Three Steps First Aid for Burns
You may listen to this article by using the following controls.
Since you're bound to either burn yourself or to be with someone when they burn themselves, it's a good idea to learn about first aid for burns. While everyone has an opinion on what you should do, you can actually take care of a burn in three easy steps. Here's what you need to do for first aid for burns.
Cool the Area
When the skin is burned, it becomes hot and flushed. This is due to the cells in the skin being 'cooked' and thus dehydrated and irritated. To help cool the area, the first step in first aid for burns is to rinse the area with tepid water. You don't want to use cold water as this can shock the skin too much and cause further damage. Run cool water over the area for a few minutes until the pain begins to subside. What you're doing with the cool water is drawing the heat away from the area and helping to protect the skin from further damage. You do not want to put ice onto a wound, however.
It is also a good idea to clean the area at this time if you can stand it. In first aid for burns, this will help to reduce the possibility of infection and that's important when it comes to larger burns or those with blisters.
Cover the Burn
Take a gauze pad and place this over the burn for the second step in first aid for burns. This will help protect the burn from infection while also allowing the burn to release excess heat. This can also help the burn feel less painful as it is not subject to outside temperature changes. It's important not to press on the burn too hard or to wrap it too tightly as this can cause the burn to become painful again.
Consider a Painkiller
When the burn is painful, a painkiller like ibuprofen or naproxen sodium can help alleviate the discomfort. Follow the instructions on the bottle and ask your doctor about any potential interactions if you are on prescription medications as well. Though most people don't need a painkiller, it can help in the case of larger burns – like sunburns.
First aid for burns shouldn't be complicated, but it does need to be applied immediately. With each second that the burn is not treated, the burn can be spreading through the skin layers. Starting the cool water as quickly as possible will reduce pain and it will reduce damage, thus lessening the healing time needed.
Latest First Aid Burns News
Price of gold rising, but prized goods likely won't net you much - Detroit Free Press
One pair of loopy gold earrings has been with me since high school. I wore them all the time in college and years afterward. Eventually, the back stem broke off one earring. Yet, I kept them. They were a high school graduation gift from a treasured ...
Read more...West Lafayette says clip it or ticket - Lafayette Journal and Courier
West Lafayette residents could soon start receiving a ticket from the city for letting their grass grow more than 10 inches -- a violation of the city code. West Lafayette City Council members are in the process of expanding the ability of the ...
Read more...Families get glimpse of geocache - Coloradoan
Old Town turned into treasure hunting ground Sunday afternoon as families scoured the area during the Fort Collins Museum's geocache scavenger hunt. The museum hosted its second geocache hunt to introduce children and families to the phenomenon that ...
Read more...Great Driver Dust-Ups Through The Years - WebWire
When Ryan Briscoe accidentally swerved into Danica Patrick exiting the pits and knocked them both out of this year’s Indianapolis 500, it set off a small chain reaction. Patrick climbed out of her disabled racer and began marching towards Briscoe ...
Read more...Humans should learn message from Earth - Coloradoan
Last summer, I had a moving experience during a Solstice gathering with friends. It was a beautiful late afternoon at a local park after a hot day - the occasional crack of bat against ball in the nearby baseball diamond, the heavy golden sunlight ...
Read more...