I burned my hand…What do I do?
The first few minutes after you burn yourself can make a big
difference in how your skin heals. The skin cells continue to fry even after
you separate yourself from the heat source. The sooner you can bring down the temperature
of the injured tissue, the sooner you halt the destruction and the faster
you’ll heal. These are suggestions from Dr. Linda Phillips of University of
Texas Medical Branch.
Plunge the minor burn into cold water if the burn is superficial
and the skin is unbroken. Keep it there up to 2 hours or until there is no pain
when you take it out.
If the skin is broken, put ice in a plastic bag to cool the
skin. The plastic bag won’t stick to the broken skin, and it keeps the ice from
direct and painful contact with the burn. Blisters should heal within a week.
Keep it clean with mild soapy water, and aloe gel has
been found to promote healing and can shorten the healing time. Do not use an
aloe lotion that contains alcohol, the alcohol neutralizes the aloe.
Dr. Jerold Z. Kaplan M.D. of Alto Bates Hospital Burn Center
in Berkeley says that a dab of the hemorrhoid treatment Preparation H can save up
to 3 days of healing time. Dab a little on the burn and cover with a bandage or
other sterile dressing. Change the dressing daily and check for infection.
These can help reduce the pain and the healing time of a
burn.
No comments:
Post a Comment