How To Treat A Burn

If you are going to learn how to treat a burn, then know that burns are classified in three degrees. The first degree burn is superficial and only involves the upper layer of the skin. The skin turns red and swells and the pain is localized. This wound heals by itself. Third degree and second degree burns that cover more than fifteen to twenty percent of the body surface should be treated at a burn center. A first degree burn that covers twenty to 75 percent of the body surface should be seen by a doctor. A smaller first degree burn can be treated by the victim or their caretaker. Children and older people have more severe reactions to burns than young adults.

What you'll need:

• Cool water
• Dry gauze dressings
• Ointments or creams for burns prescribed by a doctor
• Pain relievers like ibuprofen
• Clean cloths

How to treat a first degree burn:

1. Flood or submerge the burned area in cool water for five minutes or longer. Do not put ice or butter on a burn.
2. Apply a skin care product like aloe vera or an antibiotic, then cover the burn loosely with a gauze bandage.
3. Take over the counter meds like ibrupofen, acetaminophen or naproxen for pain and swelling.
4. Consider taking cool baths with baking soda. They can be soothing for a first degree burn.

In a second degree burn the first layer of skin is burned through and the second of layer of skin suffers damage, though deeper layers of skin are spared. The pain of this burn is very intense and there will be much reddening of the skin. Blisters arise because of the accumulation of fluids and plasma in the top layer of the skin. If a second degree burn is treated promptly it should heal with not much scarring.

What you'll need:

• Cool water
• Clean cloth
• Antibiotic or burn cream

How to treat a second degree burn: 

1. Flood or submerge the burned area in cool water for about fifteen minutes. Once again, don’t put ice or butter on a burn.
2. Apply a clean cloth soaked in cool water on the burn for a few minutes a day.
3. Apply antibiotic or other creams to the burn at the advice of a doctor.
4. Cover the burn with a dry, loose dressing and change the dressing every day.
5. Make sure that tetanus shots are up to date.
6. Look for signs of infection, which might include worsening pain, pus, redness and swelling.
7. Call the doctor immediately if any of the above signs are present.
8. Don’t break any blisters.
9. Don’t scratch the burned skin, which will start to itch as it heals.

Take victims of third degree burns to the hospital immediately. Don’t wash or soak the burn or apply ointment, though the burn can be covered with a cool, wet, sterile dressing. A third degree burn burns through all layers of the skin. Sometimes the nerves are damaged as well and in that case, there may not be much pain. The third degree burn may look like a second degree burn or there might be charring at the burn site. Third degree burns often need skin grafting and result in deep scarring.