One of the most common injuries you can get at home is burns. They happen for various reasons and have varying degrees of damage. Everyone has been injured at least once after touching a hot appliance or steam. Such wounds can be the result of aggressive exposure to chemicals on the skin. But few can correctly answer how and how to handle the burn. But it is precisely on how timely and high-quality first aid was provided that the effectiveness of further treatment largely depends.
How to treat a wound after a burn?
First aid depends on the nature of the injury. If the wound is extensive, it is necessary, having provided the victim with peace, immediately seek medical help. Touching the affected area is not recommended. But if the burn area is small, you can conduct effective treatment at home. If the wound was received from steam, boiling water or the included electrical appliance, then first you need to cool the skin. To do this, put a cotton cloth or gauze soaked in cold water on the burn, it is changed every 2-3 minutes. If your
arm or leg is burnt, place it under a stream of cold water.
How to handle a burn after cooling? In stores, sprays and special ointments are sold in large quantities. For example, Miramistin, Panthenol and Rescuer. But if there are no medicines at hand, then you can use traditional medicine. Raw potato helps best. It is cut into thin plates and applied to the surface of the burn. Every 2 minutes, the pieces are replaced with new ones. If you attach the potatoes in the first minute after receiving the wound, the blister may not appear at all. Also, oil compresses and leaves of white cabbage can be applied to the burn.
What can not be done when treating wounds after a thermal burn
Trying to provide first aid for various burns, people make a lot of mistakes. The most common of these is applying to the affected area a greasy cream or oil, without first cooling the wound. When such a substance comes into contact with the surface of the burn, it clogs the openings of the pores. As a result, the affected tissue heats up even more, this significantly exacerbates the situation. Can a burn be treated with peroxide? Do not do this. Peroxide can cause an irritating effect. It can be used only with an open healing wound, it helps to prevent the development of bacteria that cause suppuration. But with burns, this is most often not required. In no case should you pierce the bubbles yourself. If such a need arises, then only the doctor performs this surgical procedure.
How to handle a burn from chemicals?
A burn from chemicals is different from a thermal burn. With such an injury, the first thing to do is rinse the wound thoroughly. The damaged surface is substituted under running water for 10-15 minutes, at least. How to treat a burn after washing? It depends on the nature of the
chemical that caused the injury. If we are talking about acid, it is very effective to treat the resulting ulcer with a weak solution of baking soda. If alkali became the cause of the burn, then the wound is washed with highly diluted citric or acetic acid.