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Treatment for any burn depends on the severity, cause and extent of the burn
How to cure a burn?
(29 Sep 2008)
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Burns may be caused by corrosive substances, dry heat, and friction. Burns can also be caused by extreme cold, and by radiation. Burns may at times be caused by an incident that is even more life threatening and could have caused other serious injuries.
In such situations even if the burn is minor the individual should be thoroughly examined. Treatment for any burn depends on the severity of the burn, cause of the burn, the extent of the burn and depth of the burn. Depending on the extent and severity of the burn, shock may also set in and there could also be further complications. The biggest danger from any burn is the risk of an infection setting, and the risk increases in proportion to the size and depth of the burn. Since you have not specified the nature of the burn I will focus on treatment for a minor or superficial burn.
Minor burns and scalds are extremely common and are generally the result of domestic accidents. Attending to them promptly will ensure that they heal naturally and quickly, without the need for any medical attention. If there is even the slightest doubt as to the severity of the burn however make it a point to seek medical advice.
In case of a minor burn or scald:
- Cool the injured area of skin by exposing it to cool running water. Do this for at least ten minutes to stop the burning and for relief from the pain.
- Gently remove any constricting clothing or accessories like jewellery or watches around the affected area, before there is any swelling.
- Cover the affected area with a sterile dressing or any clean but non-fluffy material to prevent the burn from getting infected.
Even more important than the measures that you should follow, there are certain things that you should make sure you do not do.
- Do not use ice or ice cold water as this will cause further damage to the tissue.
- Never use any kind of adhesive dressing.
- Never break any blisters or interfere in a similar manner with the healing process of the injured area.
- Do not apply any kind of lotion, cream, ointment or fat to the injury.
Even if the burn is superficial, if the area that is burned is more than the palm of the hand, or if the burn is over the face or a joint or the groin, make sure that you seek medical attention.
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answered by G R on 29 Sep 2008, 8:23:16
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