A person’s life is filled with various events: pleasant or not so pleasant. One of the latter is steam burn. It is classified as thermal. Steam burns can occur at home or at work. In this case, it is very important to correctly provide first aid to the victim and determine the course of further treatment.

The article discusses the most current issues, namely what to do as part of first aid at home, how to relieve pain, how and how to treat a burn with steam.

Why is a steam burn stronger than a boiling water burn?

A burn from steam may be more severe than a burn from boiling water. This phenomenon is explained simple laws physics. When water hits the skin, it instantly cools. Steam changes from a gaseous state to a liquid state.

It settles in small drops, continuing to exert a thermal effect. In addition, his temperature is much higher. In some cases, steam may damage the skin underneath high pressure, for example, as often happens when cooking in pressure cookers.

What to do if you are burned by steam

Before starting treatment and providing first aid, it is necessary to assess the extent of damage and area. Next, there is a choice of method of assistance depending on the location of the lesion.

In case of skin burns, it is necessary to immediately cool the injured area. This can be done by placing the limb under a stream of cool water. If it is not possible to cool under running water, you can apply a compress or use a basin of water.

On average, the procedure takes about 20–30 minutes. It is acceptable to use pieces of ice previously wrapped in a clean textile napkin.

If the situation is complicated by the fact that tissue is stuck to the wound, then it is not recommended to tear it off. It’s better to carefully cut off the excess, and under running water it will most likely come off on its own.

• chlorhexidine;
• miramistin.

Attention! Hydrogen peroxide, iodine or brilliant green are not recommended, as they can only worsen the situation.

For a speedy recovery, the burn is treated with Panthenol cream, Rescuer or Bepanten. If severe pain occurs, you can treat it with an anesthetic, and painkillers are taken orally.

The bandage should be loose and not compress.

To prevent harmful microorganisms from entering the affected area, apply a sterile anti-burn dressing or gauze. However, it should be free and not squeeze.

If the mucous membranes are burned, the injured area is immediately cooled, and the victim is sent to the hospital as soon as possible.

What is strictly forbidden to do in case of steam burns?

If you have received a thermal burn from steam, there are some actions that you should absolutely not do:

• do not tear off your clothes;
• do not touch the wound with dirty hands;
• it is unacceptable to cool under ice water;
• do not puncture the resulting blisters;
• do not treat burns with solutions that contain alcohol;
• Do not apply oil or fat-containing components to the wound;
• The bandage should be loose and not compress.

All these manipulations will only cause additional damage to health, prolong the recovery period and strengthen painful sensations.

Principles for assessing burn severity

When assessing the extent of damage, the following factors are taken into account:

• severity of the wound, namely how deeply it is affected soft fabrics and whether the bones are affected;
• affected area;
• area of ​​the burned area.

If everything is more or less clear with the first two points, then how to determine the area? To do this you need to resort to simple rule palms.

The size of the hand corresponds to 1% of the total area of ​​the skin. Just add up the number of plots.

The rule of nines can greatly simplify the counting process:

• chest and back – 18% each;
• legs – 36% (18% each);
• head and neck – 9%;
• hands – 18% (9% each).

Classification of degrees of steam burns

In total, there are 4 degrees of severity of burns received by steam. Each has its own symptoms, which affect the speed of recovery. Of these, the fourth is the strongest. It causes severe damage to soft tissues down to the bones. If the affected area is large, then death is possible.

1st degree

The first is characterized by minor damage to the upper layers of the epidermis. The injured area turns red and slight swelling may appear. The victim feels a burning sensation, but there is no severe pain. Such injuries go away quite quickly, and treatment can be done at home conditions I. Healing time does not exceed 3–5 days. A dry film forms on the injured area and peels off. There will be renewed healthy skin underneath.

2nd degree

In the second, not only the upper layers are affected, but also soft tissues. Blisters with exudate (clear liquid) may appear. It is prohibited to open them yourself. This can only be done by a trauma department surgeon. Otherwise in open wound may get pathogenic microbes which will worsen the patient's condition.

3rd degree

The third degree is characterized by soft tissue necrosis. Inside the blister, purulent contents form, which delivers strong painful sensations. A dry crust forms on the surface. It should be noted that the skin in the affected area is not restored.

Scars appear in this area. The point is that steam affects subcutaneous fat, as well as a layer of new growing cells that die.

First aid

First aid for a burn victim at home consists of strictly following each point of the algorithm:

1. Eliminate the source of the steam and move the victim away.
2. The affected area of ​​skin is freed from clothing. It is carefully removed or cut. If the fabric is stuck, then leave this place.
3. If you receive a steam burn on your arm or leg, place the area under running cool water. Its temperature should not be lower than 15 degrees. If such manipulation is difficult, then apply a damp, cool towel or a piece of ice wrapped in thick cloth.
4. Rinse the wound under running water and carefully remove any remaining tissue if possible. Examine the burn. If blisters do not form, you can treat them with anti-burn agents. If they appear, first treat the area with an antiseptic.
5. If steam gets on the mucous membranes, you must call an ambulance. Cool the affected areas while you wait. If the mucous membranes of the mouth and pharynx are injured, drinking plenty of fluids is recommended. If hot steam gets into the eyes, the eyelids are most likely to be damaged, since the eyes close reflexively. In any case, it is recommended to wash your face with cool water and apply a cooling bandage.
6. The next step is to treat the wound antiseptic solution and, provided there are no blisters, apply anti-burn ointment.

Attention! For grade 2 or higher, it is recommended to contact your nearest medical institution to determine the progress of burn treatment and hospitalization if necessary.

How to relieve pain

The further spread of the burn depends on how quickly the victim cools the affected area of ​​skin. In addition, a stream of cool water will relieve the burning sensation and pain. However discomfort may soon resume.

If blisters do not form, then an anti-burn agent is applied to the wound. Some products contain anesthetics.

If there are no medications at hand, then you can resort to traditional medicine methods. Recipes have been collected for centuries and you can choose the right one, from cabbage leaves to herbal infusions.

Treatment

After providing first aid for a burn, it is necessary to begin recovery and treatment. You can use traditional and old recipes alternative medicine.

Folk recipes

Such methods do not lose their relevance even with the active development of pharmaceuticals. Finding yourself at home alone with trouble or far from pharmacies, you can resort to the recipes of your grandparents, who saved you in the old days.

1. Egg white, whipped into a stiff foam with ease, will relieve pain and speed up the process of cell regeneration.
2. Raw root vegetables, namely potatoes and carrots in a 1:1 ratio. The resulting pulp is applied to the wound in the form of a compress and changed periodically. You can add half a teaspoon of honey as an antiseptic.
3. Aloe. You can use the juice of this plant and lubricate the wound, or grind the leaf to a mushy state and make a loose bandage with a medicinal compress.
4. Softened cabbage leaf or plantain apply for 10 minutes and change periodically.

However, you should not get carried away with self-medication methods. Visit your doctor as soon as possible and buy medications.

Pharmaceuticals

Every day, pharmaceutical scientists work and make the latest inventions designed to relieve pain and speed up the recovery process after an injury. Today there are several effective drugs:

1. Panthenol, which contains dexpanthenol, which accelerates the regeneration process, as well as pain-relieving components. The anti-burn agent is available in the form of a spray, which facilitates the application process.
2. Bepanten-plus cream. This is an ointment for steam burns. The cream is made on the basis of dexpanthenol. In addition to accelerating the healing process, it has disinfectant properties.
3. Olazol the spray includes Levometicin - an antibiotic, Anestezin for local anesthesia, sea buckthorn oil for wound healing. This anti-inflammatory drug is often used in the treatment thermal burns 3 and 4 degrees of severity.
4. To treat the mucous membrane of the eye, the ophthalmologist may prescribe Levomycetin or Albucid drops.
5. Radevit and Levomekol - budget funds that accelerate recovery

Also, one should not neglect the doctor’s prescriptions, because he prescribes medications that are selected based on the complexity of the injury.

When to call an ambulance

It is necessary to call an ambulance if a pregnant woman, child or elderly person is injured. Painful shock can have a negative impact on general condition the victim, and some medications may be prohibited for expectant mothers and children.

Burns of mucous membranes are dangerous due to their consequences. Steam that gets into the mouth, throat, or nose can penetrate deeper into the respiratory tract and cause complications.

If the face or eyes are affected, vision may deteriorate. If damaged groin area You will also need the help of specialized doctors.

First degree burns, occupying more than 10% of the total skin area, 2nd degree of severity and higher require treatment in inpatient conditions and constant monitoring by doctors.

Possible consequences

When burned by steam, some of the epidermal cells die. Redness is a consequence of poor circulation. A nerve cells, which were also affected, will remind you of the burn for some time.

If blisters have formed on the surface, it is recommended to entrust their opening to an experienced surgeon. If you pierce yourself, there is a risk of infection on the unprotected layer. This may cause suppuration. The same consequence awaits a patient who ignores the rules for treating an open wound.

Even after the wound heals, marks remain on the body. In case of first-degree burns, peeling of the skin causes itching and irritation, but after some time the skin is completely restored, without leaving a single trace. More severe injuries leave unsightly scars and welts on the skin.

Note! Eye injuries are especially dangerous respiratory tract and groin area. If the eyes and eyelids are affected, the victim may experience decreased visual acuity, tearing, fear of bright light, and clouding of the cornea.

When steam enters the respiratory organs, the latter begin to actively contract. This phenomenon can be called reflex. The body involuntarily “pushes” the pest out of itself. Thanks to this, the risk of severe injury is minimized. However, it is recommended to monitor the patient's condition over the next 10–12 hours. If the damage was severe, then pulmonary edema or pneumonia may develop.

How to avoid steam burns

Burns are an injury known to everyone. At least once in our lives, we have experienced unpleasant sensations that arose in everyday life due to carelessness.

To protect a child from the possibility of being burned by steam, it is necessary to limit his access to the stove, electric kettle, steamers and other appliances that actively generate steam. All pots, cups and other containers should be placed away from edges to prevent them from accidentally being overturned.

If water boils in the pan, then remove the lid towards yourself or towards the working hand.

Most modern irons produced today have a steam function. To avoid injury, it is necessary to pour liquid inside using a measuring cup to prevent drops of water from falling on the hot sole. It is also forbidden to check the degree of heating with your hands.

Attention! Under no circumstances should a small child be left alone in a room with electrical appliances. Try to explain the possible consequences as clearly as possible.

If steam is used for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes, then it is necessary to monitor its temperature. Inhalations on water should be carried out at a temperature of 50 degrees, and when using essential oils- no higher than 40 degrees.

Very often we underestimate the seriousness of the injury, and sometimes we lack the advice of a competent specialist. Don't be indifferent to yourself. It’s better to visit a doctor once again and stay healthy than to reproach yourself in the future for mistakes you’ve made.

One of the most common home injuries is a burn. hot water. Such a burn is defined as thermal and requires appropriate treatment and first aid.

How severe can hot water burns be?

Burns from hot water are divided into 3 degrees:

• The first is that at the site of interaction with boiling water, slight redness of the skin occurs, and slight swelling is possible. These minor burns usually do not require special treatment.
• Second, the damaged skin turns red, swelling and blisters with watery contents appear. With such a burn, primary actions are important - with competent and quickly provided first aid, treatment will be simple and short-lived.
• Third, severe damage to the skin occurs, right down to the deepest layers. In case of severe burns, emergency assistance is required, followed by medical supervision of treatment.

Important! Under no circumstances should you open blisters with liquid yourself, even the smallest ones - in this case, the risk of infection of the resulting wound and the development of a purulent-inflammatory process increases.

First aid

Most burns from hot water are grade 1 or 2 and can be easily treated at home.

If you are burned by hot water, first of all you need to quickly calm down and assess its severity, and then proceed to the following actions:

1. As soon as possible, place the affected area under running cold water for 10-15 minutes - cold water for a burn helps reduce the temperature at the burn site, thereby preventing the spread of damage and reducing pain.
2. Apply a sterile napkin or piece of gauze soaked in cool water to the damaged skin.
3. To reduce pain, you can take painkillers (Ketorol, Ibuprofen).
4. Next, treat the burn site with a special anti-burn spray (Olazol, Panthenol) or liquid antiseptic (Furacilin, Miramistin, Chlorhexidine - aqueous).
5. To prevent the occurrence of an allergic reaction and swelling on burned skin, you can take antihistamine(Suprastin, Cetrin, Tavegil, etc.).

Important! If clothing is stuck to the damaged area, under no circumstances should you tear it off yourself - it is better to go to a hospital emergency room or emergency room.

After the emergency assistance, the victim needs rest and plenty of fluids.

If, after providing first aid, the victim’s condition worsens, or the measures taken did not produce results, you must go to the hospital or call an ambulance.

Important! Immediate attention is required in cases of hot water burns in children and the burn area in an adult exceeding more than two palms.

If a child gets burned

Often, due to their age, curiosity and fearlessness, children suffer domestic injuries. Providing first aid to children follows the same scheme as for adults, but after this it is necessary to immediately take the baby to the hospital or call an ambulance at home.

If after emergency care the baby complains of severe pain, he can be given Paracetamol (Panadol, Efferalgan) or Ibuprofen (Ibuklin, Nurofen), in accordance with the age dosage.

If an emergency medical team is called to your home, while waiting for help, you can give the child some warm sweet tea and put him to bed.

Important! If the baby has received burns to the face, neck or arms, it is necessary to urgently transport him to a medical facility; in this case, the child should be in a sitting position.

What not to do after a burn

Incorrectly provided first aid can significantly aggravate the condition after a burn and lead to adverse consequences.

• use ice or other cold objects to cool the skin;
• apply tight bandages or dense compresses to the burn site;
• treat the burned area with brilliant green or iodine;
• apply any plaster;
• apply various oils and oil-based products.

In addition, you should not use painkillers uncontrollably, especially during the main treatment; with pronounced and persistent pain syndrome It is better to consult a doctor.

Drug treatment

Even with minor burns, before starting treatment, consultation with a doctor (traumatologist, surgeon) is necessary - only a specialist will select competent treatment based on the condition of the damage site.

Common treatments for hot water burns include:

• Ointments, gels, sprays - Solcoseryl, Levomekol, Olazol, Panthenol. They have an analgesic, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effect, relieve swelling of damaged tissues.
• Painkillers - Analgin, Ketorol. Accepted only when acute pain; not recommended for systematic use.
• Antihistamines - Suprastin, Tavegil. To eliminate tissue swelling and prevent the development of an allergic reaction.
• Antibiotics are prescribed by the doctor.

In severe cases of thermal burns, it may be prescribed surgery to restore damaged skin areas.

Traditional treatment

In consultation with your doctor, when treating burns with hot water, you can resort to several effective folk recipes:

• potato compress - grate small fresh potatoes on a medium grater; apply the resulting mass to the burn site for 10-15 minutes, after which the procedure can be repeated with a fresh portion of grated potatoes;
• pumpkin pulp compress - made in the same way as a potato compress;
• plantain compress - finely chop the leaves of the plant and apply to the burn;
• a mixture of egg white and sea buckthorn - apply well-chopped and mixed ingredients to the damaged area for 15 minutes;
• freshly squeezed aloe or carrot juice - periodically treat the damaged area throughout the day.

Important! Traditional recipes are suitable for treating only 1st and 2nd degree burns in the absence of watery blisters.

If after use folk recipes there is a deterioration or development allergic reactions, it is necessary to urgently stop using them.

Following safety rules when handling hot water will help prevent burns. But if this happens, do not panic, you must quickly take correct measures, especially when children were injured.

Our whole life is a daily encounter with dangers, all kinds of risks and problems. Pretend to be a wise minnow and hide from worries outside world in a cozy home is not an option. Many unforeseen situations can happen to us within the walls of our own apartment: at any moment you can accidentally touch a hot iron, spill a cup of coffee on yourself, or burn your hand with steam over a boiling kettle. What to do if you are burned by boiling water? How to provide first aid to a victim in case of injury chemicals? In which cases you need to immediately go to the hospital, and in which burns you can get by with improvised means - we will find out in this article.

First aid for burns

A burn occurs as a result of exposure to high temperatures and immediately turns into an open wound, accessible to any microbes. Therefore, the first and most important thing to do is to free the damaged area from clothing and immediately cool the burned area. Ice from the refrigerator, snow, very cold water or any frozen product will do. Thanks to the cold, the pain subsides for a while, as unwanted inflammatory processes in the affected tissues are stopped. After providing first aid, you must carefully examine the burn and assess the location of the skin lesion - further actions depend on the degree of the burn.

Burn degrees

There are 4 degrees of burn, here they are:

• I degree - mild and without dangerous degree, in which only the upper layer dermis. There is noticeable redness and slight swelling on the skin;
• II degree - in addition to swelling and redness, blisters with cloudy contents appear on the affected area, and severe pain is observed. With proper treatment and emergency care, no traces of burns or scars remain;
• III degree - in this case, not only the surface of the skin remains damaged, but also deeper tissues; the burn can affect the muscles and damage them. Blisters with a cloudy liquid inside form on the burned area. Treating a third degree burn is difficult because there is a high risk of infection. Under no circumstances should treatment be carried out at home.
• IV degree is the most serious and dangerous degree of burn. High temperatures at this stage can damage the bone; skin and muscles may be absent. The most dangerous and difficult areas are the neck, face, inner arms and thighs. Patients tolerate burn injuries to their feet, back and arms (up to the elbow) more easily.

In case of a burn, it is strictly prohibited:

• lubricate the burn area with vegetable oil, alcohol-containing preparations, iodine, brilliant green;
• sprinkle with starch;
• apply ointment for burns and others medical supplies on the hot surface of the skin;
• apply fermented milk products to the damaged area;
• pierce or cut through the formed blisters on the skin;
• independently clean the wound from dirt or remnants of clothing;
• wash the burn with water and baking soda or citric acid;
• apply a plaster to the burn.

Treatment of first degree burns

In case of a first degree burn, treatment can be easily done at home. As soon as the first urgent Care was provided, the cooled surface of the skin should be lubricated with a medicine that will prevent the burn from spreading into the deep layers of the skin, relieve swelling and pain. These are drugs such as:

• Panthenol - well restores burned mucous membranes and skin, has regenerative and metabolic effects on damaged tissues. The ointment perfectly relieves burning sensation and relieves pain.
• Sulfargin - this ointment with silver ions quickly copes with wounds of a wide variety of nature.
• Levomikol - first, lubricate a gauze bandage with the ointment, and then apply it to the burn site. This bandage needs to be changed every 20 hours - the swelling will gradually subside and the pus will be eliminated.
• Olazol is a spray containing an antiseptic and anesthesin. Thanks to this composition, the drug heals burns faster.

Except medicines For lung treatment For first-degree burns, homemade compresses are also suitable:

• 100 grams of finely grated potatoes should be mixed with a teaspoon of honey. Make a compress on a bandage or gauze and leave on the burn site for 2-3 hours;
• finely chop the cabbage and mix it with raw egg white, and then brush the resulting mixture onto the burn;
• instead of lotions, you can leave cooled black and green tea on the damaged area;
• cut off a juicy aloe leaf, cut it lengthwise and apply to the burned area for a few minutes;
• freshly picked plantain leaves should be washed with boiling water, cooled and applied to the affected area of ​​the skin;
• Place finely grated carrots on gauze or bandage and apply to the burn. The compress should be changed every 2-3 hours.

Treatment of second degree burns

This stage is already considered a fairly serious injury, so assistance is provided first at a trauma center, and then at home. The doctor carefully treats the wound, performing the following algorithm:

• anesthesia of the affected area;
• antiseptic treatment healthy skin next to the burn;
• removing dead skin, dirt and clothing;
• carefully removing the contents of burn blisters with a sterilized instrument. The membrane of the bladder remains intact to protect the wound from bacteria and infections;
• applying a bandage with a special bactericidal ointment to the wound.

Burns of III and IV degrees

The first rule for third and fourth degree burns is no self-medication! Severe burns must be treated in a hospital. There, the doctor first carries out anti-shock therapy, surgical treatment (if it is necessary to remove dead tissue and perform skin grafting), and then hospital treatment.

What to do for burns from boiling water

• Get rid of clothing that is at the burn site as soon as possible.
• Inspect the affected area and determine the extent of damage.
• For a first or second degree burn, apply ice or make a cold compress, change the compress after a few minutes.
• If the burn is severe, go to the hospital immediately.

What to do for steam burns

• Remove clothing blocking access to the affected area of ​​skin.
• Cool the burned surface.
• If the burn is on your hand, it should be kept elevated.
• If damage is more than 5%, go to the emergency room.

What to do for oil burns

• Cool the damaged area under running cold water.
• Apply a sterile, damp bandage to the burn site.
• If the burn is more than 1% (the palm makes up 1% of the whole body), call a doctor.

What to do for chemical burns

• Call ambulance.
• Remove clothing from the affected area.
• Cool the burn area under running ice water.
• If the burn is caused by sulfuric acid, it must first be removed from the surface of the skin with a dry cloth.
• And if the burn is caused by quicklime, cold water will have the opposite effect! In this case, you need to remove the reagent from the affected area with a dry cloth, and then lubricate the burn with oil or greasy ointment.

First aid for a burn with hot water - what to do?

When a burn occurs, the integrity of the skin and underlying tissues is damaged.

You can get a burn in various ways - chemical, radiation, electrical, thermal.

But in everyday life, hot water burns most often occur.

For example, accidentally pouring boiled water on yourself can cause damage to the skin on your arms and legs. Then the face, back, and shoulder area are affected much less frequently.

Degree of damage

To understand how to act in case of a burn, you need to know how deeply the affected areas are skin.

But the main thing when providing first aid is not to panic.

Even with severe damage, you can provide first aid to a child or adult.

Which, before the doctors arrive, will ease his pain and subsequently become decisive factor during healing.

First

The total area of ​​1st degree burns is small. It affects only the top layer of the epithelium.

There is slight redness, soreness and slight swelling. If competent first aid is provided, within 2-3 days, not a trace will remain of such a lesion.

Second

IN in this case, in addition to the upper epithelium of the skin, the depth of the lesion partly consists of underlying tissues. After redness and slight swelling, small thin-walled blisters form at the site of the lesion.

Soreness will accompany the victim throughout the healing period. Provided that there is no attached infection and is carried out correct treatment, the wound heals within two weeks.

Third

This degree of hot water burn is distinguished by the scale of the affected area, severe pain and depth of penetration.

In turn, 3rd degree burns can be divided into two types:

1. With the formation of a scab - when the resulting blisters are covered with a thick-walled crust. Such burns, as a rule, heal due to the remaining parts of the epithelium, glands and bulbs.
2. With the formation of necrosis - such cases are more severe, since many tissues simply die and inflammatory process, non-infectious nature. Such wounds do not go away without scarring.

Fourth

One of the most difficult skin lesions when burned by hot water occurs with prolonged exposure, especially if a person has a small thickness of the subcutaneous fat layer.

In this case, even 10% of the surface of the burned skin poses a serious threat to human life.

First aid rules - what not to do

• It is forbidden to immediately apply any cream or anti-burn agent to the burn site - the skin must be cooled.
• Do not use products that dry the dermis - alcohol, brilliant green, iodine, toothpaste, urine, onion juice, vinegar.
• It is not recommended to apply vegetable oil, so it clogs the pores. Oils are effective at the wound healing stage, for example, sea buckthorn.
• You should not puncture blisters, as you risk infection. This rule also applies to applying fermented milk products to the burn site - it causes inflammation.
• If, after contact with hot water, clothes are stuck to the body, then you cannot tear them off. Carefully cut away the tissue around the wound.
• I exist people's councils, which offer to apply to a burned wound soda solution or a mixture of citric acid. This is prohibited, since these nutrients can be used after injury with acid or alkali, but not with hot water.

What needs to be done right away

1. To stop the action high temperature, you must immediately try to take off your clothes, since the fabric has the ability to retain temperature, and even after finishing direct impact hot water will continue its thermal effect.
2. Immediately cool the skin where boiling water was spilled and around the affected area. You can use regular cold running water, ice, and moistened gauze. Perform the procedure for at least 10 minutes.
3. If the degree of burn is not high (meaning only 1 degree), then you do not need to seek medical help, unless the burn was suffered by a child. In this case, consultation with a specialist is necessary - he will prescribe painkillers and anti-burn medications according to the child’s age.
4. Among medical supplies, which are used for 1st and 2nd degree burns, the most effective are Dexpanthenol (ointment), Panthenol (cream and spray), Bepanten (cream) and Pandoderm (ointment). They are used immediately after cooling the skin, then the healing process will be faster.
5. If the skin is damaged by hot water and has a second-degree burn, it is recommended to apply an antiseptic bandage and it is better if this is performed by a medical professional.
6. To calm a child, and even an adult, after receiving this type of injury, they are given a painkiller (required!), wrapped up, after all the manipulations have been performed, given a warm drink and prescribed to drink plenty of alkaline mineral waters.

Treatment of hot water burns

Treatment at home

Dressings with bactericidal ointments for grades 1 and 2 injuries are used for a week.

All this time, before changing the dressing (once every two days), the dermis around the wound is treated with an antiseptic, and the exfoliated epithelium is also removed.

If the blisters do not burst on their own, they are cut and gently pressed to drain.

But under no circumstances should the skin of the bladder be removed, as it acts as a protective cover for the wound.

Treatment in hospital

Severe burns should only be treated under supervision medical workers, in a hospital setting or in a burn center.

Patients are given antishock therapy, as well as drug treatment to accelerate the rejection of dead tissue and prevent the purulent process.

In some cases, carried out surgery, for excision of necrotic areas.

Folk remedies

If an adult or child has any contraindications for use medicines To treat a burn with hot water, you can use folk remedies.

If you want to use one of the methods to treat a burn in a child, you must consult a specialist.

It is also worth remembering that the manipulations carried out through folk remedies, to eliminate a 2nd degree burn, may not be sufficiently effective and leave a scar.

For a burn in a child or adult, bandages made from the pulp of certain plant components are used.

You can squeeze juice out of vegetables, wet gauze or soft sterile cloth with it, and apply it to the wound.

Apply:

• pumpkin pulp or juice;
• finely grated potatoes with honey (in the proportion of 100 g per 1 tsp);
• pulp cut from aloe leaves;
• cabbage juice or plant leaf, previously beaten with a knife until soft and brushed with egg white (lightly beaten).

Dressings made from folk remedies are left on the wound for no more than two hours and are applied several times a day.

You can also use green or black brewed tea, red clover, spruce resin, comfrey for preparing medicinal liquid for treating burns with hot water.

Hot water burn: first aid, degrees, treatment of burns

Most often, hot water burns occur in the kitchen. You can burn yourself with it when awkwardly pouring tea or draining water from a pan with boiled potatoes; if you are about to wash your hands, and suddenly too much water flows from the tap hot water. You never know the situations when you need to do something urgently to relieve the pain of a burn and avoid other unpleasant consequences!

But first, let's figure out what types of burns there are and what needs to be done in each specific case. All hot water burns are divided into three degrees:

1st degree

Only the outer, superficial layer of the epidermis is affected. The skin in this area turns red and swells, but the pain is quite bearable. After about a week, the damaged area of ​​skin will peel off, and after 2 weeks it already looks completely normal.

2nd degree

Such a burn is considered more serious, since damage occurs not only to the surface, but also to the underlying layer of skin. The pain is very severe, the affected area swells, a bubble forms on it, which after some time bursts on its own or due to contact with foreign objects, and fluid is often released.

Usually the skin recovers after about 3 weeks, but a scar remains on the affected area, which differs in color from the surrounding skin: it may be lighter or darker.

3rd degree

All layers of skin are damaged so severely that immediate health care, including to relieve unbearable pain.

Boiling water burn

Many patients who have been burned by boiling water are admitted to hospital burn departments, and, unfortunately, a significant proportion of them are children. Small child in the kitchen - this is always a danger factor, first of all for oneself, and parents and grandparents need to literally keep an eye on it so that the baby does not tip over a saucepan of boiling water or boiling soup.

If skin gets splashed with boiling water, strong pain, but she it will go faster, if you immediately place the affected area under a stream of cold water or lower it into a container with cold water. Usually 5 minutes is enough.

For a more serious boiling water burn (2nd degree), at least 15 minutes of exposure to cold water will be required. Or you can apply a towel soaked in cold water or ice to the affected area of ​​the skin, after wrapping it in plastic bag(ice should not be applied directly to the skin). If there is no ice, then you can take something frozen from the freezer, which can also be applied to the skin, but again wrapped in a clean plastic bag.

How treat skin burns

First of all, it is necessary to correctly assess the extent of skin damage, but, of course, after you relieve the pain. If it does not go away after a few minutes, but on the skin severe redness and the bubble swells, it is better to seek medical help.

If the burn is not so severe, then you can take a clean bandage, roll it up in several layers, soak it in cold water and apply to the burn site. If necessary, the bandage can be moistened with water several more times; It costs half an hour to keep it on. This will protect the affected skin from contact with foreign objects and relieve pain.

In the arsenal home first aid kit It is useful to have a product for quick relief from burns. One of the most reliable such remedies is aloe vera gel, which is used to lubricate the burned area. If desired, it can be covered with a sterile bandage, but the wound will heal faster if it “breathes.”

First aid for serious burns

A serious burn with a large area of ​​damage (if, for example, you tip a pan of hot water over yourself) causes severe pain. In such cases, people are often lost and do not know what to do. The first thing you need to do is call an ambulance. But what in no case

it is forbidden do:

1. Try to take off your clothes, which often seem to stick to your skin. It needs to be moistened with cold water, and doctors will then remove the clothing without causing harm to the skin.
2. Under no circumstances should you try to remove blisters that appear as a result of a burn - an infection can penetrate through the affected skin, and a scar will remain at the site of the burn. It is best to consult a doctor. He may recommend a bandage with medicinal ointment. But even if you have to apply such a bandage, the skin will need to be periodically allowed to breathe.
3. The blister should never be cut or attempted to be removed to avoid infection. You can simply pierce it, then the burn site will heal faster. Before doing this, be sure to disinfect the bladder and needle, and then make a puncture on the side (you cannot pierce in the center). Then the liquid will come out of the bubble, and this place can be lubricated with disinfectant ointment.

So, let's summarize. For a minor burn:

1. Soak the affected area in cold water to relieve pain.
2. Lubricate it with aloe vera gel or Vaseline and cover with a sterile bandage. This bandage should be worn throughout the day, but it should not fit too tightly.
3. If pain is still felt, you can take some analgesic (ibuprofen, etc.).
4. At night and in the morning, the bandage should be changed and only a sterile bandage should be used.
5. To make the bandage easier to remove and not injure the skin, it should be pre-moistened with water.
6. After a week, the burn site needs to be cleaned. To remove dead skin, soak the bandage in saline or other isotonic solution; Carry out the procedure carefully, without tearing off the skin.

And finally - tested by our grandmothers folk way. Human urine has a healing and regenerating effect on the affected skin. Collect it in a clean jar, moisten a clean bandage or gauze bandage in it and apply it to the burned area. The bandage must remain moist at all times, that is, it must be periodically moistened. Even if the burn was severe, thanks to urine there will be no scars left on the skin.