What to do after a burn and which remedy helps better in treatment?

Today, treatment of burns is a pressing problem. According to state statistics for 2021, at least 30,000 people suffered thermal or chemical injuries. This is one of the most common household injuries. However, you can often get a burn at work, where safety conditions are not met.

If burns occur, you must be able to provide proper first aid in a timely manner. How quickly you help yourself or the injured person will determine his further condition and the speed of treatment.

The human body is able to regenerate itself and remove minor burns without serious consequences for health. More serious burns require immediate medical attention to prevent complications. Such wounds need to be monitored to prevent infection and regularly treated with anti-inflammatory medications or anti-burn wipes.

If you find yourself close to a burnt person, you really need to know how to treat a burn, otherwise you will do more harm than good with your actions.

Causes of burns

A burn can occur due to exposure to:

fire;
hot liquid or steam;
hot metal, glass or other objects;
electric current;
radiation (x-rays or radiation therapy);
ultraviolet radiation (sun or solarium);
active chemicals.

It is worth noting that the causes of burns may be different, but all types of such injuries are classified depending on the degree of damage caused and symptoms:

First degree. This burn affects only the outer layer of the skin. The injury is characterized by redness, swelling and pain. The victim is given first aid and a short course of treatment is prescribed.
Second degree. This burn leads to damage not only to the epidermis, but also to the underlying layer - the dermis. The lesion is characterized by redness, whitening or mottled skin, pain and swelling. It is possible to develop blisters from burns and severe pain.
Third degree. With this type of damage, the fat layer under the skin is affected. Burnt areas of the body become charred, blackened or white. Third degree burns often disrupt the functioning of the nervous and respiratory systems.

First steps to neutralize thermal burns

remove the victim as far as possible from the heat source;
If clothing or equipment is smoldering, you should get rid of it immediately. If clothing is stuck to the skin, you must carefully cut it off or remove it;
apply dry ice or use cold water to the damaged area;
treat damaged areas of the body with burn ointment;
In case of serious injuries, call an ambulance.

Neutralization of chemical burns

Rinse the affected area with a strong stream of water. Under no circumstances should you treat a wound with oil.
If a burn is caused by quicklime or sulfuric acid, it should be
treat with a dry cloth, the use of water is unacceptable;
apply a sterile antiseptic bandage.

There are situations when people get severe burns. Treating them outside the hospital requires special knowledge and skills. If a person does not have them, it is better to immediately consult a doctor.

What is prohibited to do

Errors in the provision of first aid are the main cause of complications of burn injuries. To avoid negative consequences, you should not do the following:

wash off the quicklime with water;
wash the skin and mucous membranes with decoctions of medicinal herbs;
pierce the bubbles with a needle;
treat the area of necrosis with interior fat;
apply alcohol compresses;
sprinkle weeping wounds with starch.

If the mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth and esophagus are damaged, you should consult a doctor. Delayed treatment is fraught with blindness, intestinal perforation, internal bleeding, and suffocation.

Degree of burns

There are three main degrees of burns: first, second and third. The rating of each grade is based on the severity of the skin damage, with grade one being the most minor and grade three being the most severe.

Signs of damage look like this:

first degree burns: the epidermal layer is damaged, the skin is red, slightly swollen;
Second degree burns: blisters appear and skin peels off;
third degree burns: tissue necrosis is observed, the skin becomes white, a crust forms;

There are also fourth degree burns. This degree includes all the symptoms of a third degree burn. The damage penetrates beyond the skin and spreads to the tendons and bones. It is in this case that scars remain after a burn.

Chemical and electrical burns require immediate medical attention because they can affect internal organs, even if external damage is barely visible.

The type of burn does not depend on the cause of its occurrence. A scald, for example, can cause all three types of burns—thermal, chemical, and physical—depending on how hot the liquid is and how long it remains in contact with the skin.

Treatment after burns

If you receive minor injuries, you can try to neutralize them on your own. If you have knowledge of how to treat superficial wounds, you can handle this yourself.

Ointment or gel for burns from boiling water helps well with kitchen problems. If second or third degree burns have been sustained, hospital treatment is required. It should be done in a clinic under the supervision of doctors. The therapist will recommend how to treat the burn or how to treat a burn with blisters.

Alarming symptoms

If you have come into contact with a chemical or vapor, you should immediately contact a clinic. Otherwise, the condition will only get worse. There is a high probability of internal damage if:

Severe, persistent pain appeared in the mouth, throat, and along the esophagus.
When you swallow, the discomfort intensifies, and you can’t even drink the liquid.
There is vomiting, especially with blood.
Profuse salivation began.
It became difficult to breathe.
The temperature has risen (due to intoxication).
Swelling of the mucous membrane.
The victim is either drowsy or, on the contrary, restless.
Severe burns of external tissues, blisters.

Skin restoration after a burn

What helps with burns is careful hygiene and regular wound care.

After injury, a blister immediately forms on the skin, filled with clear plasma, which can seep through the burned tissue. With proper treatment, inflammation and suppuration can be avoided, and regeneration will occur faster.

Within a few days, the blisters from the burns will begin to subside and peel off, and new skin will begin to form under the blister. At this time, the wounds may itch, but you should not touch the affected area - by the end of the first week the itching will go away on its own.

If the wound is neglected, a process of suppuration may develop. It may be accompanied by fever, sudden weakness and chills. With such a history, regeneration of the skin may take weeks. In this case, compacted growths and ridges are likely to appear.

Treatment of scars after burns

If you are interested in how to get rid of the external consequences of a burn, you need to know that in case of serious damage to the skin, the scar will remain in any case. Here you will need the help of a cosmetologist who will help restore the normal appearance of the skin.

Typically, for such an operation, a scar excision technique is used, after which several cosmetic sutures are applied to the tissue. When the sutures are removed, the damaged area is treated with ointments that prevent the formation of new scars on the skin.

For particularly difficult cases, for example, burns from boiling water, the laser resurfacing technique is used. Modern equipment allows you to completely remove scars and achieve perfect skin. If the severity of the burn is insignificant, chemical peeling with fruit acids is recommended.

Experts' opinion

Based on the results of numerous clinical studies, La-Cri products are recommended by the St. Petersburg branch of the Union of Pediatricians of Russia.

According to the results of clinical studies conducted by the Union of Pediatricians of Russia, it was proven that when using a complex of products, the level of skin moisture decreased by 4% in comparison, and in the group that used placebo, the level of moisture decreased by 9%.

The conducted clinical study proves the high efficiency, safety and tolerability of products for daily skin care of children with mild and moderate forms of atopic dermatitis and during remission, accompanied by a decrease in the quality of life of patients. As a result of therapy, a decrease in the activity of the inflammatory process, a decrease in dryness, itching and flaking was noted.

Cream "La-Cri" for sensitive skin:

reduces itching and irritation;
relieves skin redness;
moisturizes and gently cares for the skin.

Sources:

Mancini A. J., Krouchuk D. P., Pediatric dermatology. Publisher: Practical Medicine, Directory, 2018
Kildiyarova Rita Rafgatovna, Pediatrician for every day. Guide for doctors, publishing house GEOTAR-Media, 2021
B.A. Shamov, I.G. Safiullina, A.B. Beshimova, T.B. Shamov, Differential diagnosis of atopic dermatitis, Journal of Practical Medicine, 2011
Fokina R.A., Atopic dermatitis: stages of development of classification forms, Siberian Medical Journal, 2007

Remedies for burns

How to treat a burn, and what kind of surgical assistance can be provided independently in the field or at home?

The use of creams such as Levomikol or Rescuer is guaranteed to help with minor injuries, such as briefly touching a hot pan. Dexpanthenol works very well for first degree burns. If the degree of damage is more serious, creams can only be used as a preventive measure and there is no point in relying on them.

Anti-burn products such as sprays or gels - for example, Burnshield Anti-burn Hydrogel - are more effective because they are dispersed and are better absorbed by the skin. These drugs combine two functions - anti-inflammatory and analgesic.

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There is another type of treatment - special anti-burn dressings. They are recommended when the patient needs to be outdoors. Such dressings prevent dirt and dust from entering the wound.

To reduce the risk of general burns

At home, you can quite simply reduce the risk of burns; you just need to follow a few recommendations:

Do not leave cooking or already cooked food on the stove unattended;
frying pans are placed on the stove with handles towards its back;
any hot liquid must be placed out of the reach of children and animals - boiling water is a common cause of thermal burns;
Do not store electrical appliances near water;
Do not cook in flammable clothing;
You should block your child’s access to electrical and gas appliances;
Protective caps must be put on sockets that are not in use;
you should not smoke at home;
smoke detectors require regular maintenance and battery replacement;
the house or apartment must be equipped with a fire extinguisher;
Chemical burns are caused by chemicals - they must be stored in a place inaccessible to children and animals.

Precautions when working with chemical reagent

Inhalation of lime dust is fraught with ulceration of the mucous membranes of the ENT organs, pneumonia, etc. To prevent burns, you need to take precautions when working with calcium oxide:

lime slaking is carried out in a well-ventilated area or outdoors;
to protect mucous membranes from lime dust, use a respirator and plastic goggles;
hands are protected with rubber gloves, and the body is protected with polymer-impregnated special clothing;
When slaking lime with water, you should not bend low over a container with powder.

Chemical burns take a long time to heal and are often complicated by bacterial infection. By following safety precautions, the risk of injury is minimized.