It is not uncommon to get a small burn somewhere on the body. If you spill a hot cup of tea, for example, you can get burns on your body. But severe burns can also result from an accident. But what can help against burns and what can you do yourself? In this article you will learn everything you need to know about first aid for burns.
What helps against minor burns?
Small burns are usually caused by hot liquids, such as tea or coffee. Even a hot broth can cause burns if it is accidentally spilled on the body. It is important to act quickly and treat the burn. It is also important to distinguish the degree of the burn. You can distinguish between four different degrees of burns.
Minor burns are usually 1st or 2nd degree burns. Here, the burn hardly poses a danger, even though it is quite unpleasant. Typical for minor burns are slight reddening or small blisters on the wound of the burn. However, these usually disappear after a short time. Basically, minor burns heal very quickly on their own. Nevertheless, you can support the treatment and healing of the wound a little.
There are suitable ointments available in the pharmacy for this purpose, which primarily have an analgesic effect. This means that the ointment soothes the irritation of the wound and thus relieves the feeling of pain on the burnt area. It is best to ask for advice directly from a pharmacy employee. They can also look at the burned wound and choose the right ointment. However, if the burn is much more severe, it is better to consult a doctor.
What should be done in case of major burns?
Major burns usually occur in accidents of any kind, but fire usually plays a major role. Burns can occur, for example, in a large fire or in a car accident involving fire. But burns are not always caused by fire alone. Other causes can also cause burns, for example due to failed experiments during chemistry lessons. Sounds almost too much like a scene from a movie, but it is nevertheless not uncommon and happens again and again in schools.
In the case of major burns, first aid should always be administered. How do you do this? You can find out in our guide to first aid for burns. If you are involved in an accident and panic, this is not uncommon. In an emergency, many people cannot really give first aid because of shock, or they are in a state of shock themselves. But there is already a solution for this, namely an emergency app.
With our TarisApp, you can conveniently request further help via your smartphone. While you make an emergency call, medically trained persons in the vicinity are asked for help at the same time. With the TarisApp, professional first aid can thus also be guaranteed in an emergency. Because up to 15 minutes of valuable time can pass before the paramedics arrive. For victims with severe burns, these 15 minutes can mean the difference between life and death.
Note: Would you like to learn more about the TarisApp emergency app? You can find more information right here.
First aid for burns: Instructions
If you need to give first aid for burns, then you should follow these tips:
- First of all, you have to check whether the clothes of the affected persons are still burning. If this is the case, you must first extinguish the fire. This way you can prevent further burns.
- Afterwards, you should slowly remove the burnt clothing from the victim’s body as carefully as possible. This will give you a picture of the burns. How many burns are there? How severe are the burns? Even if you have no medical expertise, you can make an initial diagnosis.
- The next step is to dial the emergency number immediately and describe the situation to the emergency call centre. The more information you can give, the better prepared the paramedics will be at the scene of the accident. If you have an emergency call app, such as our TarisApp, you can also request further medical assistance. If you do not have an emergency call app, you should also ask other people in the immediate vicinity for help!
- For minor burns, you can apply a little cool water over the wound yourself. This does not help the wound to heal, but it still gives a feeling of pain relief. This is enormously important, especially for the affected person.
- In case of severe burns, you should not cool down under any circumstances. This is because severe burns otherwise risk becoming hypothermic. Instead, you can cover severe burns with a bandage. This prevents bacteria or similar from accumulating on the wound.
- Once you have treated the burns, you should take care of the affected person. Try to reassure the person from the beginning to ease the shock. Is the person unconscious? Then you should put the person in the recovery position. You can find out how to do this properly right here.
- If there is no heartbeat or pulse, cardiopulmonary resuscitation is required.
What risks can burns have?
Burns are wounds that can be susceptible to bacteria, among other things. Especially severe burns are usually open wounds. Depending on the degree of the burn, the risks are higher or lower. In any case, a burn must be treated. Whether by yourself or by a doctor.
Other articles:
- Burns on the body: what can be done?
- First Aid: What to do when my help is needed?
- The First Aid ABC and ABCDE: What’s behind them?
Picture credits: ©Envatoelements
