Did you get a burn, whether at home or at work? It can be scary, but there are things that you can do to give yourself a good chance at escaping with lesser injuries.
There are several things that you need to do if you find yourself with a burn injury.
Don’t Panic
That is the first thing. Try to put out the part that is burning and get out of the area as quickly as possible, if you can. Being hesitant increases the risk of getting a worse injury.
Assess Yourself Quickly, If You Can
It depends on what kind of state you are in at the time. If it’s a minor burn, then you should be able to handle it yourself and see a doctor as soon as you can. If it’s more severe, then you should be trying to get to emergency care as fast as possible – whether it’s you or a family member that contacts the hospital.
Treat the Burn
Make sure that you don’t pop any blisters that form in the area, put the burned part under cool water – not cold water – and avoid putting ice on it. Remove rings if they are on, since there could be swelling and that would constrict your fingers.
Do Proper Wound Care
If the burn is bad enough that you had to go to the hospital, then you will likely have to put ointment on it when you can. This will help your healing. It’s important that you do things like wash off the area with soap to keep it from getting dirty or infected.
Ask your medical professional about things like different types of gauzes or dressings. Keeping it properly bandaged and changing them daily can ensure that the wound does not get infected.
Listen to all medical advice and follow the directions that your doctor or your hospital give you. By doing that, you can ensure that you heal much faster. Then you can get around to resuming your life.
If the burn is severe and you find yourself hospitalized and the whole thing was due to negligence on someone else’s part, you may need to get some recompense through the courts. That can wait until you are as close to healed as you can. But if you do the above, then you stand a much better chance of survival.
