How To Treat Burn

Various Ways On How To Treat Burn

The number of fatalities due to fire-related accidents was more than deaths from other calamities in the year 2008 and it can be greatly reduced if people learn how to treat burn. Some simple precautionary measures are discussed in this article.

Most of the fire-related mishaps originate in the kitchen. To avoid fire-injuries in the kitchen, you can follow these simple tips:

• Make sure to be inside the kitchen during cooking.
• The handle of the pot should always be towards the center or back of the cooking stove. Thus, the children won’t be able to tip it over easily.
• Do not keep inflammable items like plastic bags or washing towels near the stove.
• Do not carry a child or pet during cooking.
• Do not allow small children or pets to be in front of the stove.

First Aid tips for fire injuries in the kitchen:

If you sustain burn injuries, the following things would help you heal it quicker:

• Keep the burnt part under the tap or wrap it with a towel soaked in cold water
• Wrap a sterile bandage or a clean cloth around the affected part

• Take

  care not to expose the affected part to any sort of pressure or friction

• Take pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen to alleviate the pain
• Avoid the use of household remedies like oil, ice, cotton bandages
• Consult the doctor immediately if you suspect the burn may lead to infection

How to avoid scalding burn

Burn developed due to the contact of scalding liquid is by far the most common burn that people sustain in their homes. This is more so in the case of children. The skin of the children is thinner compared to adults. You should follow these simple precautions to prevent it from happening:

• Heat the water up to 120 degrees.
• Check the intensity of the heat by dipping your hand into the water before bathing the child.
• Do not leave the child alone in the bathtub.
• Do not use the microwave to heat your baby bottles as uneven heating may lead to the burning of the baby’s mouth.
• Keep the cups and mugs covered with their lids.
• Do not place containers with hot liquids like tea, coffee, or soup on the edge of the tables.

How to treat a burn in your home

The following first-aid tip would help you on how to treat a burn at home:

• Take out the hot, wet clothing from the affected part.
• Allow it to cool in the flowing, tap water for half an hour.
• Avoid ice-pack as it would hinder the flow of blood.
• Do not use butter or salves to the affected skin.

Avoiding sunburn

Many people in the US are affected by skin cancer and sunburn accentuates its risk. You can avoid sunburn in the following ways –

Sunscreen – The sunscreen should at least have SPF of 15 and should be effective for both UVA and UVB lights. Use it every couple of hours when you are under the sun.

Hat – The hat should preferably be of fabric; woven tightly with minimum gaps.

Clothing – Tight, dark clothing is most suitable for the prevention of skin cancer.

Sunglasses – Sunglasses designed for UVA and UVB protection should be wore. Its use also reduces the chances of development of cataracts.

You should also take protection outdoors, even when you are under a shade.

How to treat a burn from the sun

Sunburn is also associated with severe pain. The following tips help to alleviate the pain.

• Use pain relievers like ibuprofen.
• Apply moisturizing or hydrocortisone cream to the affected parts thrice a day to reduce the pain, swelling and itching.
• When the blisters rupture, wipe it with a clean cloth. Cut off the dead skin with a scissor and apply antibiotic ointment to it. Do not try to prick or rupture the blister.
• Take a bath in cold water. You can add two ounces of baking soda to a tub of bath-water. Apply cold, wet towels to the affected part of the skin several times a day.
• Never apply butter, oil or vaseline to the sunburn.

Dealing with house-fire

The fire-related deaths per capita are reportedly highest in the United States amongst the industrialized countries.

The following are some of the ways to deal with this dangerous situation.

• It is imperative that you install a fire alarm in your home. Its warning gives you the time and opportunity to escape. As per estimates, almost 40% of fire deaths occur in homes where the fire-alarms are not installed. They are available in $6 to $ 20. Even the fire departments supply them free of cost or at a subsidized price.
• Always take care to make the smoke alarms functional. So, check it at least couple of times in a year.
• Keep fire extinguishers near the exit of your house, away from the reach of the children. They are exceptionally handy for extinguishing a small fire. But if the fire is too large and is spreading to all parts of the house fast, then it is better to leave the premises immediately. The fire extinguisher should also have the label “ABC’, which attests its usefulness for all types of fire.
• Be ready with an escape plan – It does not take much time for the fire to spread. In fact, it can spread to double its size within half a minute, often not allowing time to plan an escape. So, make an escape plan beforehand. It should contain the following details –
• Chart an escape route after thoroughly studying the floor plan of the home with other members of your home. There should be couple of ways to escape from the rooms.
• Arrange mock fire drills in your home. This would make the members of the house prepared as and when the exigency arises. Everybody in the home should practice crawling as this saves you from the smoke and toxic gases during a fire.
• Teach everyone the basics of first aid and how to treat burn with available resources.

So with proper planning and knowing how to treat burn, you can protect yourself and your loved ones from fire-accidents.