Burn Treatment
You’ll likely experience a burn or two during your life. If you have a first-degree burn, you can manage the symptoms and recover at home. However, many second-degree burns and all third-degree burns require medical intervention. Depending on the severity of your burn, you might need wound debridement, IV antibiotics, and possibly a skin graft. Find out how to treat a burn at home and when to go to Riverview Health Emergency Room & Urgent Care.
First-degree Burns—How to Treat a Burn
Your skin consists of the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis. With a first-degree burn, only the epidermis, or outer layer of skin, is affected. The burn can cause pain, redness and dry skin, but you can manage these symptoms with minor burn treatment.
If your burn isn’t severe, you can:
- Lubricate it with petroleum jelly
- Prevent infection with an antibiotic ointment
- Cover it with loose gauze
- Take over-the-counter pain relievers
When to Go to the Emergency Room for a Second-degree Burn
Second-degree burns are more serious than first-degree burns. In this case, the burn has damaged the epidermis and part of the dermis. The symptoms include:
- Pain
- Redness
- Blisters
- Swelling
If your symptoms are mild to moderate, you can treat them at home using the same method for treating a first-degree burn. However, go to the emergency room if a large portion of your body has been affected. You’re at a greater risk for infection and other complications. Also, you need to visit the ER or your doctor if the blisters have popped. Popped blisters increase your risk for infection, so you should get evaluated by a doctor.
Go to the ER With a Third-degree Burn
Third-degree, or full-thickness burns, destroy the epidermis and dermis layers of your skin. These burns also damage the tendons, muscles, and bones.
Symptoms of a third-degree burn include:
- Leathery skin
- Yellow, brown, white, or black skin
- Swelling
You will not experience pain, though, because the burn destroys the nerves. However, a lack of pain does not mean this isn’t extremely serious. In fact, third-degree burns are life-threatening, so you don’t want to delay when visiting the emergency room.
First, the ER physician will stabilize you. This might include giving you IV fluids, so you don’t go into shock or become dehydrated. Then, the doctor will need to debride the wound. You’ll also likely require a skin graft if you have a third-degree burn.
While all burns are painful, you can manage the symptoms of minor burns at home. However, if you are suffering an emergency, call 911 or visit Riverview Health Emergency Room & Urgent Care immediately. Our ER-trained staff can stabilize you, provide pain management and treat the burn.
