Suffering a burn can be one of the more painful injuries that you can experience. Often, these burns will occur due to coming into contact with fire, but it can occur due to any source of intense heat. Unfortunately, individuals who suffer burns can find that they are unsure of what they should do to treat this type of injury. Many people will severely underestimate the severity of this type of injury, which can result in them taking little or no action to treat it.

Use Cool Water To Sooth The Burned Skin

One of the first steps that you should take to treat your burn is to rinse it with cool water. The cool water will help to wash away any of the hot substance that may remain, and it can also help to minimize the pain by immediate cooling the skin. For best results, you may want to rinse the area for at least a minute. You may be tempted to turn on the coldest water available, but extremely cold water may not be the best option for a burn. The rapid and extreme change in temperature can cause intense discomfort for the skin that has been burned, and it may make scarring more severe. Rather, the water should be just slightly below room temperature as this will allow it to feel cool but not cold.

Clean And Protect The Burn

After you have rinsed the burn, you should thoroughly clean and protect it. A burn can cover a relatively large section of the skin, which can make this type of injury prone to developing infections. By applying an antiseptic to the burn site and covering it with a protective bandage, you can help to reduce the odds that it becomes infected. This step may be extremely uncomfortable as the antiseptic can cause an intense burning sensation in the skin, but preventing a burn from becoming infected is essential for allowing it to heal as quickly as possible.

Seek Medical Treatment

Seeking professional medical treatment for a burn can seem excessive to many people as they will assume that the burns will simply heal on their own. However, infections and other problems can greatly compromise the ability of the skin to heal after this type of damage, which can lead to unsightly scarring. A doctor may be able to help you avoid these issues as they can issue directions that can help to reduce the likelihood of the skin developing these serious scars. However, this advice is the most productive during the early stages of the healing process, and this makes seeking medical care early a critical priority.

For more information, contact local professionals like Meadowbrook Urgent Care.

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