Third-degree burns are considered to be one of the notorious kinds affecting the layers of the skin and the underlying tissue. It is a gory picture with waxy white, leathery, charred skin color. In the initial stages due to the nerve damage you may not suffer any pain.
Self-Care Measures
Inspect the burn and cover it with a dry cloth.
You need to elevate the burnt area above your heart level to get rid of the annoying pain.
Include citrus fruits, potatoes and broccoli in your daily diet to help in the healing process due to the presence of vitamin C.
Home Remedies for Burns
Aloe vera plant has a great quality of healing, so if its juice is applied on the affected area you can easily get relief from the burn.
When the burns start to heal, you can rub the liquid of vitamin E capsule to soothe the irritated skin. It would also prevent it from scarring.
Apply honey over the burns once it is cooled by running water or ice cubes.
Betel leaves absorbs heat which helps in the healing process. Crush betel leaves along with sugar to be applied on the burnt area.
To stop the burning sensation use cold water and vinegar compress till the pain subsides later apply potato slices. This would really work well on first degree burns.
You can apply toothpaste (any kind, except gel) on the burns. This kept overnight can give relief to the burns.
To remove scars spread egg white over the burnt area. Once the egg hardens roll it off. If need be continue it once more.
Apply nail-varnish on the burn to prevent infection and the constant pain. These can be good for first-degree and small burns.
When burnt, soak the area in cold milk or keep pouring milk on the burnt area. Once this is done rub raw vitamin E on the burn to have a quick healing process with minus scarring.
For minor burns mix together two tablespoons each of marsh mellow and comfrey root. Set this mixture on a low heat with one cup of olive oil and one cup of wine for 30 minutes. Cool and strain and apply this liquid on the burn to get relieve.
Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.
Both Jesse Walters & Kevin Pederson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Jesse Walters has sinced written about articles on various topics from Parental Care, Breastfeeding and Parenting. Spring Creek Toys offers ,. Jesse Walters's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.
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