Burns Classification & Home Remedies for Burns Treatment
A burn is an injury which resulted from exposure to heat, chemicals, light, radiation, or friction. Burns can damage the skin, muscles, and even up to the bones, depending on the severity of trauma. It has a high potential for infection because of the break in the skin integrity. Depending on the location and the severity of the injury, a burn victim has a large chance to experience a variety of complications that may be fatal, these are; shock, infection or sepsis, electrolyte imbalance, and respiratory distress.
CLASSIFICATIONS OF BURNS:
First degree / superficial thickness Burns - from the word itself superficial, it only affects the epidermis or the outermost layer of the skin. Example is sunburn.
Signs and symptoms: erythema or redness, minor pain
Second degree / Partial thickness (superficial) Burns - characterized by redness and superficial blistering of the skin. Involves the superficial or papillary dermis or the second layer of the skin.
Signs and symptoms: erythema or redness, superficial blisters, clear fluid, pain (severity may depend on the affected nerve endings)
Second degree / Partial thickness (deep) Burns - involves the deep or reticular dermis or the third layer of the skin.
Signs and symptoms: has a whiter appearance than the superficial partial thickness.
Third degree / Full thickness Burns involves the epidermis, dermis, and fragmental damage to subcutaneous tissue or the fat layer. This classification may require skin grafting and sometimes form a hard dead tissue called eschar. Scarring is always present in third degree burns.
Signs and symptoms: dry and leathery skin, skin discoloration (black, white, brown, or yellow), swelling, minimal pain because nerve endings have been destroyed.
Fourth degree / Subdermal Burns - entire damage of all the skin layers and underlying tissues with a possibility that it also reached fascia, bone, or muscle.
Signs and symptoms: purple fluid, complete absence of pain or sensation, hard, leather-like eschar.
Home Remedies for Burns
This applies for first to second degree burns. Severe burns need medical assistance.
Right after injury, the first goal is to reduce the temperature of the burnt area, pour cool running water or submerse the affected part into cool water for 15-30 minutes. Never put ice, it will cause more damage to the skin.
To prevent infection, the best home remedy for burn is to apply honey to the wound after cleaning it.
Use aloe vera once the wound starts healing, and also add vitamin e by breaking the capsule and pouring its content s to the wound to prevent scarring.
Lavender oil is also an effective home remedy for burns.
Apply banana pulp on the affected area, this will help cool down the burnt part and will help to heal easily and will help prevent blister formation.
Prepare a fine paste mixture of black-eyed peas and grass, apply the paste to the affected area, this will minimize the pain and will facilitate faster wound healing.
Grind henna leaves and mix with water or mustard oil, apply on the affected area and this home remedy will provide relief for the injury.
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