In the article, we will consider how long burns of the 2nd degree heal.
A burn is damage to soft tissue that occurs due to the action of heat and chemical elements. Burn wounds are found in varying degrees of severity, they are characterized by depth, and, in addition, the area of the lesion. The duration of the recovery processes, methods and methods of therapy depend on the severity of the wounds received and the reason that caused them. In total, four stages of burns are distinguished in medicine, each of which is characterized by the depth of tissue damage.
Burns of the 1st and 2nd degree are considered the lightest, which against the background of minimal attention from a person can pass within three days without leaving any traces. Severe forms include the third and fourth, with such injuries, therapy is carried out exclusively within the hospital, which will require a long recovery period. This article is devoted to second-degree burns, which are the most common, they can be obtained in everyday life.
So, we will figure out how long burns of the 2nd degree heal.
Main characteristics
Based on generally accepted medical concepts, a burn is a violation of the integrity of the skin or mucous membranes, which appears as a result of unnatural contact with high temperature or certain chemical components.
The second degree of burn is characterized by damage not only to the upper layer of the skin (epidermis), but also to the dermis. This can lead to a violation of capillary permeability. In addition, nerve endings are also affected. Visually, burns of 1 and 2 degrees can be determined by the following symptoms:
- The contact area turns red and inflamed.
- There is pain, worse when touched. Burning pain can last about three days.
- The occurrence of puffiness with a burn of 2 degrees and blisters with liquid internal contents.
Causes of a second degree burn and its varieties
The main criterion for determining the type of burns is the type of source, the unnatural effect of which on the skin, provokes its damage. As a rule, skin integuments suffer from high temperature contact from fire, due to interaction with heated objects, liquids, steam, as well as from the aggressive action of chemical components or radiation on the tissue. These types are distinguished:
- Getting a thermal burn.
- Chemical burn.
- Radiation damage, although the second degree of this type is rare and only in people with fair skin.
- An electrical type due to lightning or current. Such physical phenomena during contact with the body form the entry point for the discharge and its subsequent exit. It is in these places that a burn appears.
In children under three years of age, scalding is often caused by scalding with boiling water or touching hot objects. Mostly the hands are affected. And this is especially painful damage, since many nerve receptors are collected on the palms and fingers. Also, feet with feet often suffer from thermal burns. These parts of the body can be hit by fire, boiling water and hot appliances. Burns of 2 degrees in the photo can be seen.
In addition, it is worth highlighting second-degree burns in the face area. Their causes are steam, boiling water, or chemical components, and, in addition, cosmetic procedures for cleaning the face with the use of preparations containing phenol. You can also damage your skin after using iodine, hydrogen peroxide, potassium permanganate and other aggressive substances if you do not observe the correct concentration along with safety precautions.
The most difficult second-degree burns are damage to the eyes and esophagus. Eyes suffer as a result of improper handling of chemical elements, flammable liquids, exploding structures and the like. A burn of the esophagus involves damage to the mucous membrane and muscle tissue. Such injuries occur due to the ingress of chemicals.
Visual and medical diagnostics
The first minutes after injury due to the condition of the damaged surfaces, the severity of the injury can be assumed. The first thing that doctors pay attention to is blisters. Their presence indicates the presence of a second degree. In the event that the burn is extensive, then to diagnose it, you should contact the medical institution in which the doctor is a combustiologist, based on the clinical picture (area of the lesion, the presence of swelling and pain) will determine the degree. In addition, if there are opened blisters, the doctor will be able to prevent the development of infection.
The situation is more complicated with internal burns. To determine how much the respiratory system or esophagus has suffered, an X-ray is required along with a detailed blood and urine test. And already further, according to the results, they conclude about the nature of the burn of internal organs and prescribe appropriate therapy.
What help is needed for burns of the 2nd degree?
How is first aid provided?
It is important to understand that much depends on the provision of qualified first aid. It is important to pay attention to the depth of the burn, and, in addition, to the level of pain and the duration of the recovery period, and, of course, to the absence or presence of a scar on the skin. Therefore, you need to clearly know what can be done after a burn of the 2nd degree, and what is strictly prohibited. And so, provide first aid to a person affected by second-degree burns, it is necessary as follows:
- The burned surface must be immediately freed from clothing and the source of injury.
- The affected area of the body is immediately placed in cold water, best under running water, but the jet is not sent directly to the wound. In the event that this is not possible, then a container with cold water can be used to cool. Thanks to the cold, a decrease in the temperature of the skin is achieved, which prevents its damage in depth. In addition, the pain effect is reduced due to the fact that under the influence of low temperature blood vessels narrow. A cold procedure in the framework of first aid should last at least twenty minutes, but maybe longer - about an hour, that is, until the moment when the affected person begins to feel a slight numbness.
- The next point is washing the wound with an alcohol-free antiseptic solution, for example, Chlorhexidine or Furacilin is suitable.
- Applying a gauze sterile dressing to damaged skin.
- In case of severe pain, painkillers in the form of tablets or injections are recommended.
With a second degree burn, it is prohibited:
- Tear the skin tissue from the wound, it must be carefully trimmed with scissors around the perimeter.
- Use of brilliant green or iodine.
- The use of fat-containing components and natural products (in the form of oil, fat, sour cream).
- Independent opening of the blisters, only a doctor can do this, subject to special sterile conditions.
Home Healing
How long burns of 2 degrees heal, it is interesting to many.
Immediately after providing first aid, the patient should definitely show the doctor who will prescribe the appropriate therapy. As a rule, in the presence of not extensive second-degree burns, therapy is carried out at home, provided that the basic recommendations and rules received from the doctor are followed. True, internal burns are treated only in medical institutions.
Therapy
How to treat 2nd degree burns at home?
Adequate treatment will significantly reduce the healing time of wounds. Today, the pharmaceutical industry has an extensive range of local and general anti-burn drugs. However, the independent use of drugs is not always justified. Since each of the funds has its own contraindications and indications, it is therefore better to use the medications prescribed by the doctor.
In the treatment of second-degree burns, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory drugs are of great importance. Wounds are treated with antiseptics on the first day of injury. The most commonly used are Miramistin and Chlorhexidine. To relieve inflammation and prevent the development of purulent processes, ointments “Levomekol”, “Syntomycin”, “Furacilin”, “Gentamicin” and others are used. In addition, various ointments that contain panthenol are popular. They have a high moisturizing and healing effect.
Especially popular among doctors and patients is the spray called Panthenol. It is very convenient to use, moreover, it has established itself as an effective tool in the treatment of burns. In the treatment of burns, antihistamines are also prescribed. They can relieve swelling by removing itchy skin. Most often, it is recommended to drink Suprastin or Claritin tablets.
With severe pain, you can drink any pain medication, and if necessary, the doctor can prescribe injections. In order to enhance the processes of regeneration and collagen production, vitamins must also be drunk. In addition, it is recommended to keep a balanced diet. After all, the body needs strength to recover.
How long burns of 2 degrees heal depends on whether the rules for their treatment are observed.
How should blisters be treated?
With a second-degree burn, the manifestation of blisters, unfortunately, is inevitable. Handle them very carefully. At the same time, it is important to try to carry out any manipulations in such a way as not to damage their integrity.
In the event that the blisters are small, then, subject to proper treatment of the burn with the help of special means, they pass on their own. But it also happens that the blisters merge into one whole, forming large bubbles, inside of which a cloudy liquid collects. They must be opened, but only a doctor can do this correctly, observing special sterile conditions.
In cases where the blisters break themselves, the exposed surface must be treated with antiseptic solutions, and the shell must be cut off with pre-sterilized scissors. In the event that, for some reason, an inflammatory process occurs in a burn wound and suppuration begins, then a doctor should be contacted immediately. With this combination of circumstances, additional treatment with antibiotics may be required.
In inflammatory processes, the temperature rises in the victim, chills and weakness appear. The danger of this condition is that with an untimely action, the purulent process is very dangerous and can even lead to death.
2 degree burn in a child
The principle of action in the presence of such a burn in babies is identical to helping adults. The only difference is in the dosage and concentration of drugs. In addition, there are psychological difficulties in providing first aid and subsequent treatment. Since children are emotionally sensitive, they react strongly to pain, and the presence of unaesthetic blisters can cause additional stress for them. Therefore, the behavior of parents should be careful, and at the same time correct. After first aid, the child is shown to the doctor who will prescribe the necessary medicines. Self-medication for burns with boiling water of the 2nd degree, and even more so apply folk methods, is not recommended.
How long does a second degree burn heal?
Second-degree burns not complicated by the infectious process usually heal within fourteen days. In the event that any complications arise, the recovery processes naturally drag on.
Stages of healing
Official medicine distinguishes three stages of thermal burns of the 2nd degree. The first is considered purulent-necrotic, against its background, rejection of damaged tissue occurs along with the formation of blisters. At this stage, regular antiseptic wound treatment and anti-inflammatory drug therapy are performed. With proper treatment, this stage can smoothly move into the second (granulation stage). It is characterized by the disappearance of blisters and inflammations. At this stage, patients observe tissue repair, so the burn area continues to be treated with wound healing ointments. The third stage involves the process of epithelization. The burn is tightened with a new skin. This stage is characterized by complete recovery.
It is important to understand that correctly selected medical products, and, in addition, the timely treatment of burn wounds with antiseptic solutions, reduce the healing and restoration of the skin by several times.
We examined how a 2nd degree burn heals.