Burns: first aid and subsequent treatment

Every person has experienced burns at least once in their life. I was scalded by boiling water, burned in the sun, opened a bottle with unknown contents - and hello, burn. The topic of this article is the types of burns, how to provide first aid for any of them. We will also reveal the secrets of how to quickly cure a burn mark.

Types of burns

First, you need to understand what caused the burn. Only after this can we provide quality first aid. After all, each type of burn is treated differently.

The following types of burns are distinguished based on the causative factor:

• chemical - acquired as a result of the reaction of various acids on fabrics - household chemicals, iodine;
• electrical - when receiving a shock from a current discharge;
• thermal - occurs when the skin comes into contact with high temperatures;
• radiation - overheating in the sun or exposure to radioactive substances.

Scientists have identified a systemic classification of the degree of burns. Each has its own characteristics and rehabilitation period.

Degrees of burns:

1. Characterized by slight swelling and redness of the deification site. The top layer of the epidermis is destroyed. As a rule, it goes away on its own in 5-7 days. And it leaves no traces behind.
2. The above symptoms are accompanied by blisters filled with a clear liquid with a yellow tint. Healing of such burns takes about 2 weeks. If there were no complications - mechanical rupture of the blister or scratching, then such a burn does not leave any traces.
3. Pronounced pain, bloody discharge and mucus from blisters. It is impossible to touch the site of injury. Often accompanied by fever, intoxication and dehydration. All layers of the skin are affected, including the subcutaneous tissue. All three degrees preserve the skin's ability to heal itself.
4. Death of skin tissue, bones or tendons. In this case, you cannot do without hospitalization - surgical intervention will be required. Scars and scars remain.

Remember that you cannot let a wound resulting from a burn take its course. If treated negligently, burn disease may develop. In which even a harmless first-degree skin injury can develop into a more complex and painful form.

Causes of burns

In general, a burn is tissue damage. It can be caused by the influence of chemicals, heat or electricity.

Causes of burns may include:

• hot liquids, steam;
• electric current;
• fire and hot smoke;
• alkalis and acids;
• sun rays;
• radioactive substances;
• hot objects.

In addition to standard skin burns, injuries of this nature can occur anywhere in the body. The mucous membranes are damaged. For example, the stomach - when eating prohibited foods, such as vinegar, too spicy food. You can also get a burn to your eye. It occurs when you look at too bright a light or welding.

Burn damage has a percentage ratio. For example, burning the head or one hand is equivalent to a burn of 9% of the skin. Scalding the body, leg or back gives 18% of burns from the surface of the entire body.

First aid for burns

General recommendations for providing quality assistance:

1. Remove the damaging factor - pull a person out of the fire, remove him from the sun, etc.
2. The burn should be rinsed with cool water. When chemicals react, this measure will protect against further tissue destruction. And in case of a thermal burn, cold reduces the pain effect.
3. It is forbidden to apply oil or cream to the affected area. This will block the access of oxygen and will not allow the skin to “cool down”.
4. Traditional medicine suggests lubricating first-degree thermal burns with toothpaste. To enhance the cooling effect.
5. Contact an ambulance immediately. Be sure to consult a specialist about the extent of the damage and further treatment.
6. Provide the victim with plenty of fluids.

Care for burns depends on the severity of the injury. So, in case of a first or second degree burn, it is enough to treat the wound with alcohol and apply a sterile bandage. To prevent the development of bacteria and prevent complications. The main condition is to be extremely careful and prevent mechanical opening of the blisters.

If the burn site has bruising or charring of tissue, an ambulance should be called immediately. You cannot cope with such a situation on your own, without specialized medical education. The maximum that can be done is to give the victim something to drink if he is conscious.

When providing first aid, it is worth remembering the following rules:

• any burn should be poured with cold water to reduce pain;
• if pieces of clothing are stuck to the wound, they cannot be torn off, the bandage is applied directly to the fabric;
• do not allow pathogenic bacteria to come into contact with the wound - the mouth and nose of the person helping should be covered with a bandage;
• if there is a decrease in cardiac activity - a drop in pressure, increased heart rate, it is recommended to administer caffeine or cordiamine subcutaneously.

Helping someone who has suffered an electrical shock is different from helping someone who has suffered other injuries. In this situation, every second matters!

Relief measures in case of electric shock:

1. Wear dry gloves and rubber shoes.
2. Cut the victim off from the shock. Turn off the power to the installation or knock the cord out of the person’s hands with a non-metallic object. In the event that you need to cut off the power at the scene of an incident, have a candle ready, as the lights will go out everywhere. If the victim is at a height, prevent a fall.
3. Pull the victim aside. Touching the body, wet clothes or shoes is strictly prohibited. It is good to use special gloves or a rubber mat for this. You need to move around the incident area in small steps - the current could electrify the soil.
4. If the wire remains in the hands of the victim, cut it with a sharp object that has a non-metallic handle, for example an ax with a wooden hatchet or a shovel.

Call doctors immediately. While help is on the way, you can:

• provide the patient with peace;
• Carry out a careful inspection of the damage; if there are bruises or fractures, provide appropriate assistance;
• in case of loss of consciousness, immediately place the patient on a soft surface and try to resuscitate him;
• remove everything that may interfere with breathing - unbutton your collar, take off your clothes;
• cleanse the respiratory organs of mucus or blood, ensure air flow;
• sprinkle water, rub or warm the body;
• bring ammonia to your nose;
• If there is no breathing or pulse, perform artificial respiration and cardiac massage.

Even if the victim is conscious, calling a doctor is mandatory and cannot be delayed. The current damages internal organs and nerve endings.

How to treat burns

After the pain has been relieved, you can begin to treat the wound.

1. During the first 3 days, all therapeutic measures will be aimed at speedy restoration of skin tissue. Subject to first and second degree burns.
2. Treat the injured area with an antiseptic - furatsilin solution, chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide.
3. Apply ointments containing panthenol to the burn. This will speed up the restoration of the integument. Today, pharmaceutical companies offer a large selection of sprays with this substance. In case of a large surface and “fresh” damage, using a spray is even preferable. This will avoid unnecessary irritation of the inflamed skin by touching. Sprays can be used no more than 4 times in 24 hours.
4. Apply a sterile dressing and secure it. Monitor the integrity of the bladder in case of a 2nd degree burn. The bandage should be worn for the first week, changing it every 12 hours.
5. After the main swelling and redness has subsided, you can begin treatment with antiseptic ointments (Levomekol, Solcoseryl) and traditional medicine. They will be discussed below.
6. If you have a sunburn, it is recommended to take an antipyretic. Since the sun increases the temperature of the whole body, while thermal heat increases only the affected area.
7. If white discharge appears on the wound, you need to take an antibiotic. The damage began to fester.

How to treat a chemical burn

A chemical burn occurs when tissue reacts with a chemical substance. Proteins and membranes of the skin are destroyed. Most often, chemical damage is aggravated by the appearance of ulcers and the development of inflammation.

The cause of a chemical burn is the contact of substances such as:

• kerosene;
• petrol;
• vinegar on the mucous membrane;
• acids - sulfuric, nitric;
• alkalis;
• bitumen;
• high concentration of hydroperite;
• phosphorus.

Inhaling the vapors of the substances mentioned above is also harmful to the body.

1. When tissue is exposed to alkali, the burned area becomes covered with a whitish coating or crust. The most dangerous type of chemicals is that they immediately penetrate into the skin and cause irreversible consequences.
2. The burn due to the ingress of sulfuric acid first turns white, then turns gray. The burn caused by a concentrated solution of hydrogen peroxide has the same shade.
3. Nitric acid produces a yellowish-green tint to the burn area.
4. Sulfuric acid turns the injury yellow.

Help for a chemical burn includes the following measures:

• remove things soiled by the irritant;
• rinse the area thoroughly with clean cold water for at least 20 minutes;
• if the chemical is in powder form, you need to shake it off and then rinse it;
• the acid reaction can be washed off with soap or low-saturated soda solution;
• a weak vinegar solution helps with burns from alkali;
• lime injury should be treated with a 20% sugar solution;
• apply a sterile bandage;
• contact a medical facility.

Preventive measures to prevent burn situations include:

1. Compliance with safety regulations.
2. Be careful when handling electrical and heating devices.
3. Increased attention when working with open fire.

Burn Remedy

For the most effective and harmless medicines for burns, let's turn to traditional medicine.

List of the best home remedies:

• if the burn has just occurred, moisten the wound with cold water and cover with soda;
• cut the aloe leaf in half and bandage tightly to the burn site;
• grind the cabbage leaf into a pulp, mix with egg white and apply to the wound 3 times a day;
• fermented milk products;
• grated raw potatoes;
• strong brew of black tea;
• a mixture of salt and cognac;
• beaten egg white, simply apply as an ointment;
• vegetable oil mixed with soda relieves pain well;
• mix egg yolk with 2 tbsp. sour cream and one tbsp. oils and apply once a day to the damaged area;
• sea buckthorn oil;
• It’s good to add honey to any recipe for burns - it will soften and moisturize irritated skin;
• lard;
• mumiyo;
• butter and propolis in a ratio of 10:1;
• fresh blueberries;
• Grind the rhubarb stalk into a paste and mix with honey in a 1:1 ratio;
• decoction of eucalyptus leaves;
• decoction of oak bark;
• brewed ivy leaves;
• Hard boil a chicken egg, remove the yolks and fry in a frying pan until blackened. This “ointment” accelerates regeneration;
• pulp of boiled onion peels.

There are many good reviews about the mixture of salt and cognac. It is difficult to decide on such a measure, but it is a good antiseptic. But this homemade ointment has a strong healing effect. Mix beeswax with spruce resin and lard. Boil, cool and apply to the wound 2 times a day. This recipe is credited with an almost miraculous recovery - after 5 dressings.

Eye burn

You can burn not only the eyeball, but also the retina itself and the eyelids. An eye burn is accompanied by:

• sharp pain;
• decreased visual acuity;
• tearfulness;
• swelling;
• inflammation century

The most common cause of burns eyes is the ingress of a chemical substance. Eye burns also have their own system of degrees of severity. If in the first degree only the eyelids and mucous membrane are damaged, then in the 4th degree the cornea of ​​the eye becomes opaque. And in this case, the eyelids most often become charred. The first degree of damage disappears after 2 days, the second - up to 20 days. The third degree is completely cured within 2-3 months.  But stage 4 can be treated for about 2 years, but some results cannot be eliminated.

Symptoms of an eye burn:

1. Sensation of a speck of dust in the eye.
2. Redness.
3. Edema.
4. Sharp pain.
5. Sensitivity to light.
6. Changes in visual acuity.
7. Headache.

How to treat an eye burn

First aid for eye injury:

1. Rinse the eye thoroughly and generously with water or saline solution. At least 15 minutes - it is necessary to wash all reagents. Remember that lye should never be washed with water. A reaction will be created. A mixture of water and vinegar or boric acid will help neutralize alkali in the eye.
2. Treat the skin with an antiseptic, but not the mucous membranes.
3. Place an antibacterial ointment under the lower eyelid.
4. Apply a sterile bandage. Place a cold, wet, clean cloth underneath.
5. To darken the damaged eye - wear glasses or cover it with a cloth.
6. Seek hospitalization at a medical facility.

An eye burn is not a situation where you can try to heal yourself. If such a situation arises, do not be negligent about your health. Contact your doctor and strictly follow all prescribed instructions.

The only thing you can do on your own in this case is eyelid massage. But how to carry it out correctly should be clarified by a doctor, taking into account the specific situation.