Sunday 14 August 2011

Hot Water Burns


Hot Water Burns
Safety from hot water burns is the most recommended precautionary step given by pediatricians to parents, as kids accidentally spill hot water buckets and liquids on their body leading to blisters and burns. Even adults may get hot water burns accidentally. 'How to treat a hot water burn' forms the subject matter of discussion of this article. Read on...

"Five year old Bobby never knew that his mother Jenny would be so careless as to put him in bath water that was too hot for him to tolerate. Consequently, Bobby had to suffer hot water burns on his thighs, feet and legs. Fortunately, his face did not come in contact with water and his mother was quick enough to pull him out of the water."

While many of us might be surprised that it is possible for a mother to be so careless, the fact is that hot water burns in almost half of the children in the US occur due to the parents putting their children in bath water that is beyond their toleration power. The installation of hot water heaters has given the relaxation and freedom to use it at one's convenience, and parents tend to forget the temperate regulation of these machines and hence the child suffers hot water burns. If that is not the case, many parents leave their children unattended and they accidentally spill hot water buckets and other liquids that gives them severe blisters and higher degree burns. Now, it is not that only children that suffer from hot water burns, however, the incidents of hot water burns in children below 14 years age is frequent. Read more on burn care- first aid for burns.

Hot water burns may occur to anybody and it all happens in few seconds. You touch a hot pot or accidentally tumble upon a bucket full of hot water. The pain accompanied by the hot water burns is excruciating, often peeling the skin off, just in 2-3 seconds contact time. Even after putting the burn under cold water for a few minutes, the pain persists for a long time. In case of first degree burns, painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen can be given to ease the pain. However, in 2nd degree burns, in which the first two layers of skin are burned through, accompanied by swelling, blisters, and redness, immediate medical care is advised. If the burn is of third degree, then the nerves under the skin may get damaged causing tissue damage. In these cases of hot water burns, it is advised to immediately take the person to a medical expert. Read more on 1st-2nd-and-3rd-degree-burns.

How to Treat a Hot Water Burn
Even if one is very careful, hot water burns may occur, and so it best to be armed with certain tips for hot water burn relief.
The first step for hot water burn treatment is to place the hot water burn on hand, or other parts, under cold water for at least fifteen minutes.
Try to elevate the burned area so that swelling can be minimized to maximum possible extent.
Wrap the burned part with bleached cotton cloth that we normally use for bandages.
Applying aloe vera gel or a cream on the affected area will help in the drying of the skin.
Children can be given acetaminophen or ibuprofen for the pain.
Remove all the clothing and jewelry from areas that have affected the skin can help in healing the burns faster.
http://awarenessofdiseases.blogspot.com/
source:wikipedia

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