In this article, we will consider help with a burn of boiling water at home.
Thermal burns are one of the most common household problems and injuries. Unfortunately, very often people are burned with boiling water. The number of such victims usually increases in the summer. Apparently, this is due to the shutdown of hot water, which forces citizens to often boil water, in addition, in large volumes. I must say that due to oversight of adults, a lot of children suffer from this problem. Next, we describe what symptoms are observed when getting a burn with boiling water, and find out how the treatment is carried out.
Symptomatology
Probably, there is no such person who at least once has not been burned in his life with boiling water or any hot liquid. It is good that such burns are usually insignificant and heal quickly enough, without leaving even a trace. But in the presence of an extensive lesion and prolonged exposure to boiling water on the skin, you can get quite a serious injury. Help with a burn of boiling water should be timely.
First of all, it is important to evaluate the total area of the lesion. In the event that up to ten percent of the surface of the body is burned with boiling water, then the burn is considered local. And when more than ten percent of the surface was damaged, we are talking about an extensive burn. It is well known that the area of the palm is exactly one percent of the surface of the skin. In children, the total surface area of the skin is much smaller compared to adults, so for them a small burn can be a very serious injury.
Degree of burns
The first degree of burns with boiling water is characterized by redness of the area of the skin that suffered from hot fluid. In this case, most likely, there will be a strong burning pain, the appearance of slight edema is also likely.
The second degree of burns with boiling water will manifest more serious symptoms. For example, at the site of the lesion, in addition to the main redness and swelling, there will appear bubbles that will be filled with a light liquid. The contents of these bubbles are usually transparent. In case of damage to the bubble of the bladder, it is possible to expose the wound surface, which after a few days will have to be covered with a thin crust.
The biggest danger in burns with boiling water of the second degree is precisely the formed bubbles. It is well known that the skin is one of the protective barriers that prevents various microorganisms from entering the body. Against the background of peeling of the upper layer of the skin, an unprotected surface forms under it, this factor significantly increases the likelihood of all kinds of bacterial infections.
Burns of the third and fourth degree, which affect the deepest skin layers, including fatty tissue along with muscles and bone, against the background of careless handling of boiling water in everyday life, are usually quite rare. Such serious lesions, which cover up to one hundred percent of the surface of the body, are usually the result of a breach of industrial safety.
What is the first aid for a burn with boiling water?
First aid
As a rule, at home, the business is limited only to damage of the first or second degree. Such burns can be completely cured on their own. The help provided quickly in such a situation can significantly speed up the healing process, and after a few days a person will be able to forget about a burn.
The first thing to do is to carefully remove clothes from the affected area of the body. Then this area of the skin must be cooled. Next, the damaged area of the body should be held under cold water, but it should not be icy. Keep the wound under water for a long enough time, about twenty minutes. In the event that this is not possible, ice or a towel moistened with water is applied to the wound. In this case, the towel must be constantly cooled as it heats up.
This is the first aid for a burn with boiling water.
The injured person should be taken to the hospital as soon as possible if he received an extensive and deep burn. Medical care is especially necessary when blisters appear. During transportation, it is advisable to warm a person and give him pain medication with a warm drink.
Burns with boiling water in children happen very often. Even very cautious and prudent parents need to know how to act if the baby is burned, how to help him and how to treat him.
Home burn treatment
If there is a burn of the first or second degree, the affected skin is treated with Pantenol or Solcoseryl. In the event that there is no violation of the integrity of the integument, it is recommended to apply to the lesion site such agents as Bepanten, Dexpanthenol, and so on. The above preparations are applied to the skin with a thin layer, they should not be rubbed or soaked in a bandage, they should be allowed to absorb themselves.
It is important to keep in mind that many remedies for treating a burn with boiling water at home can be sold in several forms. For therapy, you should choose those that relate specifically to medical, and not to cosmetic products. Immediately after processing and applying the drug, the wound is covered with a clean dressing. The application of such wound healing preparations should be repeated up to four times a day.
What else is help for burns with boiling water at home?
Can bubbles be opened?
The answer to this question worries everyone who got a burn. It must be said that on the one hand, the lid of the bladder is a protection against infections entering the wound. And on the other hand, under this bubble there is a liquid, which in itself will not dissolve without a puncture, since there is simply nowhere to get it. In this regard, doctors have no clear answer to this question.
It can be said exactly that if the fluid in the bubble becomes cloudy, this indicates an infection and the development of some kind of inflammation. In this situation, the bladder definitely needs to be opened and its contents removed, conducting local therapy with antibacterial drugs such as Baneocin or Levomekol. But when it goes so far, the opening of the blisters should be done by a doctor who will do this under sterile conditions, treating the wound properly. The specialist will also give further recommendations regarding subsequent treatment. A doctor must also be consulted if the vesicles that appeared as a result of a burn have a thick tire and the area of the affected surface is very large.
How to open?
In other situations, blisters from a burn with boiling water at home can be opened independently, while using a sterile needle from a syringe and pre-treat the affected area with alcohol. After opening, the bladder cap should not be removed, as it still protects the wound from dirt and infections. In the event that the bubble is not opened, then sooner or later damage to its tire will occur, and the contents will leak out. You can treat the wound with a non-alcoholic antiseptic, for example, “Chlorhexidine” or “Miramistin”. Gently lubricate the diseased surface with an antibacterial agent and apply a dry dressing on top.
Physiotherapy for burns
Physical treatment methods that are used as part of the complex treatment of burns reduce pain intensity, reducing the symptoms of inflammation and accelerating the reparative process. All this helps to alleviate the condition of the victim and in a fairly quick time leads to recovery. The following measures are usually taken:
- After the patient recovers from shock, doctors use transcranial electrical stimulation with the help of devices called Transair and Lenar to relieve pain.
- At the stage of scab formation, the patient is assigned an effect on the surface of the burn of red and blue light from an apparatus called Geska. Such a procedure, as a rule, lasts for twenty minutes.
- And at the stage of formation of keloid scars, patients are prescribed electrophoresis.
Is it possible to grease a burn with brilliant green or iodine?
In answer to this question, it is worth emphasizing that it is strictly forbidden to lubricate the damaged area with brilliant green, iodine or potassium permanganate. This is not just useless, but in addition it will cause unnecessary pain, and, in addition, it will create difficulties during the diagnosis if you have to see a doctor.
Can burns be cured with oil?
Do not immediately lubricate the damaged area with oil after a burn. First, the skin needs to be cooled. Oil, on the contrary, prevents heat loss, thereby exacerbating a burn. But it is allowed to use oil at the healing stage, sea buckthorn oil is an excellent wound healing property. Next, we find out how effective the treatment is with the help of folk methods.
Treatment of burns: the use of folk methods
On chilled skin, it is recommended to apply potato gruel. Or you can sprinkle the wound with potato starch. Also, products such as soda, kefir or sour cream are suitable for this. Judging by the reviews that people leave on the Internet, such techniques are quite effective, and you can confidently use them if you do not have the necessary medications at hand. But you should not experiment again in the presence of extensive burns with blisters. In this regard, it is important to emphasize that it is advisable to use folk remedies only for first-degree burns.
In many sources, you can find recommendations regarding the treatment of burns with aloe juice. But it should be noted that it is far from safe to lubricate the burn site with aloe juice, as this can cause allergic reactions, which will only aggravate the patient's condition. Alternative methods should be used with great care.
Now we know what to do with a burn of boiling water at home.
When is it advisable to see a doctor?
Many people believe that burns are a completely minor injury. But sometimes a small burn can cause serious complications. After all, cases of infection and the development of inflammation in the burn area are far from uncommon, this is also fraught with the appearance of scars after healing. You need to see a doctor if the burn is localized on the face. For example, opening the vesicles on the leg is a completely harmless procedure, but when they are present on the face, it is better that a qualified doctor deals with them.
In the event that the fluid that fills the burn bladder suddenly becomes cloudy and turns red or brown, the surface of the blister remains tense even a couple of days after the burn, and a pulsating pain occurs in the wound area, this is a sign of inflammation that has begun. To open the bladder in this case, it is best to contact a surgeon who professionally treats the wound.
Particularly careful attention should be paid to children. Even against the background of a frivolous, at first glance, burn, it is better to consult a specialist, since a bacterial complication in a child can develop much faster than it does in adults. And far from every parent can correctly assess the degree of damage and choose the necessary treatment tactics. Here's what to do with a burn of boiling water at home.
Which doctor should I contact?
If you get serious burns due to boiling water, you should call an ambulance. You can also contact the emergency room yourself. Mild damage is treated by a surgeon. In the event that, due to intoxication, a burn disease has developed, and the area of damage is very large, the victim will most likely be referred for treatment to a hospital. Typically, such patients are referred to the surgical department.