By Donna King


If you have ever gotten scalded, there is no doubt the experience was painful. It is normal to want burnt skin to heal in record time when you are the victim. However, some people often have to endure lengthy recovery periods, mostly because of failure to care for their burns properly. Here are a few insights on how to make a burn heal faster.

The first thing you should do when you get burnt is establish the severity of the burn. Depending on its severity, you may simply use home remedies or have it examined by a doctor. The three categories of burns are first, second and third degree. Knowing how to differentiate these three is important if you are to know what to do next.

Burns of the first degree are not serious and only turn the skin red. Their scars are not permanent and recovery may take under 10 days. Second degree burns are those that redden the skin and cause blisters. They come with intense pain and must be tended to by medics immediately in order to avoid infection. Third degree burns affect all the skin layers. In case you or a loved one experiences it, you must treat it as a medical emergency.

The primary step to alleviating pain is pouring cool water over the affected area. Besides providing instant pain relief, this action will help limit the amount of damage done to your skin. Ensure you keep the affected area submerged in cool water for no less than 20 minutes. Do not be tempted to place an ice pack on the area. This will only compound the damage to your skin.

Next, place a cool, clean cloth on the area. It will help keep the affected skin moist and facilitate the healing process. Besides this, it will keep germs and infections at bay. Ensure you remove it gently every few minutes so it does not stick to the fragile skin. Ensure no water is dripping from the cloth before applying it.

Burns on certain body areas usually require medical attention. Areas regarded as sensitive by medical practitioners include the hands, feet, joints, face, buttocks and groin. If you are affected in any of these areas, you must see a doctor, regardless of the type of burn you are suffering from.

One of the conditions for a faster healing process is monitoring your recovery and staying in touch with your doctor. You should always inform your doctor if you start getting a fever or if the wound starts releasing a foul odor. A pungent smell is always a sign of an infection. A healing wound is supposed to gradually reduce in size. Therefore, you should be concerned if the area swells further, drains a significant amount of liquid and gets redder.

Your doctor is likely to prescribe a painkiller, antibiotics and a lotion. As it is relatively easy to get a wound infected, antibiotics are meant to ward off infectious bacteria. Make sure you take your prescribed course of drugs as per the instructions given. One missed dose can negatively impact your healing time.




About the Author:



Axact

Money Making

I am passionate about educating university students about money and careers, and have been doing so since 2007. I see the same confusion and mistakes being replicated every year. The way I help is through Save the Student. I'm always on the look out for new contributors, so get in touch if you're wanting to get involved! Aside from the site, my main interests are travelling, writing, photography, webdesign, sailing, football and cycling.

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