What to do if you burn yourself with boiling water. Treatment of burns with boiling water at home

The defeat of boiling water, steam, hot water, hot kitchen utensils is a common household injury. In a fifth of cases, children suffer - an electric kettle boils on the table, the child pulls the cord and knocks it over. What to do with burns, what first aid to provide? Timely action will help to avoid long-term treatment.

Types of burns

First degree. Redness of the skin, sometimes swelling, small blisters - this happens if you are excessively exposed to the sun.

Second degree. The lesion forms large transparent blisters.

Third degree. The skin dies, penetrates into the muscle and nerve tissues, blisters with cloudy contents. As a rule, a skin graft is required.

fourth degree. The skin is charred, the thermal effect reaches the bones.

At home, they provide assistance with burns of 1 and 2 degrees. In all other cases, contact a specialized burn center, traumatology or intensive care unit of a hospital as soon as possible.

For burns of 1 and 2 degrees, the area of ​​​​the lesion is first assessed. It is easy to determine by the palm, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich is approximately one percent of the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe entire skin cover. If the burn is the size of a palm or more, be sure to see a doctor, especially when the skin peels off.

First aid is needed, calling an ambulance even with a burn of 1 or 2 degrees. If, after a day or two, swelling appears, redness increases, the temperature rises, in order to prevent infection, you should also consult a doctor.

If the area of ​​thermal damage is 10-15% of the skin or more, a burn disease is diagnosed.

First aid for burns at home

Remove wet, hot clothing as soon as possible, as the boiling water continues to burn. Work especially fast in the case of synthetic fabrics. Cut the clothing until it sticks to the skin.

Remove clothing carefully so that blisters do not burst. It is forbidden to pierce them so as not to bring an infection into the wound.

Place the scalded area under cold water or in a container of cold water. The coolness relieves pain and slows the spread of the burn. To reduce swelling, hold the burned area up.

When providing first aid for cooling, you can also use sheets and towels moistened with cold water.

After 15-20 minutes, dry the burn area, cover with a non-tight sterile bandage.

Wipe the defeat of the first degree with cologne, vodka. You should not use either brilliant green - if you have to see a doctor, it will be more difficult for him to determine the degree of thermal damage.

Do not apply oil or fat to the burnt area - the film prevents heat from being removed.

Pharmaceutical remedies for burns

In case of a burn with boiling water of the 1st or 2nd degree, first aid is provided by Panthenol, Olazol, smeared with Solcoseryl ointment.

"Panthenol" is used to treat damage to the skin - thermal burns, including sunburns, as well as abrasions, cracks.

"Olazol" anesthetizes, inhibits the growth and reproduction of microorganisms, improves and accelerates healing.

Gel or ointment "Solcoseryl" is used to provide assistance after burns with boiling water, treatment of thermal lesions, as well as after burning in the sun.

The most convenient means for burns in aerosol packaging.

Anti-burn gel wipes cool, anesthetize and localize the lesion, destroy germs, they are easy to remove when replacing.

When providing first aid, it is forbidden to seal the burn with adhesive plaster - then it is painful to peel it off.

For pain relief, take "Analgin".

If the skin has peeled off, treat the place with a non-alcoholic antiseptic solution, close the wound with a sterile bandage or gel napkin.

What to do with a burn

Potassium permanganate:

• Dissolve in water until pale pink.

Put a bandage on the burn, periodically moisten it with the prepared solution. Replace gauze once a day.

Grated raw potato helps with scalding with boiling water:

• Place the gruel, treat the affected area with it, secure with a bandage.

Replace as soon as the mass warms up.

Potato starch heals burns:

• sprinkle the scalded area with a thick layer, cover with cotton wool, do not bandage tightly.

fresh cabbage leaf provides first aid for thermal burns:

• Attach the sheet to the affected area.

After a few minutes, the pain disappears or decreases significantly, after another half an hour it completely disappears. Cabbage leaf is effective for bruises and sprains.

Aloe vera helps heal burns.

• Cut off the skin from the leaf, fix it on the affected area for 12 hours.

• Grind the leaf into gruel, apply to the affected area, fix with a sterile bandage.

Folk remedies for burns

Timely correct treatment does not leave a mark on the skin, heals quickly.

Propolis and St. John's wort to get rid of burns:

1. Cool in the freezer 20g, grate, pour a glass of medical alcohol.
2. Infuse for 10 days, stir every day, strain at the end.
3. Pour 500ml of unrefined sunflower oil 4cl. perforated flowers.
4. Leave in the sun for 14 days, stir once a day.
5. Mix with prepared propolis tincture.

Apply the product to gauze, fix it on the wound with a bandage, change the bandage every 4 hours.

Onion for the treatment of burns:

• Finely chop the onion, mix with 20 blooming flowers.
• Pour a glass of unrefined sunflower oil.
• Boil over low heat for 20 minutes, strain.

Lubricate the thermal wound as often as possible. Store ointment from burns in a dark, cool place.

A burn with boiling water is considered the most common of domestic injuries. You can burn yourself with steam, scalded with hot water by negligence. Small children are often burned with boiling water, and for them it is most dangerous. Therefore, you need to know what to do with a burn with boiling water and how to provide the victim with competent treatment at home.

Burns with boiling water are thermal in nature, as they occur under the influence of high temperatures. You can get scalded in the kitchen, when cooking, and just by accident. No one is immune from such an injury.

A burn from boiling water can have varying degrees of severity. The depth of the lesion and the likelihood of developing adverse effects depends on the following factors:

1. The temperature of the liquid and its composition (if a person is burned just with hot water, then this is less dangerous compared to exposure to the skin of brines or syrups).
2. The time of exposure of the boiling liquid to the skin, speed and pressure.
3. Boiling water volumes.
4. Burn surface area.

According to statistics, the most common injury in everyday life is a hand burn. More rarely, the feet, hips, abdomen, and chest are affected. It is important to take into account the age category of the victim. If a child is injured, then his symptoms will be more pronounced than in an adult.

At first, the victim, who received a burn with boiling water, experiences strong and sharp pain, the area the burnt surface turns red, swells. Clinical manifestations depend on the severity of the damage:

1. In the first stage, the skin becomes reddened and painful.
2. At the second stage, swelling, hyperemia are observed, vesicles appear with watery-serous contents. The risk of infection increases.
3. At the third stage, the blisters fill with blood, the person experiences a strong pain syndrome, the development of a shock state and a burn disease is possible. Treatment of a third-degree burn requires hospitalization of the patient and the provision of professional medical care to him.
4. At the fourth stage, charring of bone and muscle tissue is observed. The condition is very serious. However, if the skin was burned with boiling water, then the fourth degree of injury is not typical for such an injury.

A scalded person behaves restlessly, a strong pain syndrome is possible, up to the development of a state of shock.

Timely first aid provided in accordance with all the rules will greatly alleviate the patient's condition, speed up the recovery process, and prevent the development of infection, inflammation, scarring and other undesirable consequences.

How to help?

How to help with a burn with boiling water? The first thing to do is to free the victim from wet clothes, because a hot and wet cloth adhering to the body aggravates the situation even more. In case of damage to the neck, limbs, watches and jewelry are removed.

Next, you should make a cooling compress. If an arm or leg is scalded, then the injured limb can simply be immersed under cold water. This method is applicable only if the integrity of the skin is preserved! Since this injury is accompanied by swelling, it is necessary to try to raise the damaged area higher in order to reduce the rush of blood.

Help for burns with boiling water at home includes the use of special anti-burn drugs (for example, Panthenol), the application of a dry, sterile dressing. In the event that hot water has got on the facial area, then the affected area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe skin is treated with petroleum jelly, without applying a bandage.

With severe, excruciating pain, you can give the patient to take pain medication. A pronounced pain syndrome and a vast area of ​​burn lesions should alert and serve as a reason for contacting a specialist. If the child is burned with boiling water, you should try to calm him down, provide first aid and be sure to take the baby to the hospital!

At the risk of infection, you can use antiseptic dressings treated in a disinfectant solution (Dimexide, Furacilin). How to treat a burn with boiling water, the attending physician will tell you. To improve the general condition of the victim, restore water balance and normalize body temperature, it is recommended to wrap the patient in a light blanket, give a glass of warm tea and further ensure that the person observes the proper drinking regimen.

What is prohibited?

What not to do with a burn:

• Treat the affected areas with iodine and alcohol-containing preparations - they dry out the skin even more and increase pain.
• Apply ice.
• Apply cotton swabs to the injured area, seal it with a band-aid.
• Rip off sticky clothes.
• Open and pop blisters.
• Use oils (at least for the first few hours after injury).
• Treat burns with sour cream or kefir - this increases the risk of infection of the wound surface.
• Sprinkle the injured area with starch.

Such actions can lead to adverse consequences, increase the risk of scarring and significantly complicate, slow down the treatment of burns with boiling water!

When to see a doctor?

Even with a slight minor burn, the appearance of such accompanying symptoms should serve as a reason for contacting a doctor:

• Nausea, bouts of vomiting;
• Feverish state;
• Increased swelling and area of ​​redness;
• Increased pain syndrome;
• Feeling of numbness, localized in the area of ​​injury.

Features of treatment

Proper treatment for burns with boiling water at home involves special hygiene, the use of anti-burn ointments and antiseptic solutions, and the application of bandages.

How to treat burns from boiling water? In most cases, patients are prescribed drugs that promote accelerated tissue repair, regeneration, elimination of swelling and pain. The most effective and popular anti-burn drugs:

1. Panthenol - activates metabolism and metabolic processes in the affected tissues, accelerates the restoration of mucous membranes and skin. Eliminates pain and burning sensation.
2. Olazol is a spray with antiseptic properties and anesthetic actions. Gives good results in treatment and further recovery, prevents the development of possible complications.
3. Levomekol is a popular remedy for burns with boiling water, which promotes healing, eliminates purulent manifestations and edema. In the preparation, it is recommended to treat sterile gauze tissue, and then apply a bandage to the affected area. It is necessary to carry out medical procedures 1-2 times during the day.
4. Sulfargin - ointment, which includes silver ions, perfectly copes with various types of wounds, including burn lesions.

The best remedy for dealing with the consequences of trauma and accelerated recovery for the patient will help you choose a qualified doctor, taking into account all the individual characteristics of a particular clinical case! A burn with boiling water of the third and fourth degree, as well as extensive lesions (from 5% of the area) require professional complex treatment in the conditions of the patient's hospitalization.

Folk recipes

Folk remedies for burns with boiling water can be quite effective, but they can only be used after the acute symptoms have been eliminated, as an additional method of treatment, after consulting with your doctor!

The most effective, affordable and popular folk recipes include the following:

1. Lotions with aloe juice. For preparation, an aloe leaf plate is crushed, applied to a clean gauze or bandage, and then applied to the affected area.
2. Plantain leaves - perfectly relieve pain and swelling after a burn, help in healing. The sheets just need to be washed in water, crushed a little to extract the juice and applied to the wound (you can fix it with a bandage).
3. Carrots - helps to quickly recover from burn injuries. The patient is advised to include fresh carrots and carrot juice in the daily menu. For medicinal purposes, you can also use compresses with carrots. To do this, the carrots need to be chopped with a fine grater or blender, wrap the resulting mass in gauze and apply to the injured skin. It is recommended to change the compress after every two hours.
4. Egg ointment - effective even with severe burns, easy to prepare. It is enough just to beat the egg and apply the composition to the injury site. At first, a strong burning sensation is possible, but after a few minutes the condition of the patient and his skin improves noticeably.
5. Sea buckthorn oil - nourishes and regenerates the skin, has a complex anti-inflammatory, analgesic, wound healing and antiseptic effect. The tool can be used to prepare healing compresses or simply lubricate burns using a cotton swab for this purpose. You can use oils for second-degree injuries only after the blisters have been removed!
6. Honey - when applied to the burn surface, it helps to reduce pain and prevent blistering.

Treatment of burns from boiling water is carried out in an open and closed way. In the first option, only disinfectant solutions, drying and anti-burn preparations are used. The closed method of treatment involves the imposition of sterile dressings on the wound. A qualified specialist will help you choose the best method of treatment for a particular clinical case.

Extensive injuries and burns of the third degree require hospitalization of the patient and a complex therapeutic course. Recipes from the arsenal of traditional medicine after burns with hot water can be used, but very carefully, coordinating this issue with your doctor!

In the article we discuss the burn with boiling water. You will learn how quickly skin lesions of varying severity heal. We will talk about first aid methods and how to treat burns at home.

The appearance of a burn with boiling water. A burn is damage to the skin tissue that can be caused by heat, chemicals, or radiation.

The most common type of household injury is a burn with boiling water.

Most often at home, you can get a thermal burn of the arm or leg. Spilled tea, soup, and other hot liquids are usually the cause of the injury.

Rarely at home get a face burn. This injury is the most dangerous, since skin lesions can be combined with burns to the eyes, respiratory tract and oral cavity.

Depth of defeat

The severity of the injury is determined by the depth of damage to the layers of the epithelium and the area of ​​the burn. There are 4 degrees of skin burns.

First-degree burns can be treated at home. Second-degree burns involve visiting a doctor for treatment. The third and fourth degree of skin lesions are treated exclusively in stationary conditions under the supervision of specialists.

A skin burn, the area of ​​​​which is more than 30% of the total surface of the epithelium, is life-threatening. The defeat of more than 10% of the skin with burns of 3 and 4 degrees can be fatal.

If the burn is extensive and deep, then a complication such as burn disease may appear. This is the body's response to high temperatures. Burn disease is accompanied by a state of shock, which can last up to 3 days. Then there is a violation of the kidneys, blood circulation worsens, ulcers of the internal organs may appear. This disease disappears simultaneously with recovery from a burn.

How quickly does a burn heal?

The rate of recovery of the epidermis after thermal burns depends on several factors:

• temperature and composition of the damaging fluid;
• the size and depth of the burn;
• the level of immunity;
• patient's age;
• complications in the form of concomitant infections;
• competent and timely treatment.

First-degree burns usually resolve within 3-5 days. To restore the epidermis after burns of the 2nd degree, it will take from 10 to 14 days.

During the first weeks after a 3rd degree burn, the destruction of the skin continues. Tissue regeneration begins a month after the injury. Full recovery of the skin occurs no earlier than after 1.5 months. Burns of this type do not pass without a trace. After the skin heals, rough scars remain on it.

The longest recovery occurs with burns of the 4th degree. Getting such serious injuries leads to disability. During the first 4-6 weeks, the dying and rejection of damaged tissues occurs. Only after this, the wound begins to become covered with loose granulation tissue. Then the skin is scarred.

If the area of ​​the damaged area is small, then the epidermis is restored in 1.5-2 months. Extensive damage to the skin leads to the formation of cicatricial constrictions. These skin defects interfere with motor activity, especially when bending the arms and legs.

For more information on burns, see the following video:

First aid at home

To help with a thermal burn, first of all, it is necessary not to panic. The speed of your actions directly affects the speed of skin recovery.

In order to provide competent first aid, it is necessary to determine the degree of burn and the percentage of damage to the epidermis. Glumov's method will help with this: the area of ​​1 palm corresponds to 1% of damaged skin.

Let's consider a detailed algorithm of actions for providing first aid for a thermal burn and analyze what should not be done in any case.

What Not to Do

Do not wash the burn area with anything other than water. The use of baking soda or citric acid can lead to complications and scarring.

Before treating damaged skin with an anti-burn agent, it is necessary to cool the wound. If the burn is severe, then a sterile cloth bandage must be made before applying cold.

In no case do not treat the skin with substances that can cause skin irritation - onions, alcohol, brilliant green, iodine.

As a first aid, you should not use any oils, they can clog pores. The well-known sea buckthorn oil should be used only at the recovery stage.

If the burn has penetrated through the clothing and it is stuck to the skin, do not try to pull it off, it is better to cut along the edges of the wound.

In no case should blisters be pierced, this will lead to infection of damaged skin and the appearance of complications.

What to do first

The very first thing to do in case of a burn with boiling water is to immediately stop its effect on the skin. After that, it is necessary to remove clothes, bracelets, rings and everything that comes into contact with the burn site.

To quickly restore the skin with a 1st degree burn, you can use products based on dexpanthenol (Panthenol, Bepanten).

In case of severe burns, it is necessary to treat the damaged area with an antiseptic agent, for example, Furacilin or Dioxidin, then apply a local anesthetic - Novocaine, Lidocaine. They will relieve pain and prevent infection of the wound. After that, a bandage is applied to the burn area. With severe pain, you can take Analgin or Pro-medol.

To prevent dehydration in severe burns, the patient should receive plenty of fluids.

How to treat a burn with boiling water at home

At home, only first and second degree burns can be treated. In this case, extensive burns of the 2nd degree require the advice of a specialist. Grade 3 and 4 tissue damage is treated exclusively in a hospital under the supervision of doctors.

To restore the skin after burns, you can use an open and closed method of treatment:

• Open - any external anti-burn agents are used for treatment - wound healing and antiseptic creams, ointments, sprays.
• Closed - involves applying a bandage to the burn site. It is best to use a soft cloth so that it does not stick to damaged skin. In this case, the bandage must be treated with an antiseptic ointment (Bepanten). It needs to be changed every 3 days.

Ointment for burns with boiling water

In the home first aid kit should always be an ointment for burns in case of emergency. There are many medicinal preparations. Let's analyze the most popular ointments for the treatment of burns with boiling water:

1. Panthenol is a universal remedy that has a high regenerating effect. The ointment soothes damaged skin, increases metabolism and eliminates burning sensation.
2. Actovegin is a nourishing ointment that improves blood circulation, accelerates metabolic processes in skin cells and helps to provide them with oxygen. The tool accelerates tissue regeneration.
3. Levomekol is an antibacterial drug that has a bacteriostatic and immunomodulatory effect. The tool is suitable for the treatment of burns 2 and 3 degrees.

Folk remedies for burns with boiling water

As an alternative method of treating a burn with boiling water, folk remedies can be used, but only for 1st degree damage. Severe burns should be treated only under the supervision of a specialist in order to prevent complications.

All-purpose burn remedy

Ingredients:

1. Aloe - 2 leaves.

How to cook: Pound or mince aloe leaves. Apply the resulting slurry to a piece of soft cloth.

How to use: Apply a compress to the burn area and secure with a bandage. Change the compress twice a day.

Result: The tool effectively copes with redness of the skin, relieves pain and speeds up the recovery process. Suitable for treating burns in adults and children.

Lotions from burns with boiling water

Ingredients:

1. Red clover - 20 gr.
2. Water - 250 ml.

How to cook: Pour boiling water over the clover, cover and let it brew for half an hour.

How to use: Soak a piece of soft cloth in the resulting infusion, wring it out and put it on the burn site. Lotions can be repeated every 2-3 hours.

Result: The product has an analgesic effect and relieves redness of the skin.

Homemade ointment for burns

Ingredients:

1. Zhivitsa - 50 gr.
2. Pork fat - 50 gr.
3. Beeswax - 50 gr.

How to cook: Combine the ingredients, bring to a boil over medium heat, simmer for 1.5-2 hours. Cool the ointment and transfer it to a glass container with a lid. Store in refrigerator.

How to use: Apply ointment 2-3 times a day to the burn site.

Result: The tool has an analgesic effect, quickly relieves redness and restores damaged skin.

For more information about the treatment of burns, see the following video:

Boiling water burn in a child

One of the most common childhood injuries is a burn with boiling water. According to statistics, about 80% of all burns in children under the age of 5 years are caused by boiling water. The cause of injury can be any hot drink that is left alone with the child unattended.

First aid methods for burns in children are no different from adults. The injury site must be cooled, then disinfected, treated with an anti-burn ointment or spray, such as Panthenol, and a soft cloth bandage applied. If the burn is severe, it is urgent to take the child to the doctor.

Children's skin is much softer than adult skin, so the same conditions (duration of exposure to boiling water, damage area and depth) lead to different degrees of severity of burns. Where an adult will get only reddening of the skin, a child can get deep burns of internal tissues. It is very important to provide the correct first aid to the child as soon as possible.

For first aid for a child's burn, see the following video:

Burns in the bath and in the sauna

When visiting a bath or sauna, you must take precautions and do not neglect the recommendations on the time spent in them. Under the influence of hot air in a bath or sauna, severe internal burns can occur. In this case, only a slight reddening of the skin will be observed externally. Such burns are especially dangerous.

Also in the bath or sauna, you can get severe dehydration if you stay in them longer than the allotted time. In this case, there is a violation of blood circulation, and a stationary position only exacerbates the situation.

In no case should you drink alcoholic beverages in baths or saunas, as this can lead to an increase in blood pressure and a violation of heat transfer, which will accelerate the appearance of a burn.

Prevention of burns with boiling water

To prevent burns with boiling water, first of all, it is necessary to carefully handle any hot liquid. Most often, a thermal burn can be obtained in the kitchen or in the bathroom.

To prevent burns in children, follow these rules:

• cook food on the far burners of the stove;
• do not allow the child to play in the kitchen;
• do not hold the child in your arms when preparing food;
• use non-slip tablecloths;
• matches and any other flammable objects must be out of the reach of the child;
• teach your baby to open the faucet first with cold and only then with hot water.

What to remember

1. Thermal injury, such as burns to the leg, arm or any other part of the body, can result if the precautions for handling hot liquids are not observed.
2. Do not use oils as a first aid. They are more effective during the recovery phase.
3. Never pop blisters resulting from a burn.
4. For the treatment of burns of the 1st degree, folk remedies can be used, in all other cases it is necessary to contact a specialist.

Most burns occur at home, at home. Everyone knows that when handling hot liquids, you need to be as careful as possible, however, injuries sometimes occur, so it is important to know how to behave in such a situation and what to do in case of a burn with hot water, boiling water or steam.

First of all, you need to eliminate the effect of hot water on the skin, i.e. remove clothing, then cool the affected area under running cold water for several minutes (5 to 20 minutes, depending on the severity of the burn), which will reduce the soreness of the burnt area. Ice packs or cold air can also be used. With severe pain, you can take (inject) an anesthetic drug. Cover the wound with a sterile dressing to prevent infection.

Treatment of a burn depends on the degree of damage, self-opening of blisters is prohibited.

It is contraindicated to lubricate the burned area with blisters with alcohol-containing products, iodine, manganese, vegetable oil, and fat-based preparations.

If there are no special remedies for burns at hand, you can use the methods of traditional medicine.

You can wash the wound with chilled tea (green or black), you can also apply a bandage soaked in tea to the affected area.

Sea buckthorn oil or propolis ointment is considered the most effective remedy for burns.

Sea buckthorn oil has long been used as a tissue-repairing and scar-preventing agent. If you use sea buckthorn oil immediately, the healing process will be faster.

What to do with a burn with boiling water?

Burns are often caused by careless handling of hot liquids. Most of the burns from hot water are children, so parents should know what to do with a burn.

If a child accidentally spills boiling water on himself, you need to remove wet clothes from him as quickly as possible.

The burned part of the body must be cooled (under running cold water, cold air, etc.). It is important to know that it is impossible to cool the burnt skin with ice water or ice, because complications and shock can occur due to a sharp temperature drop.

After that, you need to treat the affected area with any anti-burn drug, which should always be in the home first aid kit. The most effective for burns are Panthenol and Levomikol, which anesthetize well, relieve inflammation, swelling, and restore damaged tissues.

If a first-degree burn, slight redness is observed, the affected area is small, then self-treatment is allowed. If blisters appear after the burn, the skin is very reddened, swollen, you should seek medical help. If the child felt unwell after the burn, the temperature rose, etc. you need to immediately visit a doctor (or call an ambulance), regardless of the degree of burn.

What to do with a steam burn?

What to do with a steam burn, many do not know. Such burns are thermal, but the damage from steam burns is several times stronger than from open flames.

As with any other thermal burn, the integrity of the skin is violated, the upper layer of the skin partially dies off, blood circulation is disturbed, inflammation and swelling appear.

In case of steam burns, you should act in the same way as with other types of thermal burns, first of all, you need to remove the victim from the source of steam, if necessary, remove clothes (you need to remove it as quickly as possible, you can use scissors or a knife). Next, the burn site should be cooled with water, which will help prevent burns in the deeper layers of the skin. You can give the victim painkillers (analgin, pentalgin, etc.) to drink. After treating the wound with a special agent (Panthenol), you need to apply a clean bandage and seek medical help.

Great care must be taken with third and fourth degree steam burns, in which case you should immediately call an ambulance or take the victim to the hospital, since self-treatment can lead to serious complications.

The interaction of people today with various objects heated to a high temperature, or containing a hot liquid, is commonplace. Accidentally spilling boiling water from a kettle, a dropped pan, or even careless washing of hands can cause a person to get burned. Therefore, burns in industrial conditions or at home occur quite often, about 20% of cases occur in children and adolescents. What to do with a burn with boiling water at home? What measures should be taken to quickly recover from a burn and minimize the consequences for the skin and the whole body? Read in this article.

We understand: what are burns

A burn is a damage to tissues (usually superficial) of the body caused by exposure to high temperature substances, chemicals, acids and alkalis. There is also a division by type into:

• Thermal burns(the most common);
• Chemical burns(acids, salts of heavy metals and others);
• Electrical burns(less common).

Based on the statistics, we can confidently say that hot water burn ranks first in prevalence. The degree depends on the amount and degree of heating of the liquid acting on the injured area. Upon receipt, it is necessary to visually inspect the site of the lesion and try to determine the degree to select the correct treatment tactics.

There are 4 degrees of burn. 1 and 2 degrees can be treated at home, 3 and 4 only with the participation of a doctor.

What are the degrees?

1 degree- predominantly the surface of the skin is affected, swelling and redness occur at the site of contact with hot liquid. Small blisters filled with liquid may appear. Usually a 1st degree burn heals quickly (3-7 days) and does not require special treatment.

2 degree- swelling and redness are more pronounced, tissues are damaged to a greater depth than with 1 degree. Bubbles are formed with a liquid of medium or large size, there is a pain syndrome. For grade 2, the normal healing time is 12-16 days, pigmentation may occur on the skin at the site of the lesion, and no scars remain. In the normal course of healing of the 2nd degree, you can also do without the participation of a doctor.

3 degree- at 3 degrees, not only the layers of the skin are affected, but also the muscles and ligaments. A so-called scab appears on the surface of the skin around which bubbles with liquid are located, there is severe pain and swelling. In severe burns of the 3rd degree, inflammation and the appearance of pus in the wound occur, treatment is carried out only with the involvement of a qualified doctor or in a burn center, the healing time is 30-50 days. After the injury is completely healed, a scar will remain on the skin.

4 degree- the most severe degree, characterized by the formation of numerous black scabs, the tissues are charred, anaphylactic shock may develop. In everyday life, as a rule, the risk of getting a 4th degree is unlikely, of course, such injuries are treated only in medical facilities.

The danger is not only in local skin lesions, but also in poisoning the body with decay products of burned tissues, patients with large area burns (from 25% for 1 and 2 degrees and from 10% for 3 and 4) must be treated under the supervision of a physician.

How to calculate the percentage of damage to the surface of the body

Quite simply, using the method of measuring with the palms (Glumov's method). 1 palm = 1% of body area. Also, for counting, you can use the Wallace method or, as it is called differently, the method of nines. According to this method, the legs are taken as 18% of the body, the arms as 9%, and the head is also considered as 18%. Torso for 36%.

Help immediately after a burn

Indeed, in a situation with a burn victim, assistance should be timely and urgent, because the sooner the necessary measures are taken, the less problems and complications there will be in the future. No need to be nervous and panic first aid it's not difficult, try to follow a set of simple steps.

What to do right away:

• The first and very important task is to remove the heated liquid from the skin surface and all objects that were in the affected area at the time of the incident (elements or fragments of clothing, rings, watches, etc.);

• Then it is necessary to cool the damaged area under a stream of cold water or lower it into water for a period of about 20-30 minutes. If it is not possible to use water, you can apply ice or cold objects from the freezer to the burned area. In case of severe damage to the skin and the presence of a wound, do not cool the burn with water!

• After cooling, you need to protect the affected area from infection and exposure to external factors, apply a bandage. The bandage can be gauze, or it will just be a clean handkerchief, it is advisable to use local anesthetics and antiseptics when applying the bandage. Fits good Solcoseryl in the form of a gel or ointment, also with 1 degree can be used Bepanthen or Panthenol.

If the burn is severe and there is severe pain, take a pain reliever

When to call doctors?

The right decision would be to call an ambulance or contact a health facility if:

• In infants. If it happens that your newborn child is burned, immediately call an ambulance team, children of this age should be treated only under the supervision of a qualified specialist;

• Severe 3rd or 4th degree burn. In case of extensive injuries or damage to a large area, qualified medical assistance is also required, the victim is being treated in a hospital;

• If the healing goes badly, the wound does not heal or pus appears - you also need to see a doctor to rule out a number of pathologies.

What Not to Do

• With a severe burn, clothing may stick to the skin, do not need to tear it off, put a bandage over it and take the victim to the hospital;

• It is also forbidden to pierce the formed blisters, this can cause infection of the wound;

• It is forbidden to apply all types of oils to the affected area during therapy;

• Use products such as iodine, brilliant green or medical alcohol.

Treatment at home

Treatment at home it is allowed if these are burns of 1 and 2 degrees, not complicated by inflammation and infection. To get rid of the consequences as soon as possible, you can use both traditional pharmacy products and traditional medicine recipes.

If an open wound has formed, it must be dressed at least once a day, be sure to wash your hands before dressing. You can easily remove the old bandage by soaking it with hydrogen peroxide. Then carry out an antiseptic treatment of the edges (don't smear the burn itself!) available means (iodine, brilliant green or others). Then apply one of the following medicines to the damaged skin.

Traditional proven means:

Solcoseryl- is available in the form of a gel or ointment, accelerates healing and promotes the rapid formation of healthy tissue in the affected area, has an antiseptic effect, and performs a drainage function.

Panthenol or Dexpanthenol- the most affordable tool. Perfectly regenerates skin, tissues and mucous membranes. It is also an analgesic and cooling agent for the surface of the epidermis, eliminates the burning effect.

Bepanthen- the most high-quality remedy, used for extensive lesions of the skin and problems with tissue regeneration, has a pronounced antiseptic effect. The most expensive tool on our list.

Traditional medicine:

Plantain leaves - for the treatment of a burn with the help of plantain, its fresh, not wilted leaves are needed, they must be thoroughly washed and applied to the skin area, pressing with a bandage. They have an antiseptic effect.

Potato - potato and its derivatives have long proven themselves in the treatment of skin burns, this is a fairly simple remedy and is suitable for everyone: cut the potato into slices and apply them changing every 3 hours. Perfectly eliminates burning sensation on the skin.

carrot gruel- Pour boiling water over the carrots, wash, grate on a fine grater and apply the resulting slurry to the site of damage. You can use a bandage for better retention, carrot juice should fall on the damaged tissue. Change at least once every 2 hours.

Tea brew - You can use this simple recipe if you want to cool the surface of the skin and relieve itching and burning, apply fresh tea leaves, pre-steamed and cooled, to the site of exposure, changing every 1.5 hours.