Burns are very painful and for the most part can be avoided. If you have children or loved ones in your home, this is an article that you will not want to miss. There are several ways in which a person can get burned adn there are three degrees of severity, each has it’s own distinctive symptoms:
First-degree burns: are mild an injure only the outer layer of the skin. The skin will become read, but it will turn white when it is touched. The area will most likely be painful.
Second-degree burns: are deeper and more severe. They are very painful. Blisters may appear on the burned area. This type of burn will take about two weeks to heal.
Third-degree burns: are the deepest and the most serious type of burn. The skin becomes white and leathery. It will not feel very tender when it is touched.
There may be some swelling around the burned area. Serious burns may be accompanied by headaches. There may even be some dizziness and a fever. Your doctor might prescribe an antibiotic ointment. If the burn is sever, you may need to be hospitalized to avoid infection and to receive special care.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IF YOU GET A BURN
Soak the burned area in very cold water for about ten minutes.
Wash the burn with warm soapy water. You should pat it dry with a clean towel and the cover it with a clean/dry bandage.
It is always a good idea to clean the burn and put on a clean bandage several times a day. Make sure that everything that is going to touch the burn is clean. If you are given an ointment by your doctor, now would be a good time to use it.
If the bandage gets wet, you will need to change it .
If the burn happens to be on your arm or leg you should keep it propped up for the first twenty-four hours. This will help to reduce the swelling.
You will probably want to give Tylenol or Ibuprofen for the pain.
Burns are most common in young children, here are some tips and reminders that will help to protect your children from burns:
Don’t hold a baby when your are cooking or drinking that hot cup of coffee. The child may reach for it or jerk in your arms and it could get burned if you spill on them.
Keep coffee pots, irons, curling irons, hot foods, and boiling water away from where the can grab at them and pull them down.
Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove so the child cannot reach them.
Never open the oven door when the child is near.
Make sure to always check the water temperature in your child’s bath before you just put them in.
Do Not let the child touch the faucet handles in the bathtub. They may turn on the hot water. Never leave a baby or a young child alone in the bathtub
Use a cool mist humidifier instead of a steam vaporizer.
Put fireplace screens or guards around fireplaces, furnaces, or radiators.
Make sure your child’s pajamas are flame resistant.
If you smoke, do not leave your cigarette unattended.
Install smoke detectors.
Keep children away from electrical cords. Replace frayed cords. Cover your unused electrical outlets.
To help prevent sunburn always use sunscreen. I know that these seem like simple rules to follow and one’s that we all know and could say in our sleep. But, it is amazing how many children are seriously burned and scared for life, or even killed because we forgot for just that one-second.