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What Is The Home Treatment For Second Degree Burns
Second degree burns involve the epidermis and part of the dermis. The affected area will present with deep redness as well as blisters. The skin is also painful to the touch, and may be weeping, too. In most instances, second degree burns are caused by scald injuries, flames, and brief contact with a hot object. Burn at this degree that doesn’t affect greater than 10% of the skinâs surface and can generally be cared for at home using a treatment plan suggested by your primary healthcare provider or ER doctor.
Early burn management is crucial to preventing complications from arising and to hasten recovery. To stop the pain and the burn from becoming more serious, rinse the burned skin with cool water for 15 to 30 minutes or until the pain stops. Alternatively, you may place arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, or toes in a basin of cool water or apply cool compresses to burned areas.
Remember not to use ice or ice water as these can actually cause more harm than good. You should remove jewelry or clothing which can tighten as the swelling progresses because these can impede blood circulation distally. If the affected area is an extremity, elevate it for 1-2 days to keep swelling at a minimum. Also remember to continue moving the affected limb normally to keep contractures at bay.
It is not healthy to apply sprays or butter on burns as these do not allow the heat to dissipate. Topical creams may be prescribed to prevent infections and treat burns. One of the commonly prescribed topical medications is silver sulfadiazine which kills a wide variety of bacteria. Silver sulfadiazine is safe if you follow its dosage instructions carefully. Typically, it is put on only once or twice daily.
Nonetheless, since it is a pharmaceutical drug, there is always that chance of it interacting with other drugs or causing some unwanted effects. This underlines the necessity of seeking medical evaluation prior to beginning treatment, and to follow the treatment plan diligently. The cream should be applied only after the affected area has been cleansed with soapy water.
It would be counterintuitive to touch the burn with bare hands or anything dirty as this will only infect the blisters which have already broken open. To keep this from happening, remember to don on a sterile, disposable glove when applying the silver sulfadiazine cream to your burned skin. If the blisters are intact, bandage may not be necessary, but if they are already opened or are likely to be dirtied or touched by clothing, you may need to apply bandages.