A burn is an injury to the skin or other organic tissue primarily caused by heat or due to radiation, radioactivity, electricity, friction or contact with chemicals. Skin injuries due to ultraviolet radiation, radioactivity, electricity or chemicals, as well as respiratory damage resulting from smoke inhalation, are also considered to be burns.
First-degree burns generally heal on their own in 10 to 20 days if no infection develops. In rare cases, first-degree burns spread more deeply to become second-degree (this spread is caused by infection). Deep second-degree burns may progress to third-degree. Third-degree burns may require a skin graft.
When handling a minor burn, it is important you follow specific steps:
These are defined as first- or second-degree burns covering more than 25% of an adult's body or more than 20% of a child's body, or a third-degree burn on more than 10% BSA. In addition, burns involving the hands, feet, face, eyes, ears, or genitals are considered critical.
A major burn is defined as a burn covering 25% or more of total body surface area, but any injury over more than 10% should be treated similarly. Rapid assessment is vital.
Rinse the burn
Treatments for a first-degree burn include:
Wounds can become infected if bacteria get into them. If your burn or scald has a blister that has burst, it may become infected if it's not kept clean. You have signs of cellulitis, a bacterial infection that causes redness and swelling of the skin.
First-degree burns are considered mild compared to other burns. They result in pain and reddening of the epidermis (outer layer of the skin). Second-degree burns (partial thickness burns) affect the epidermis and the dermis (lower layer of skin). They cause pain, redness, swelling, and blistering.
For First-Degree Burns (Affecting Top Layer of Skin)
Soak the burn in cool water. Then treat it with a skin care product like aloe vera cream or an antibiotic ointment. To protect the burned area, you can put a dry gauze bandage over the burn.
Burns are classified as first-, second-, or third-degree, depending on how deep and severe they penetrate the skin's surface. First-degree (superficial) burns. First-degree burns affect only the epidermis, or outer layer of skin. The burn site is red, painful, dry, and with no blisters.
Superficial first-degree burns affect only the epidermis, or outer layer of skin. The burn site is red, painful, dry, and with no blisters. Mild sunburn is an example. Long-term tissue damage is rare and usually consists of an increase or decrease in the skin color.
Burned areas may be charred black or white. The skin may look waxy or leathery. Third-degree burns can destroy nerves, causing numbness. A person with this type of burn may also have difficulty breathing or experience smoke inhalation or carbon monoxide poisoning.
A third-degree burn is referred to as a full thickness burn. This type of burn destroys the outer layer of skin (epidermis) and the entire layer beneath (the dermis).
Second-degree (partial thickness) burns Third-•affect both the outer and underlying layer of skin. They cause pain, redness, swelling, and blistering. Degree (full thickness) burns extend into deeper tissues. They cause white or blackened, charred skin that may be numb.
Heat burns (thermal burns) are caused by fire, steam, hot objects, or hot liquids. Scald burns from hot liquids are the most common burns to children and older adults. Cold temperature burns are caused by skin exposure to wet, windy, or cold conditions.