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How to Treat a Burn
You never know how it might happen—accidentally dropping boiling water on yourself in the kitchen or being caught in a fire. Almost everyone experiences some kind of burn at least once in their lifetime. How to Treat a Burn will show you how to apply first aid until you can seek professional medical attention. -
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Treating a Burn Tips
- Always know what kind of burn you're dealing with before applying first aid.
- If your clothes are on fire, roll around in the dirt to extinguish flames. Wrap yourself with a blanket if one is available. It will also help douse the flames.
- Run cool water over the wound for as long as possible.
- If the burn is in a sensitive area of the skin, or covers a portion larger than your palm, call a doctor immediately.
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Step 1: Determine the Degree of the Burn
- The first thing you need to do in treating a burn is to determine the extent of the damage caused by the burn.About.com: Burns: First Aid Burn Treatment This means not only figuring out whether the burn is first, second or third degree, but also the area on the skin covered. If the affected area is larger than the palm of your hand, say an entire arm or abdomen, call for help immediately.
- Look for blistering, charring or peeling as well.About.com: First Aid: Burns: First Aid Burn Treatment These too, indicate that you need to call in emergency assistance.
- First-Degree: A first-degree burn is the least serious of them all. It usually indicates that only the outer layer of the skin has been affected. A first-degree burn is characterized by red skin, swelling and minor pain.MayoClinic.com: Burns: First aid
- Second-Degree: Second-degree burns cause much more pain and swelling and often cause blisters.MayoClinic.com: Burns: First aid The second-degree burns usually affect the deeper layers of the skin. A second-degree burn can prove to be dangerous if handled incorrectly and should be looked at by a doctor once the initial first aid has been administered.
- Third-Degree: Third-degree burns are the most severe, and usually cause permanent tissue damage.wikiHow: How to Treat a Burn The burns are usually painless because the nerves themselves have been burnt, but involve all layers of the skin, causing a charred look or making the skin appear dry and white. If the victim has a third-degree burn, call emergency services immediately.
