How To Do First Aid Treatment for Burn Injuries

We've seen pictures, read statistics and seen video clips showing burn accidents. Almost everyday we see news clips of burn accidents, many of them involving children. Is it due to carelessness of both the parents and children? Partly yes, but primarily because of the lack of basic information on the causes of burns, on safety measures to help avoid accidents and what we can do as first aid treatment for it.

Thermal burns result from residential fires, motor vehicle crashes, playing with matches, improperly stored gasoline, electrical malfunctions, or a child climbing on top of a stove or grabbing a hot household implement. Our skin regulates the heat our body takes and gives off. It also maintains the fluids our bodies need. The skin serves as our protective shield against infections. This part of our body is destroyed when we get burns. The cure for burns will depend on the degree (first, second or third), on how big the burned area is and what part of the body is affected.

The mildest burn is referred to as a first degree burn, which affects the outermost layer of the skin where there is redness and minor pain.  In second-degree burns the victim experiences swelling of the skin and feels a more severe pain. When the damage affects the tissues and innermost part of the skin the burn is categorized as a third degree burn. The damaged nerves may cause numbness in the affected area. Total area of the burn is also significant. The skin acts as a protection and without it, a patient is subject to infection and fluid loss.

Burn location is even more important than other factors. Victims with burns in the face, hands, feet and genitalia need immediate emergency medical attention.

Here are some first aid treatments for burn injuries:

1. Ensure your own safety.  Do not put yourself in danger of getting burned while saving a victim.
2. Make sure that the burning process is stopped by running cool (not ice water) over the affected area. Ice can cause frostbite, further damaging the skin.
3. Look for blisters, skin flakes or charred (blackened) skin. The victim should be taken to a hospital if the damaged area is big. Don't break blisters. Broken blisters may cause infection.
4. Apply a topical burn ointment for mild burns to reduce pain. Butter or oil, which is popularly known to give relief, should not be applied, as it will only avert proper healing.
5. Cover the burn with a sterile gauze bandage loosely to keep air off the burned skin, reduce pain and protect the blistered skin.
6. For pain in mild burns, give the victim pain reliever.

First aid treatments for burns are just the beginning. For severe burns seek medical attention. Prevention is better than cure: What we should do is to make ourselves aware of the safety measures we could take to prevent getting burned- safety measures like keeping matches out of reach of children, checking your electrical wirings, and a lot more. It's always best to exercise utmost care than be sorry in the end. Remember to be always on your guard.