Burns

Burns

Irons, microwaves, coffeemakers, stoves—our households are teeming with items that make life easier but that can also cause burns if you’re not careful.

Every year, about two million Americans are burned or scalded badly enough to need some medical attention. Many of these burns occur in the home, the majority befalling children and older people, says Randolph Wong, M.D., plastic and reconstructive surgeon and director of the burn unit at Straub Clinic and Hospital in Honolulu.

If the burn is serious enough, you’ll want a doctor to look at it. If you aren’t sure whether you have a first- or second-degree burn, call your doctor. But minor singes and small burns are easily treated with these simple methods.

Try This First

Cool it. As soon as you can, immerse the burned area in cool water and keep it there for 5 to 10 minutes, says Dr. Wong. Cool water stops the burning process and helps ease pain. Don’t use ice to cool a burn, though. That’s too cold and could further injure already-damaged skin.

If you’re not near water, use whatever is convenient to cool a burn quickly—even a glass of milk or cold can of soda wrapped in a clean towel, says D’Anne Kleinsmith, M.D., staff dermatologist at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Other Wise Ways

Deflame the pain. If you take an anti-inflammatory medication within an hour of getting the burn, you’ll not only ease the pain but also you might actually prevent the burn from getting worse, says Evelyn Placek, M.D., dermatologist and doctor of internal medicine in private practice in Scarsdale, New York. Aspirin or ibuprofen works best. Dr. Placek recommends taking two 200-milligram tablets or capsules of ibuprofen every six hours for one to two days to reduce inflammation and swelling and to help decrease the severity of the wound.

Cool with a compress. To further reduce pain, apply a washcloth or towel soaked in cool, not icy, water on and off for several hours, says Dr. Placek.

Use antibacterial ointments. Over-the-counter salves like Neosporin or Bacitracin will help kill germs and prevent infection, says Dr. Wong. Sealing the wound with greasy folk remedies such as butter or petroleum jelly can keep nerve endings from drying out, he says, but they do little to control bacteria that can get into a wound after a burn.

Bandage the burn. For small burns, place an adhesive strip over the antibacterial ointment, making sure the strip is large enough that it doesn’t stick to the traumatized skin, explains Dr. Wong. For larger burns, you’ll need a sterile piece of gauze dressing over the injured area, held down with medical adhesive tape. Be certain that it is loose enough to allow for some swelling and loose movement without compromising blood flow.

Say aloe. Aloe vera gel can speed the healing process, according to Dr. Wong. Whether fresh from the cleaned and sliced leaf of the plant or out of a tube, aloe vera gel seals and protects the burn, says Dr. Wong, and encourages healing with minimum scarring.

Take the sting out with honey. When applied as a lotion, raw honey, which is available in natural food stores as opposed to the processed variety sold in the supermarket, can be spectacularly effective against burns. Recent Chinese research shows that honey has soothing antiseptic properties that help speed healing, according to Andrew T. Weil, M.D., director of the program in integrative medicine and clinical professor of internal medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.

Think zinc. To encourage healing from within, Dr. Wong suggests taking 220 milligrams of zinc sulfate in pill form once or twice a day until the burn dries up. But if you develop some gastrointestinal upset, discontinue its use immediately. This mineral helps the regeneration of new skin, he says, especially when taken with 10,000 international units of vitamin A or 10,000 international units of beta-carotene.

Keep it moist. Once the wound has healed over, keep it supple with a thin layer of moisturizing lotion. This will help restore elasticity to the skin and reduce dryness, itching, and scaling, according to Dr. Wong. Fragrance-free lotions are best, but anything that traps moisture will be effective, says Dr. Wong, including vegetable shortening. However, don’t use lanolin, he says, because it can cause a burning sensation.

Don’t be a flame magnet. Something as innocent as putting a teakettle on the stove can have serious consequences if you’re wearing a housecoat with dangling sleeves, which can easily catch fire. When you’re cooking, don’t wear loose-fitting clothing, es pecially garments with wide, dangling sleeves. Look for flame-retardant fabrics and avoid clothes made of cotton, cotton/ polyester blends, rayon, and acrylic, which ignite easily and burn quickly.