Symptoms and treatment of the Burns

Description

Burns are tissue damage that results from an excess of sunlight, hot liquids, flames, chemicals, electricity, steam and other sources. Burns can be minor medical problems or life-threatening emergencies.

The treatment of burns depends on where they are located in the body and how bad they are. Burns and small burns can often be treated with first aid. Deep or extensive burns, and chemical or electrical burns need immediate medical attention. Some people need treatment on a specialized burn centers and monthslong follow-up care.

Symptoms

Burn symptoms vary depending on how deep the damage of the skin is. You can take a day or two of the symptoms of a severe burn to develop.

First-degree burn, also called a superficial burn. This small burn affects only the outer layer of the skin, called the epidermis. May cause redness and pain, or other changes in skin color.
Second-degree burn, also called partial-thickness burn. This type of burn affects both the epidermis and the second layer of skin, called the dermis. This can cause swelling and red, white or splotchy skin. The blisters may develop, and the pain can be terrible. Deep second-degree burns can cause scarring.
Third-degree burn, also called full-thickness burn. This burn involves all layers of the skin and, sometimes, the fat and the muscle tissue under the skin. Burned areas may be black, brown, or white. The skin may appear with the appearance of leather. Third-degree burns can destroy the nerves, so there is little or no pain.

When to see a doctor

Call 911 or seek immediate medical attention for:

The burns can be deep, involving all layers of the skin.
Burns that cause the skin to dry and leathery.
The burns are burn, or with patches of white, brown or black.
The burns are larger than 3 inches (8 cm) wide.
Burns that cover the hands, feet, face, neck, groin, buttocks or a major joint, or burns around an arm or a leg.
Difficulty breathing due to the inhalation of smoke or gases.
Headache or nausea due to exposure to fire and smoke.
The burns begin swelling very quickly.
Severe burns that were caused by the chemicals, gunpowder or an explosion.
Electrical burns, including those caused by lightning.
A sunburn, with a fever of over 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39 degrees Celsius), and vomiting.
An infection in more than one area burned by the sun.
A sunburn, with confusion or pass.
A sunburn with dehydration.

Take action first aid while waiting for emergency assistance.

A burn may need emergency care if it affects the eyes, mouth, hands, or genitals. Babies and older adults may need emergency care for minor burns as well.

Call your health care professional if you experience:

Signs of infection, such as suppuration, and the stripes of the wound, and fever.
A burn or blister that is greater than 2 inches (5 centimeters) or does not heal in two weeks.
New symptoms that cannot be explained.
A burn and also have a history of diabetes.

Also call your health care professional if you think you might need a tetanus booster. You may need a booster vaccine if you have not had a tetanus shot in the past five years. Try to get this within three days of the injury.

Causes

Burns are caused by:

Fire.
Hot liquid or steam.
Hot metal, glass, or other objects.
The electrical currents.
Nonsolar of radiation, such as that from x-rays.
The light of the sun or other sources of ultraviolet radiation, such as tanning beds.
Chemicals such as strong acids, bleach, paint thinner or gasoline.
The abuse.

Risk factors

Risk factors for burns are:

Factors in the workplace. The people who work outdoors, and the people working with flames, chemicals and other substances that cause burns are at increased risk of burns. The majority of burns occur in adults.
Dementia. Older adults with dementia are more likely to have burns from heat sources, such as too hot tap water, hot drinks, food, fats and cooking oils.
Be young. Very young children are not able to get away from sources of heat or flame. His burns are often from the kitchen, car seat, and a bathroom of dangers.
The consumption of Alcohol. Risk of burns is greater among people who drink alcohol or use of other substances that affect the trial.

Complications

Complications of deep or extensive burns may include:

Infection. Examples include bacterial infection, tetanus, and pneumonia.
The loss of fluids. This includes low blood volume, which is also known as hypovolemia.
Dangerously low body temperature. This is known as hypothermia.
Breathing problems. These can occur after taking in hot air or smoke.
Irregular heart beats. Also called arrhythmia, irregular heartbeat, may occur after electrical burns.
Scarring and changes in skin color. Scars or armor areas can be caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue. These types of scars are called hypertrophic scars or keloids. Blacks have a higher risk of this type of scarring and can benefit from seeing a specialist in burns or surgeon. Other people may develop skin color changes after burn injury if the healthy skin is lighter or darker than the skin that was not burned.
Pain. Burn scars can be painful. Some people may experience itching or discomfort related to damage in the nerves, causing numbness or a tingling sensation.
Bone and joint problems. Scar tissue can reduce and firm the skin, muscles, or tendons. This condition is also known as a contracture.
Depression and anxiety disorders.
The skin cancer. Skin cancer can happen, sometimes, in the scars of previous burns. Contact your health care professional if you notice a sore that is not healing within a burn scar.

Prevention

Burns are very common, and the majority of them are preventable. Kitchen-related injuries of hot drinks, soups, and foods cooked in microwave are especially common among children. You can take steps to reduce the risk of family burns.

Kitchen, car seat, and a bathroom hazards

Never leave objects of cooking on the stove unattended.
Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove, or cook on the back burners.
Do not carry or hold a child while cooking on the stove.
Keep hot liquids out of reach of children and pets.
Check the temperature of the food before serving it to a child. Do not heat a baby's bottle in the microwave.
Never cook while wearing loose clothing. You could catch the fire of the stove.
If small children are present, to block its access to sources of heat. Examples include stoves, outdoor grills and fireplace.
Before you place a child in a car seat, check hot straps or buckles.
Setting your water heater thermostat to 120 ° f (48.9 ° c) to avoid burns. Older adults and young children are at higher risk of burns from tap water. Always test bath water before use.

Electrical devices

Unplug the iron, heaters and similar appliances when not in use. Keep them out of the reach of small children.
Keep electrical appliances away from water.
Cover electrical outlets with safety caps.
Keep electrical cords and cables out of the way so that the children can't chew on them.

Fire prevention

If you smoke, stop smoking. If you don't quit, don't smoke in bed.
Blow out candles before leaving the room or sleeping.
Make sure that the smoke detectors on each floor of your home. To check and change your batteries at least once a year.
Keep a fire extinguisher on hand and learn how to use it.

Chemical hazards

When using chemicals, always wear protective goggles and clothing.
Keep chemicals, lighters and matches out of reach of children. The use of safety latches. And do not use lighters that look like toys.

Diagnosis

If you go to a health care professional for the treatment of burns, the health care professional figures out how bad your burn by examining your skin. You may be transferred to a burn center if your burn covers more than 10% of their total body surface area, is very deep, is on the face, feet or groin, or meets other criteria established by the American Burn Association.

Your healthcare provider will also check for other injuries and might order lab tests, X-rays or other diagnostic tests.

Treatment

Most minor burns can be treated at home. They usually heal within a couple of weeks.

For serious burns, after the first aid and after a health care professional is seen in his burns, treatment may include one or more of the following: medications, dressings, therapy, and surgery. The goals of treatment are to control pain, to remove the dead tissue, prevent infection, less risk of scars and restore function.

People with severe burns may require specialized treatment of burn centers. They may need skin grafts to cover large wounds. And you need emotional support, and months of follow-up care, such as physical therapy.

First aid for severe burns

For severe burns, apply first aid until emergency help arrives:

Protect the burned person from further damage. If you can do so safely, make sure the person you're helping is not in contact with the source of the burn.
Make sure that the burned person is breathing. If necessary, begin rescue breathing if you know how.
Remove jewelry, belts and other tight items, especially in the burned area and the neck. Burned areas swell rapidly.
Cover the burn. Cover the area with a gauze or a clean cloth.
Elevate the burned area. Raise the wound above heart level, if possible.
Watch for symptoms of shock. Symptoms include cold, clammy skin, weak pulse and shallow breathing.

Medical treatment

The medications and products that can help with the healing of severe burns include:

Water-based treatments. Your health care team may use techniques such as hot tubs to help remove the dead tissue.
Fluids to prevent dehydration. You may need intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration and organ failure. These are also called IV fluids.
The pain and anxiety medications. The healing of burns can be very painful. You may need to morphine and anti-anxiety medicine. These may also be necessary when the bandages are changed.
Burn creams, and ointments. If you are not transferred to a burn center, your care team can use a variety of topical products for the healing of wounds. Examples are the bacitracin and silver sulfadiazine (Silvadene). These help to prevent infection and to prepare for the wound to close.
The dressings. Your health care team also can use a variety of specialty wound dressings to prepare the wound to heal. If you're being transferred to a burn center, the wound will likely be covered in gauze dry only.
Medicines that fight infection. If you develop an infection, you may need INTRAVENOUS antibiotics.
Vaccine against tetanus. Your health care team might say that in order to get a tetanus shot after a burn injury.

Physical and occupational therapy

If the burned area is large, or covering the joints, you may have to perform physical therapy exercises. These can help to stretch the skin so that the joints remain flexible. Other types of exercises can improve muscle strength and coordination. And occupational therapy can help if you have difficulty performing their daily activities.

Surgery and other treatments

You may need one or more of the following:

Respiratory assistance. If you have been burned in the face or neck, your throat can swell and close. If that seems likely, a doctor may insert a tube into the windpipe, also called the trachea (windpipe) to maintain the oxygen delivered to the lungs.
Feeding tube. If you have burns over a large area or are underweight, you may need nutritional support. A health professional can thread a feeding tube through the nose into the stomach.
Facilitating the flow of blood around the wound. If the burn scab, also called eschar, going completely around a limb, can tighten and cut off the flow of blood. An eschar that goes completely around the chest can make it hard to breathe. A health professional can cut the sore to relieve this pressure.
The skin grafts. A skin graft is a surgery that uses sections of their own healthy skin to replace the scar tissue caused by deep burns. Donor skin from deceased donors or pigs that can be used for a short time.

Self-care

For minor burns, follow these first aid guidelines:

To prevent further damage. To get away from what caused the burn. For sunburn, get out of the sun.
Cool the burn. Keep the area cool — not cold — water current for 10 to 20 minutes. If this is not possible or if the burn is on the face, apply a cool, damp cloth until the pain is relieved. For a mouth burns from hot food or drink, put a piece of ice in the mouth for a couple of minutes.
Remove rings or other tight items. Try to do this quickly and gently, before the area burned swells.
Apply the lotion. After the burn is cooled, apply a lotion, such as one with aloe vera and cocoa butter. This helps prevent drying and provides relief.
Bandage the burn. Cover the burn with a clean bandage. Wrap the container to avoid putting pressure on burned skin. Bandaging keeps air off the area, reduces pain and protects blistered skin.
If needed, take a pain reliever. Pain medicine you can buy without a prescription, can help lessen the pain. Examples include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and acetaminophen (Tylenol, others).

If the burn was minor or serious, use sunscreen and moisturizer regularly once the wound has healed.

What not to do

Do not use cold water to cool the burn.
Do not break blisters. B-listers help protect against infection. If a blister breaks, clean the area gently with water and, if desired, liquid soap. Apply an antibiotic ointment. If a rash appears, stop using the ointment.
Do not use a soft cotton bandage.
Do not apply ointments, grease, butter, or eliminate the pain lotions.
Do not try to remove clothing stuck to the burn.

Coping and support

Coping with a severe burn injury can be a challenge, especially if it covers large areas of the body, or in a place easily seen by other people, such as the face or hands. Possible scarring, less mobility and possible surgeries are added to the load.

Consider joining a support group of other people who have had severe burns and knowing what is going on. You may find comfort in sharing their experience and problems and meeting people who are facing similar challenges. Ask your healthcare professional for information about support groups in your area or online.

Preparing for your appointment

Seek emergency medical attention for burns or deep to involve their hands, feet, face, groin, buttocks, one of the major joint or a large area of your body. Your health care team may recommend an examination by a specialist of the skin, burns specialist, surgeon or other specialist.

For other burns, you may need an appointment with your family health care provider. The following information may help you prepare.

List of questions you want to ask your health care professional, such as:

I need a treatment for burns?
What are my treatment options and the pros and cons of each one?
What are the alternatives to the primary approach you're suggesting?
Can't wait to see if the burn to heal on its own?
I need prescription medicine, or I can use the-counter medicines to treat sunburn?
What results can I expect?
What skin care routines do you recommend as the burn to heal?
What type of follow-up, if any, will I need?
What changes in my skin can't wait to see how it heals?

What to expect from your doctor

Your healthcare provider is likely to ask a series of questions, such as:

How did the burn occur?
Do you have other symptoms?
Do you have other medical conditions, such as diabetes?
What house is burning treatments have been used, in your case?
Have you noticed changes in the appearance of the burn?