One of the most common home injuries is burns. They happen for various reasons and have varying degrees of damage. Everyone at least once received such an injury after contact with a hot electrical appliance or steam. Such wounds may be the result of the aggressive effects of chemicals on the skin. But few people can correctly answer how and with what to treat a burn. But the effectiveness of further treatment largely depends on how timely and efficiently the first aid was provided.
How to treat a wound after a burn?
First aid depends on the nature of the injury. If the wound is extensive, then it is necessary, having provided the victim with peace, to immediately seek medical help. Touching the affected area is not recommended. But if the area of the burn is small,can be effectively treated at home. If the wound was received from steam, boiling water or an electrical appliance turned on, then you first need to cool the skin. To do this, put a cotton cloth or gauze moistened with cold water on the burn, it is changed every 2-3 minutes. If an arm or leg is burned, place it under a stream of cold water. How to treat a burn after cooling? Sprays and special ointments are sold in large quantities in stores. For example, "Miramistin", "Panthenol" and "Rescuer". But if there were no medicines at hand, then you can use traditional medicine. Raw potatoes work best. It is cut into thin slices and applied to the surface of the burn. Every 2 minutes the pieces are changed for new ones. If potatoes are applied in the first minute after receiving a wound, a blister may not appear at all. You can also apply oil compresses and cabbage leaves to the burn.
What not to do when treating wounds after a thermal burn
Trying to provide first aid for various burns, people make a lot of mistakes. The most common of these is the application of a greasy cream or oil to the affected area, without first cooling the wound. When such a substance comes into contact with the surface of the burn, it clogs the openings of the pores. As a result, the affected tissues heat up even more, which greatly exacerbates the situation. Can you treat a burn with peroxide? Doing this is not worth it. Peroxide can be irritating. Hercan only be used with an open healing wound, it helps to prevent the development of bacteria that cause suppuration. But with burns, this is most often not required. In no case should you pierce the bubbles yourself. If such a need arises, then this surgical manipulation is performed only by a doctor.
How to treat a chemical burn?
Chemical burn is different from thermal burn. With such an injury, the first thing to do is to thoroughly wash the wound. The damaged surface is substituted under running water for 10-15 minutes, at least. How to treat a burn after washing? It depends on the nature of the chemical that caused the injury. When it comes to acid, it is very effective to treat the resulting ulcer with a weak solution of baking soda. If the cause of the burn is alkali, then the wound is washed with highly diluted citric or acetic acid.
