Hot iron, boiling water in a kettle, hot pots and pans – All these household items are dangerous to humans. Indeed, as practice shows, it is because of them that hand burns most often occur. Such household trauma is often localized on the fingers. Sometimes the palm and wrist are affected. And sometimes several parts of the upper limb are damaged. Since the skin in these areas of the body has many nerve endings, the injury is quite painful. And often after it there are unattractive scars and scars. How to provide first aid and how to treat burns – read about it in the article estet-portal.com.
Types and classification of burns according to the degree of injury
Before providing first aid and starting to treat a burn, it is necessary to determine what type it belongs to and what degree it is. After all, the method of treatment and healing of the lesion will depend on this.
Burns can be caused by both thermal and chemical sources.
Hence, injuries are divided into two types:
• Thermal – occur as a result of skin contact with boiling water, steam, open fire, boiling liquids, hot household items.
• Chemical – caustic chemicals lead to them: acid, aluminum powder, etc.
Depending on how severely the cover is affected, the following degrees of burns are distinguished:
• I degree – minor defeat. Only the topmost layer of skin is affected here – epidermis. It is accompanied by slight redness, swelling, dryness and pallor of the affected area, as well as painful sensations. Usually goes away in 2-3 days without leaving behind scars and scars.
• II degree – in this case, not only the epidermis is affected, but also the inner layers of the skin. Along with redness, pallor and severe soreness, blisters form on the burned area, inside of which there is a clear yellowish liquid. With timely assistance and proper treatment, the wound heals in 10-12 days. In its place, a discolored area of \u200b\u200bthe skin or a scar may remain.
• III degree – this is a more serious injury, since the deep layers of the skin are affected here. Muscles, ligaments, and even bones may also be affected. Large blisters appear at the site of the burn, filled with mucus, a grayish liquid or blood. There is also tissue necrosis that is, the dermis at the site of the burn dies. In this case, the victim may experience pain shock. A wound under a gray or black scab (dry crust) heals for a very long time. After healing, scars remain.
• IV degree – the most severe and serious injury, which is accompanied by necrosis and charring of the skin. The tissues that are under it are also significantly damaged: muscles, tendons, bones. The affected area becomes white, gray or black. In this case, the pain shock is very strong. A person has an increase in breathing and heart rate, increased blood pressure, nausea, vomiting and loss of consciousness. Dead tissue is torn away, and healing does not occur soon. A deep burn leaves behind rough scars that have a disfiguring appearance.
We provide first aid
First Aid – an important measure that must be carried out before treating a hand burn. It relieves the feeling of pain, disinfects the affected areas, and still does not allow an increase in the affected area.
For 1st and 2nd degree burns, medical care is provided at home. If the injury is thermal, then first you need to eliminate the source that led to the burn: put out the fire, turn off the stove, remove the turned off iron. You should also remove any rings, bracelets, and clothing that you have on the burnt area.
If a piece of clothing is stuck to the wound, it must not be torn off. Otherwise, the injured skin will peel off along with the tissue. And this is fraught with bleeding and infection in the wound. The tissue around the burn must be cut with scissors.
After that, the burnt skin on the arm needs to be cooled down. The limb is substituted by the affected area under a stream of cold water. You can also apply a cold compress to your hand. Such an event should be carried out within 5-20 minutes. It will dull the pain and stop further wound development.
But if you have a chemical burn caused by a powdered substance, putting your hand under the cold water tap is contraindicated. After all, this tool can suddenly light up on the skin. Therefore, chemical powders must be shaken off, not washed out.
Many people treat burns with vegetable oil. But this cannot be done. Otherwise, an infection will get into the wound, which can spread throughout the body.
After the injured hand has cooled, it must be treated with an antiseptic and anti-burn agent. It can be an ointment, cream or spray.
For more severe burns, an ambulance should be called immediately. At this time, the wound should be cooled and a sterile dressing should be applied to it, after which an anesthetic should be taken. There is no need to do anything further until the doctors arrive.
How to treat a burn: pharmacy and folk remedies
After giving first aid, do not leave your hand without treatment. Otherwise, the problem will get worse. But how to treat a burn? Mild injuries should continue to be treated with antiseptic and anti-burn agents until the cover is completely restored.
Among folk remedies, grated raw potatoes are suitable. By applying such a gruel to the wound for 10 minutes, you will cool the damaged area and relieve pain. But honey and fresh aloe juice, having soothing and antiseptic properties, contribute to the rapid regeneration of damaged skin.
If blisters form on the fingers, palms or other parts of the hand after a burn, treatment is carried out under the close supervision of a doctor. Minor blisters are usually punctured and the fluid removed from them. After that, the skin is treated with an antiseptic and a burn remedy. The wound is covered with a sterile dressing. Further treatment is carried out at home.
With burns of III and IV degrees, it is necessary to stay in a hospital. Treatment for such deep injuries involves excision of dead skin, skin grafting, plastic surgery, and sometimes amputation of the fingers or the entire hand.
Knowing the features of first aid and how to treat a burn, you will save the skin of your hand from serious complications and recover faster.
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