Burns are always painful, be they sunburns or those caused by touching fire or extremely hot objects. Burn injuries can be either mild or deep and serious injuries. Minor injuries can be handled at home with some care and first aid. Severe burns require professional treatment from medical experts that can assess the level of injury. Burns are classified into first degree, second degree, and third degree. Let us study how to treat the various degrees, the first aid treatments and how to treat minor first-degree burn injury at home.
First Aid
First aid treatment is necessary for burns to prevent mild injuries from worsening and being infected. First aid at home involves these steps to deal with mild cases.
- Cut off the source of heat.
- Wash the burned area in chilled water.
- For first aid at home, clean the injured area and allow it to dry.
- Apply an antibiotic like Neosporin as first aid. This can treat the burn by preventing infection or forming a layer against outside agents, helping rapid healing.
- Covering the affected area lightly with a clean bandage is an important step in home first aid.
- In case first aid at home does not provide relief, visit your doctor or hospital for treatment.
First-Degree, Second-Degree, and Third-Degree Burns
- First-degree burns are considered mild. Here, the affected area turns red, has a burning sensation, and is likely painful. This is a mild injury and can be treated through first aid. The home first-aid treatment discussed above works fine to treat mild burns.
- Second-degree burns usually cause the skin to blister with lymph fluid collecting inside. Up to a couple of inches, these are mild and treated through first aid. However, for larger second-degree burns or those at vital or sensitive body parts, it is important to visit a doctor for treatment.
- Third-degree burns are the most severe form caused by a burning of the skin. In this case, all the skin layers are burnt and, in some cases, third-degree injuries even damage the structures below the derma. Nerve damage due to this burn can prevent you from feeling pain, but it requires emergency transfer to a professional medical center and professional treatment.
How to Treat Sunburns at Home
In case you get a sunburn and start feeling pain, with wrinkles, peeling skin itching, and burning sensation, you need effective first aid and immediate remedies. These are some ways to treat sunburn:
- Bathe in cold water after exposure to extreme sunlight and moisturize to keep the skin moist. Creams or lotions containing vitamin C are great for treating sunburns.
- Drink adequate amount of liquids including water and juice to keep your body hydrated. Fluids can largely prevent burns caused by sunlight.
- If you get blisters, take medication. Though a mild sunburn can be treated at home, if the burn has affected 20 percent of the body, make sure you visit a doctor.
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