What Does Burn Care Treatment Look Like?
Burns are an injury that happens when something, usually something hot, damages the tissues of your body. They are more severe when they are deeper and cover a larger area of your body’s surface.
Burns are quite common and usually accidental. Worldwide, every year, about ten million people experience burns, and around 180,000 die from them yearly. Close to 500,000 people in the United States receive medical care for burns every year.
Types of Burns
There are five categories of burns:
- Thermal burns (hot or cold)- This is from cell damage due to extreme temperatures.
- Electrical burns- These happen from electrical energy overloading your cells. Electricity also generates heat and will cause thermal damage.
- Friction burns- These happen when a substance rubs against your body hard enough to generate heat. The actual amount of force needed for these burns can cause other types of damage.
- Radiation burns- This happens from different forms of radiation damaging your cells, which then break down and die.
- Chemical burns- These happen when chemicals, usually ones that are acidic or alkaline bases, attempt to react with your cells and destroy them.
How are Burns Treated?
Treating your burn depends on how deep it goes and how much of your body’s surface area it covers. A superficial burn is always minor, and you can treat it yourself. When determining how to treat your burn or if it needs professional medical care, remember the following Dos and Don’ts:
Do:
- Stop or remove the source of the burn immediately, such as taking off clothing soaked in hot liquid to limit the burn’s severity.
- Run cool water over the burn unless it is a chemical burn.
- Keep the burned area clean and protected.
- Get medical attention for a burn that is larger than you can cover with your hand, or for a deeper burn.
Do Not:
- Use home remedies such as bleach or butter on any burn.
- Apply ointments or creams on a burn that could be partial- or full-thickness.
- Use ice on a burn; this will make the burn worse.
- Break blisters; this will increase your risk of an infection.
You can treat your pain with over-the-counter medications like Tylenol, Advil, or Motrin. Talk to your healthcare provider about whether you can take these.
Treatments for a Burn That is Larger and More Severe
You will always need professional medical care for a partial-thickness burn that is too large to cover with your hand. You will always need professional care for a full-thickness burn.
Professional care may include the following treatments:
- Treatment for your pain- These can range from over-the-counter or prescribed pain medications to treatment like a nerve block.
- Cleaning and debriding- This process removes debris and dead or dying tissue.
- Dressing protection- Bandages will temporarily protect a burn from debris, germs, and more.
- Surgery- This will help your burn heal and reduce scarring.
- Skin grafts- Your tissues can use these to speed up healing.
- Wound care- A burn may need specialized care to heal properly. This might include removing damaged tissue, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, dressing management, and more.
- Therapy- Physical and occupational therapy care will help you recover from serious physical injuries from a burn.
- Mental health care- This will help with anxiety, depression, or injury-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The treatments that may benefit you specifically will vary. Your healthcare provider will offer information tailored to your situation, preferences, and needs.