Protect your skin from serious burns – Healthy Living and Exercise Blog

It takes only a moment to suffer a burn at home. It can be as simple as brushing against a sizzling skillet on the stove or getting into a bath that’s too hot — a particular risk for people with decreased sensation in their feet. Understanding common causes of burns can help you prevent them. And learning what to do immediately, if they happen, is crucial.

Common burn causes

“There are several common causes of burns, particularly in older people, and most are clearly preventable,” says Dr. Colleen Ryan, staff surgeon at the Sumner Redstone Burn Center at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital and Shriners Children’s Boston. Here are some examples.

Explosions.

Explosions are common among people who smoke while using a home oxygen tank.

Clothes that catch fire.

“This often occurs when someone wearing sleeves reaches over a flame on a gas stovetop. For years, it was the leading cause of death in women admitted to our hospital with burns. Now it occurs in men, too,” Dr. Ryan says.

Hot water scalds.

You can be burned by hot tap water in about three seconds if your water heater is set at 140°, or 25 seconds if it’s set at 130°. But it takes nine minutes if the temperature is set at 120°. A study published online March 7, 2023, by the journal

Injury Prevention

found that from 2016 to 2018, such scalds caused more than 52,000 visits to the emergency department and killed more than 100 people.

Fires at home.

These might be caused by unattended candles or carelessness while smoking.

Burn classifications

Doctors describe burns based on how deep they penetrate the skin surface.

First-degree burns are considered superficial. They involve only the top layer of skin (the epidermis), are red and painful, and usually clear up in a few days. “The epidermis can regenerate itself, so if it is injured, it can fully regenerate and doesn’t scar,” Dr. Ryan says. For example, a sunburn is usually a first-degree burn.

Second-degree burns look like first-degree burns initially, but then develop blisters. The burns involve both the epidermis and the deeper layer of the skin (the dermis) and are very painful while they are open and exposed to air. They take longer to heal and are replaced with scar tissue.

A third-degree burn occurs when the epidermis and dermis are destroyed. This is common in delicate areas like the back of a hand. The burnt area itself is painless because the nerves have been killed, but pain often arises from adjacent skin. “These burns heal very slowly over time, and only if they are very small and the skin can grow from the edges,” Dr. Ryan says. “Otherwise, they do not close without surgery.”

What to do if you’re burned

There’s no time to lose when you suffer a burn. For a minor burn on a small area of skin, Dr. Ryan advises running cool water over it for 20 minutes, which can help limit damage. Then apply petroleum jelly or antibiotic cream (such as Neosporin or Bacitracin), all available over the counter, and cover the burn with a bandage.

If a blister develops, don’t pop it. Dab antibacterial cream on it, cover it with a bandage, and get to your doctor as soon as you can.

For a second-degree burn that’s larger than a deck of cards, get to your doctor immediately or go to an emergency room. “And if you have a first- or second-degree burn on a large area of the body, perhaps from a bathing accident, don’t immerse yourself in cool water. That might cause hypothermia. Stay warm and call 911 immediately,” Dr. Ryan says.

Call 911 for second-degree burns to the face, hands, feet, or genitals, and for all third-degree burns. The treatment they receive in the first hours is critical.

And keep in mind that open burns, especially deep second-degree burns and all third-degree burns, are at risk for becoming infected. Your doctor may prescribe dressings and ointments to prevent infection and promote healing. Or you might be referred to a hospital burn center.

Preventing burns

These steps can help you stay safe:

If you have an oxygen tank in your home, keep it maintained and make sure any smoking (if it must take place) occurs far from the tank.
When cooking, use side-by-side burners rather than front and back burners. Don’t wear loose sleeves near a stove. Use a microwave when possible. And consider getting an induction stove, which heats cookware with a magnetic field.
Don’t set your water heater above 120°. Consider checking the temperature of your bath water with a thermometer before getting into it.
Be especially careful when children are near. Put an ice cube into hot soup, allow heated baby formula to cool, unplug treadmills that can cause friction burns, and turn off or block fireplaces. “Preventing even one burn,” Dr. Ryan says, “is a better outcome than anything I can fix.”