The steam generated during the boiling of the liquid can be burned much more strongly than the hot substance in the tank. Knowing the mechanism of getting a steam burn and the potential consequences, you can correctly cope with this situation. After all, it is so easy to get confused in the search for the right method to eliminate the consequences of a steam burn. What to do at home?
It is very important to understand what to do with this kind of damage, you need to know about the methods of providing immediate first aid and the means to eliminate the consequences, so as not to aggravate the situation.
To begin with, it is worth figuring out what severity the injury has, because it is this indicator that will allow you to choose the right treatment for a steam burn.
The resulting thermal steam burns come in four basic degrees of severity.
1st degree
The first degree is characterized by redness of the skin in the area of damage, swelling and painful sensations. Such a burn disappears after five days.
2nd degree
The second degree of steam burn is manifested in the fact that after some time, bubbles begin to appear, filled with plasma fluid, which accumulated during the coagulation of the protein contained in the skin. Redness and swelling are also noted. A burn of this degree disappears after two weeks.
3rd degree
The third degree is characterized by muscle damage, because heated substances penetrate the skin tissue. After this, blisters begin to appear, which then burst and form damage to a large area. The healing period is very sluggish and long, because, for example, due to open wounds of a burn by steam of the hand, suppurations may appear.
4th degree
A fourth degree of steam burn can cause deep and serious damage, such as carbonization of the skin. Treatment of consequences takes place only in stationary conditions and under the strict supervision of specialists. This degree of burn is characterized by a long healing process.
It is easy to understand that the third and fourth degrees of steam burn are the most dangerous. If the patient has damaged more than 10% of the area, then urgent hospitalization of a person is necessary, and, as a rule, to specialized departments for the treatment of steam burns. What to do at home? About it further.
Most often, steam burns are of the first and second degree. In such cases, providing immediate first aid at home is not difficult. Third and fourth degree steam burns usually occur during large-scale industrial accidents or industrial injuries.
Most often, people burn their hands at home with hot boiling water or boiling liquid used in the household.
First aid for a steam burn
The procedure for providing first aid for a steam burn is as follows:
- First you need to free the damaged area from excess clothing, jewelry, watches, etc. If necessary, use scissors in order not to cause even more damage to the damaged skin.
- Then urgently need to cool the damaged area of the skin. As a rule, 10-20 minutes under a stream of cold running water directed to the scalded area is enough. If suddenly there is no water source nearby, then ice or other very cold objects should be used. But do not forget that ice abuse can harm the victim by deadening the epidermal cells, so this cooling process should be no longer than 5-10 minutes. What to do at home with a steam burn, many are interested.
- As with other types of thermal burns, trauma gives a person a very burning sharp pain. This is because after contact with high temperatures the skin continues to heat up for some time. Therefore, it is very important to cool the wound in time with cold temperatures, since this will stop the damage to the epidermal tissues and relieve pain. Due to the effects of cold, the temperature of the damaged area will decrease, which will entail a reduction in the spread of thermal damage.
- After the pain is relieved, it is necessary to treat the wound with anti-inflammatory drugs. For example, potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) is very often used as an antiseptic to disinfect wounds from burns. To prepare the solution, 1 g of the product should be diluted in 150 g of water and mix thoroughly. The resulting solution must be filtered through gauze, because if manganese crystals get on the wound, the burn may increase. The instructions for the use of potassium permanganate prescribes its purpose for the treatment of burn wounds, ulcers, etc. If you are in doubt and are afraid to use this tool, then it is better to skip this step.
- Next, it is very important to apply a bandage. After the wound has been treated, a dressing should be applied to the site of injury using a sterile and maximally clean bandage. It is necessary to use a fabric that is well permeable to air, preferably a natural composition.
- Previously, the burn must be treated with a healing ointment for burns (spray "Olazol", for example), various anti-burn agents and gels. It is necessary to apply them to the damaged area of the skin, withstand it for a while, and then apply a bandage, which serves as a kind of protection for wounds from infections that are nearby. Anti-burn products should be in everyone's home medicine cabinet.
Traditional methods of treating burns are discussed below.
Remember that burns should not be lubricated with oil or regular cream. These funds prevent the release of heat, creating a barrier, which means that the duration of wound healing and the elimination of painful sensations will increase. If blisters formed during a burn, then in no case should their integrity be damaged, otherwise an infection could get into the wound.
Why is a steam burn more dangerous than a boiling water burn?
- The boiling points of the liquid and the vapor formed from it are different. The temperature of steam can be much higher than water, especially under pressure. That is why a steam burn is much heavier and stronger, and therefore more dangerous.
- If hot liquid has got on the human body, then it is cooled quite quickly to a temperature of 36.6 ° C. During the transition of steam from a gaseous state to a liquid, condensate is created that produces even more heat. This is another reason for the danger of a steam burn.
Treatment
In addition to traditional conventional methods of treatment, many people use folk remedies. Their use, of course, is not enough in the fight against burns, but they can still help in the healing process. But in the pharmacy you can also buy various ointments or sprays that relieve pain and accelerate tissue regeneration.
Instructions for use Pantenol spray from burns will help to use it correctly.
Folk recipes
Along with anti-burn drugs for pharmaceutical activities, there are a large number of folk recipes and tips for dealing with trauma. Despite the development of the modern industry, the popularity of folk remedies is not becoming less, because their great advantage is that everything you need is within walking distance. We list some effective folk remedies:
- The foam formed by excessive whipping of egg whites is excellent for applying it to the burn site.
- When burned, grated raw potatoes and carrots also help. To enhance the effect, add honey to the resulting mass: 1 teaspoon per 100 g of mass. The resulting mixture is applied to the damaged area of the skin.
- Also, the burn area can be lubricated with aloe juice, secreted by an incision in the leaf of the plant. Or grind into gruel and put on a wound.
- You can soften a sheet of plantain or cabbage and apply to the damaged area of the skin for ten minutes.
- Mix 100 g butter, 20 g flaxseed, 100 g melted natural beeswax. Warm this mixture in a water bath for five minutes, and then cool by stirring slowly. Slightly warm ointment should be applied to the gauze bandage and cover it with the burned area of the skin. Change the bandage twice a day.
Pharmaceuticals
Of the anti-burn drugs produced by pharmaceutical production, the following most effective and popular are distinguished:
- "Panthenol" - the main component is dexpanthenol, which is able to quickly restore the structure of the skin and heal wounds. Instructions for use from burns to "Panthenol Spray" are in each package.
- “Bepanten-plus” - helps not only to quickly regenerate skin cells, but also to disinfect the site of damage.
- Spray "Olazol" - incorporates chloramphenicol, anesthesin and sea buckthorn oil.
- "Radevit."
If you get a steam burn, you should contact a specialist for help. Do not underestimate injuries of this kind.
We examined what to do at home with steam burns.