A burn is a traumatic injury to a specific area of ​​the skin along with the underlying tissues. Often it is received in the domestic environment and during the work process. At home, people most often get a leg burn, accidentally pouring boiling water over it. In production, such damage occurs due to exposure to various chemicals.
Burns to the legs, like all other parts of the body, have a variety. They are divided into chemical and thermal, radiation, radiation and electrical. The severity of the traumatic injury is also different. It directly depends on the nature of the aggressive substance, the duration of its exposure, concentration and some other factors. After a burn of the legs, it is necessary to immediately provide first aid to a person. The effectiveness and timeliness of this procedure will determine the further treatment of the damaged area of ​​the skin.
Degree of burns
What should be the right decision that would allow the first aid provided after the injury to become most effective? To do this, you need to determine the degree of leg burn. This will help to choose the right direction of medical procedures.
The most common burn of the skin of the legs is 1 degree. It is characterized by damage to only the surface layers of tissue. In the affected areas, redness is noted, as well as swelling and pain. Additional intervention for the treatment of such a leg burn (see photo below) is not required. Wound healing takes just a few days.
In situations where a second degree burn is received, the person has the symptoms described above. However, they have a great duration and strength. In addition, the affected areas, in addition to acquiring a red tint, are covered with numerous thin-walled bubbles filled with liquid. Over time, these formations burst, and in their place open wounds form. The healing process of such areas occurs with the formation of dense crusts that turn into shallow scars. With a second degree burn, all layers of the epidermis are affected. In this regard, the recovery period lasts quite a long time. In addition, a person’s complaints that a burn on his leg hurts come from him for 5 or even 7 days. During the same period, swelling of the affected area persists.
For foci with third-degree burns, the formation of large thick-walled bubbles in the center of the damaged area and many small ones along the edges is characteristic. The soft tissues of the legs are affected to a considerable depth. They swell and acquire a red tint. Further, at the site of damage, a scab forms, which consists of dead tissue, blood and pus. Burns classified as third degree lesions are accompanied by intense pain. As the tissue heals, a deep scar forms.
A severe burn of the legs is considered a degree 4 lesion. Damage in this case affects not only the skin, but also the deep muscle layers, bones and tendons. Sometimes carbonization of tissues may occur. The victim has such severe pain that he needs urgent hospitalization and anti-shock therapy, which will reduce the risk of death.
What to do with a first degree burn?
As mentioned above, with such damage to the skin, the change affects only the upper layers of the epidermis. The patient can observe hyperemia, swelling forms, and when you click on the affected area, pain occurs. In the absence of infection and traumatic injuries, the burn will pass on its own. However, in order to prevent the formation of scars and other undesirable consequences, it will be necessary to provide a person with first aid and competent treatment.
It is worth remembering that any burn of the leg, even a small one, is a painful injury that can adversely affect various systems and organs of our body. To reduce the negative effects of damage, you will need to provide emergency assistance to a person. To do this, you must perform certain activities. Let's get acquainted with them in more detail.
Elimination of the cause of injury
In cases where an adult or a child could not navigate while receiving injuries, the flame or object that caused the burn should be eliminated. Most often, lesions of the 1st degree occur upon contact with steam, boiling water, iron or open fire.
After this, it is necessary to carefully examine other open areas of the body to find out if there are any other injuries or are absent.
Skin cooling
For shallow burns, the injured limb must be treated with running water. This will allow for a short period of time to eliminate the pain and normalize the state of the cells. This procedure lasts from 10 to 15 minutes. In this case, the water is set at a temperature not lower than twelve degrees. Cooling the affected leg with water will restore its condition and prevent the further spread of the resulting burn. In this case, a low-temperature liquid eliminates vasospasm, reducing the susceptibility of nerve endings. Getting rid of the pain syndrome will allow for further treatment. It should be borne in mind that such cooling should not be carried out in cases where a chemical substance has the ability to react with water.
If at the same time as the first degree burns on the leg there are also deep tissue injuries, you must immediately pay attention to them.
Dressing
It is recommended that you wrap your feet after a burn with a pre-cleaned handkerchief, towel or other improvised product. But first of all, you will need to remove areas of clothing and excess items from the treated area. Do not apply vegetable oil, manganese or brilliant green to a wound. It is also not recommended to use a bandage. After all, he is able to injure damaged areas of the skin. If a person has burned his fingers, then pieces of cloth should be laid between them. This will avoid sticking and infection of wounds.
The dressing is applied using any healing ointment. This may be, for example, Streptomycin or Levosulfamethacaine.
Painkillers
When providing first aid in case of burns, it is important to eliminate discomfort in an injured person. In case of complaints of ongoing discomfort, it is recommended to offer him pharmacy drugs.
When receiving first-degree burns, a person can take a pill of “Paracetamol”, “Analgin”, “Ibuprofen” or “Aspirin”. The selected drug must be consumed throughout the day. With constantly present pain syndromes, treatment of leg burns of the 1st degree should be prescribed by a doctor. Turning to a specialist, you can find out the causes of such a slow regeneration of the damaged skin area.
Pre-medical measures for a second degree burn
Emergency first aid for such skin damage begins with the elimination of the source of the lesion. After that, you will need to remove clothes from the affected area to ensure free access to it. Such actions will reduce the impact of various factors on the wound, reducing the risk of developing an infectious complication.
Legs after a second degree burn should be cooled with low temperature water. Also, a cold, but not an ice compress can be applied to the affected areas. Further, the injured skin must be treated with any antiseptic solution (for example, potassium permanganate or "Chlorhexidine"). With severe pain, a person is recommended to take a tablet of a drug that has an analgesic effect.
It is important to give the victim a plentiful drink at this moment. The liquid will normalize the volume of blood circulation and eliminate swelling. Further measures that need to be taken in the provision of first aid in case of a burn of the second degree include the application of an antiseptic or sterile dressing.
Treatment
With small areas of damage not exceeding 5%, you only need to regularly change the sterile dressings and apply external preparations designed to accelerate skin regeneration, its restoration and healing. How to treat a burn on the leg? Choosing the right drug should help the doctor. But on the whole, such medications as Spazol, Panthenol and Dermazin have a good therapeutic effect. They treat the burn two or three times a day, carefully applying the preparations to dry skin.
If there is severe pain in the first days after the injury, the doctor may recommend anti-inflammatory and pain medication to the patient. In addition, antihistamines and those that contribute to blood thinning are included in the course of treatment. The patient should take them only according to the scheme prescribed by the doctor and with strict adherence to the dosage.
Those blisters that form on the skin are eliminated by opening them. This procedure is carried out only in a clinic.
What is unacceptable when providing emergency assistance?
Doctors advise in case of a burn of the 2nd degree the following:
- Do not try to open the blisters;
- do not treat the affected area with sour cream, oils, alcohol-containing agents or iodine;
- Do not apply ice packs or heating pads to the damage zone;
- Do not touch the wound with your hand and do not rinse it with dirty water.
Violation of these recommendations threatens to aggravate the situation in the form of an increase in the burn area and a deterioration in the general condition of the patient.
Pre-medical actions for a burn of the third degree
What to do with such an injury? First of all, the victim is saved from the damaging factor. For example, extinguish burning clothes. Next, a clean, damp cloth should be applied to the injured area. Cooling a burn so severely with water is strictly prohibited.
The victim must be given a tablet of "Paracetamol" or "Ibuprofen." This will reduce pain.
When providing first aid for burns belonging to the third degree, it is forbidden to remove clothing if it adheres to the wound, to pierce and open bubbles. Also, do not touch the affected area and lubricate it with hydrogen peroxide, creams, various oils, iodine or sprinkle with any means. Do not cover the wound with plaster and cotton.
In the event of injury by chemical means, the doctors advise rinsing the wound with cold water, removing dirt from it. If sulfuric acid became the cause of the chemical burn, then the affected area will need to be treated with soda or a soap solution. In case of alkali damage, the painful area is washed, and then treated with citric or acetic acid.
In the case of an electric burn, it is first of all important to eliminate the effects of the appliance. After that, a sterile dressing is applied to the lesion site.
A burn of a leg with boiling water, fire or steam is a thermal sight. In this case, the beginning of first aid will be, as in all other cases, the elimination of the traumatic factor. Next, a bandage with an antiseptic is applied to the lesion site. In severe condition of the victim, accompanied by nausea and vomiting, you will urgently need to go to the doctor.
Of particular danger is a third-degree burn, in which a person loses consciousness. In this situation you will need:
- put the victim, giving his body a comfortable position;
- allow the flow of fresh air;
- clear the airways;
- take off squeezing clothes;
- turn the victim’s head on its side;
- carry out constant monitoring of breathing and pulse until the arrival of an ambulance doctor.
Therapy for third degree burns
Elimination of the effects of skin injury is performed through certain stages. The first of them provides first aid without leaving the scene. Further, treatment of a third degree burn should be carried out in a specialized hospital - a burn center. Here the victim will be given anti-shock therapy, and the pain will be relieved by intramuscular injection.
Pre-medical measures for a burn of 4 degrees
As a rule, skin lesions when exposed to aggressive factors in the home or at the workplace are not too severe. However, sometimes a person gets into a critical situation, as a result of which he has a maximum degree of burn - the fourth. It is distinguished by the scale of the defeat, as well as the fact that it poses a threat to human life and health. Such a burn occurs with prolonged exposure to the skin of high temperatures, as well as chemicals or electricity.
In the case of the first, emergency assistance to the victim, the source of the lesion is first of all eliminated. If chemicals come into contact with the skin, wash them off with clean water. Also, clothes located on the affected area are cut off. However, it is not worth removing it yourself if the tissue is dry.
An open wound with a burn of 4 degrees is closed either with a piece of clean tissue, or loosely bandaged using non-stick sterile materials. In addition, the victim should be given 0.5 liters of drinking water, to which soda and salt are added (half a teaspoon). This will eliminate dehydration. It is also recommended that the victim be given pain medication and wait for the arrival of emergency doctors.
Doctors warn about the prohibition of puncture of swollen areas of the skin, their cooling, wetting and processing by any ointments, fats and other means. Self-medication in this case can only harm the patient.
4 degree burn treatment
After conducting immediate first aid measures, the patient is placed in a hospital. Moreover, in most cases with burns of 4 degrees, surgical intervention is indispensable.
A patient placed under constant medical supervision is constantly assessed for changes in the state with the simultaneous use of painkillers that minimize the state of the body, but at the same time relieve painful syndrome. Deep burns require constant dressings to monitor the condition of the wound. In cases where the patient is conscious, and at the same time it is not possible to eliminate the pain syndrome by conventional means, doctors prescribe him an intravenous anesthesia using standard analgesics.
Often patients with 4 degrees of burns experience oxygen starvation. To prevent such symptoms, doctors use special therapy. This allows you to normalize the water-salt balance and replenish blood volumes lost during structural damage to tissues.
With a burn of 4 degrees, deep destructive processes occur. Wound healing with such lesions is observed only after the rejection of dead tissue. And this requires a period of at least 4 weeks. But still, a full restoration becomes possible only when the damage area was minimal.
Often, doctors resort to surgery to recover the patient more quickly. They restore areas of the skin, using tissue patches of healthy areas of the patient’s body. Sometimes fibroplasts are used, which are grown in laboratory conditions. With the proper selection of therapeutic measures, doctors manage to avoid the dangerous effects of burns and eliminate damage as soon as possible.
The appearance of tumors
Swelling with a burn is attributed to the normal reaction of the body to an irritant. With minor areas of damage, such a tumor disappears on its own. This process takes place in just a few days. But in cases where swelling with a leg burn persists for a longer period, infection of the epidermal tissues is likely.
What should be an emergency first aid in cases when the leg is swollen from a burn? To do this, you will need:
- rinse the damaged area with cool water;
- treat the affected area with an antiseptic;
- take an antibiotic pill.
If leg edema after a burn is insignificant, “Aspirin” will help reduce the swelling and eliminate the pain. The victim should take this drug in 2 tablets every six hours. How long will such treatment be? The course time depends on the size of the edema. Usually 3 days is enough to eliminate an unpleasant symptom. . , . , .
. , , .
Sometimes, damaging the skin, being under the scorching sun, people ignore the consequences in the form of a tumor of the lower extremities, considering this phenomenon to be the norm. However, the excessive influence of ultraviolet radiation is harmful to health and can worsen the general well-being of a person.
In severe burns, blisters appear on the legs. In places of defeat, severe pain occurs. The person is shivering, nauseous, vomiting, his general and local temperature rises, and his legs swell strongly.
You should not ignore this problem. After all, everything can end in a state of shock. That is why the victim should contact a medical institution where he will undergo therapeutic measures.
But even in cases where there is a slight sunburn and swollen leg, some procedures will be needed that will reduce the effects of large doses of ultraviolet radiation received by the skin. First of all, you need to stop any, even minimal contact with the sun. At the same time, hiding in the shade will be clearly not enough. A person will have to be indoors. After this, it is necessary to determine the degree of sunburn of the legs. If the limbs are completely affected, consult a doctor. Edema of the legs after a sunburn in young children is especially dangerous. However, for schoolchildren, this phenomenon is a serious problem.
What to do if a sunburn of the legs is received and they are swollen? The list of necessary activities includes:
- The use of cold compresses. They will alleviate the human condition. A cool shower will help in this, during which you can not use chemicals and rub the skin.
- The use of a special ointment or foaming drug sold in pharmacies. Their application is recommended to reduce the symptoms of burns and relieve swelling of the legs.
- Reception of antipyretics. They are necessary when the temperature rises.
If the legs swollen after a sunburn and all the necessary measures were taken in a timely manner, then the tumor will soon disappear. After this, the process of peeling of the skin will begin, which will be eliminated by a special emollient cream.
The means of folk healers will also help get rid of burn swelling on the legs. Among them:
- compresses from kefir or sour cream, which are recommended to be applied every two hours;
- lotions from grated raw potatoes;
- A compress of crushed aloe leaves with the addition of a small amount of milk.
Red spots on the legs
Sometimes on the lower extremities there are lesions, the cause of which is incomprehensible. So, often the patient goes to the doctor with a complaint that he has a red spot on his leg, similar to a burn.
Such foci may be symptoms of infection, bacterial infection, allergies, or psychological disorders. What can cause a red spot on the leg that looks like a burn? Consider the most common causes of this phenomenon:
- Fungus. With a dangerous fungal infection, spots similar to burns appear on the legs, as well as on other parts of the body. It should be borne in mind that the carriers of this ailment are contagious. That is why it is not worth using household items with them. Treatment of the fungus is carried out under the supervision of an infectious disease specialist or dermatologist.
- Varicose veins. Spots on the legs, similar to burns, often appear in women suffering from venous stasis. In addition to redness, with this pathology, characteristic vascular asterisks arise. They treat an ailment in a variety of ways - from a medical therapeutic course to surgery. Measures in case of illness should be taken immediately. Otherwise, complications in the form of eczema and thrombophlebitis are possible.
- Dermatitis. The symptom of this disease is also similar to a burn. Red legs with dermatitis are accompanied by itching, peeling and tightening of the skin. This pathology, as a rule, exacerbates during the onset of the cold months and is easier in the warm period. Today it is believed that it is impossible to completely cure dermatitis. Modern medicine offers only a little relief from the patient, recommending that he use externally hormonal ointments.
- Lichen. If red spots appear on the legs, similar to a burn, a dermatological problem is possible. After all, such symptoms are sometimes a sign of one of the varieties of lichen. To eliminate the problem, it will be necessary to pass tests, on the basis of which the specialist will determine the type of pathogen and prescribe the correct course of treatment.
- Hemangioma. Sometimes a person complains about the appearance of a red spot on the leg, similar to a burn, which has chaotic contours and a bright color. It is possible that this is a symptom of hemangioma - a benign tumor. A similar neoplasm develops as a result of the interweaving of blood vessels. Moreover, such a focus of the disease does not cause any discomfort and does not itch. To date, hemangioma is removed surgically.
- Allergy. Sometimes a person who visits a doctor complains about the appearance of a red spot on the leg, which looks like a burn with nettle leaves. Typically, this phenomenon is caused by an allergic reaction of the body to the active component. The appearance of red spots on the legs contributes to inappropriate cosmetics, external medicines, animal hair, household chemicals, contact with non-natural tissues. Often, red rashes on the legs and body occur after a person inhales pollen of a plant or consumes certain foods. In case of allergy, the spots peel and itch. To eliminate unpleasant symptoms, it is enough to eliminate the provoking factor, and also use the most suitable antihistamine. But at the same time you will certainly need to see a doctor. After all, only a specialist will be able to prescribe the correct course of treatment, in which it will be possible to achieve the most effective elimination of disturbing symptoms. In the most mild cases, irritation will cease to bother in a matter of hours. A more severe degree of allergy will require constant medical monitoring of the situation, for which the patient is sent to a hospital.
It should be borne in mind that the appearance of red spots on the leg, similar to a burn, can be caused by other reasons. For example, damage to skin areas is sometimes associated with nerve stress or some fairly serious pathologies. Among them - psoriasis, diabetes and some other ailments. In any case, self-diagnosis, the purchase of medicines in a pharmacy or the use of folk remedies are not recommended. In order to finally find out the cause and be treated as efficiently as possible, you need to contact a specialist. To make an accurate diagnosis, the doctor will give a referral to a blood test, venography, and other necessary tests.