Hydrogen peroxide is the first assistant for any damage to the skin. Sores and abrasions, cuts, if immediately after washing them with peroxide, then the likelihood of suppuration will be minimal. The drug is dispensed without a doctor’s prescription and is usually stored in each house in a medicine cabinet. But if handled improperly, this disinfectant solution can cause burns. Hydrogen peroxide in some cases can aggravate the condition and earn additional damage to the skin.
Peroxide Properties
The substance is called hydrogen peroxide. Thanks to a slight change in the formula, namely, an additional hydrogen atom, this solution becomes an ideal assistant for surgeons. He has the ability to kill bacteria, quickly clogs blood vessels. This allows you to stop bleeding and maintain the strength of the body.
At home, a hydrogen peroxide burn is almost impossible to get. Upon contact with a wound, the solution reacts with biological fluids. As a result, oxygen is released and foam is formed. This ends the action of the solution. Foam allows you to clean the wound of dirt and germs. That is, for the surgeon, this tool has become a real find.
Application area
Hydrogen peroxide can be used for a variety of purposes:
- Cosmetology procedures, including the fight against age spots.
- Help with stomatitis.
- Cleansing the ears of sulfur cork.
- Gynecological douching.
This list goes on and on. Almost every doctor uses this tool in their practice.
Solution concentration
This is the key to unraveling this issue. If you use a solution of 3%, which is sold in pharmacies, then you can not worry. A skin burn with hydrogen peroxide can be obtained only if a concentrated solution is used. It happens 6% and 10%, it is called a little differently - perhydrol. In this case, lesions are light and severe. Let's look at the general classification.
Degree of defeat
- The first degree is a small burn in area. It is characterized by slight redness. If the size does not exceed the palms, then with proper care, healing will occur in 1-2 weeks. This will not require additional medical intervention.
- The second degree is also considered easy, but in this case blisters appear on the skin with light contents, redness and swelling.
- The third degree is a deep lesion of the dermis. In this case, the situation is serious, so you need to immediately bring the patient to the doctor.
- The fourth degree is a serious condition characterized by necrosis, death, and carbonization of tissues.
So you can classify burns with hydrogen peroxide. What to do if the lesion area is large and you observe severe redness? It is better to consult a doctor immediately. Burns of the third and fourth degree should be treated only in a hospital, under the supervision of a doctor. It is impossible to treat such lesions at home, it is fraught with deterioration and general sepsis.
First aid
A burn after hydrogen peroxide can be very dangerous, so you need to neutralize the source of injury as soon as possible. If the damage is external, then rinse the contact area under running water for at least 25 minutes. Only after that it will be possible to assess the condition of the patient. If the injury is minor, that is, it is a burn of 1 and 2 degrees, after washing it must be lubricated with “Levomekol” or “Panthenol”. You can use a compress of sea buckthorn oil or raw grated potatoes. Usually after this there is no scarring.
But if the lesion area is large, then you need to immediately call an ambulance. While waiting for doctors, do not stop rinsing the site of the lesion with water, since the oxidizing agent has the ability to penetrate inside. After the arrival of the team, the patient is transported to the hospital, where doctors will evaluate his condition and prescribe further treatment. Typically, these are standard anti-burn drugs, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Internal burns
It may surprise, but it may occur to children and not so. Doctors are well aware that they can drink dishwashing liquid, acetic acid and more. Peroxide is no exception. With internal burns of the larynx or stomach, you must definitely call an ambulance. If it was 3% peroxide, there is a chance to get by with home methods. That is, give the patient water and provoke vomiting. After that, you need to give neutralizing substances. It can be milk or diluted lemon juice, a solution of potato starch with water. But at the same time, you must definitely call an ambulance. If the oxidizing agent gets inside, only a specialist can determine what measures still need to be taken. If a higher concentration of peroxide gets inside, then it will be necessary to provide assistance to the patient even faster.
Eye burn
If it was a regular pharmacy peroxide with a concentration of 3%, then you can do it by washing the eyes with warm water. In this case, there is no great danger to the organs of vision. Another thing is if the concentration was not less than 5-6%. In this case, a burn of the eye can lead to the most serious consequences, up to complete loss of vision. First aid is washing the eyes for a long time with warm water. Be sure to call a doctor, and before his arrival you can drip drops of "Levomycetin".
Thermal burns
This may be the result of exposure to boiling water. Such household injuries happen very often, and you should be prepared to help someone close to you. When you see damage to the skin, the first reaction may be the desire to treat the wound with a disinfectant solution. This is correct, but it is not always worth choosing hydrogen peroxide for this. If there is nothing else at hand, then you can take a 1% solution. After this, it is best to consult a doctor so that he prescribes further treatment. Do not tighten, because burns only at first glance seem to be ordinary wounds. In fact, they require competent medical support.
Bacterial contamination
Let's say you got a burn on a picnic. At the same time, there are no other first aid equipment with you. In this case, you can treat the burn with hydrogen peroxide. This will save the wound from infection. Otherwise, microbes can cause rot. But an increase in concentration is unacceptable, since the oxidizing agent itself can provoke a burn. As a result, the patient's condition will rapidly deteriorate.
Is it possible to treat a burn with hydrogen peroxide? It is possible, but only as a solution for first aid. It is used solely to temporarily alleviate the condition and to disinfect intact skin. After that, you need to get expert advice.
What to fear
Depending on the individual characteristics of the body, a strong allergic reaction may develop as a result of such primary treatment of the burn. In some cases, it will be expressed in the spread of the redness zone. If the reaction is severe, then there may be a loss of consciousness. Of course, we are again talking about concentrated peroxide. Using a solution of 3%, you completely risk nothing.
Instead of a conclusion
Almost every home has hydrogen peroxide. To treat a burn, scratch, abrasion, burn a wound after squeezing a pimple - it will come in handy in any situation. Only the weakest solution can be used to treat the burn. But after this, it is required to switch to the use of medicines that heal the skin well. It should not be forgotten that the oxidizing agent itself can lead to burns. Therefore, we use only minimal concentration of peroxide and only for the primary cleansing of the wound surface. After this, consult your doctor so that he prescribes an individual course of treatment. If the condition is serious, then the patient will be placed in a hospital. With burns of the first and second degree, you can be treated at home, using the advice of a doctor.