What Do You Know About Burns?

To prevent scalds from hot water, check your water heater setting to see that it is set at 120°F (48.8°C). This is the advised temperature. At that temperature, it takes 5 minutes for a serious burn to occur, according to the American Burn Association (ABA). At higher temperatures, burns occur more quickly. At 140°F (60°C), for instance, it takes only 5 seconds for a serious burn to occur. And at 160°F (71.1°C) to 180°F (82.2°C)—the temperature at which coffee and tea are served—the burn can be instantaneous. Babies, young children, and older adults are more vulnerable to burns because their skin is thinner.

Your skin protects your body from infection, stabilizes your body temperature, and prevents fluid loss. Your body is highly vulnerable when the skin is injured or lost.

Men are twice as likely to be burned as women. In part, this is because men more often work with flammable substances like gasoline. Most gasoline-related burns and deaths occur in males under age 45. And most of these accidents occur in the summer months, when people are outdoors doing yard work, farming, or boating.

A first-degree burn is also called a superficial burn. It can be painful, but it causes only minor skin damage. It often heals in 3 to 5 days, and leaves no scar. Skin with a first-degree burn is dry with no blisters. Sunburn or a minor scald is an example of a first-degree burn. A second-degree burn is also called a partial thickness burn. This burn is more painful. It damages but does not destroy the top 2 layers of skin. It heals in 10 to 21 days. The skin is moist, wet, and weepy, with blisters. It is swollen and bright pink to cherry red in color. A third-degree burn is also called a full thickness burn. This burn is the most severe. It destroys all 3 layers of skin. It can harm fat, muscle, and bone. A burn that affects the bone is sometimes called a fourth-degree burn. Skin grafts are required to treat a full thickness burn. A person with a third-degree burn cannot feel anything in the burned area because the nerves are destroyed.

A person with a partial thickness burn to the hands, feet, head, groin area, or major joint needs to be treated at a burn center. This type of burn puts the person at great risk for other problems.

Find the source of the current and shut it off. Or remove it by using a material that won't conduct electricity, such as wood, plastic, or cardboard.

The best way to flush the area is with a garden hose, but you can also use a shower or a faucet. But don’t use water if the chemical is dry lime or contains a metal such as sodium, potassium, magnesium. Water can react with these to cause more harm. Chemical burns can be caused by exposure to household cleaners, lawn and garden products, fresh cement, or other chemicals.

It's important to get the chemical out of the eye as soon as possible. Start rinsing the eye right away and call 911. Keep flushing the eye until medical help arrives.

Never use gasoline as a cleaning fluid or solvent, according to the ABA. Never store it indoors or near heat or flame. When storing gasoline, use an approved safety container. When you refill the container, set the container on concrete or asphalt. Don't set it in a vehicle or in the bed of a pickup truck. This is because those objects can have static electricity. A static spark can ignite the gasoline fumes.