The first week in February is burning awareness week.
Burns are an inevitable part of everybody's lives. Finger burns are fairly common among men and women as they can happen in the kitchen or while working with electrical or mechanical appliances. Mild burns can be treated at home with some effective home remedies. After a burn, It is very important that you should do some home remedies to get the immediate relief.
Here are the top 5 remedies for mild burn:
1)Cold water: One of the simplest way by which you can prevent the burn from forming blisters, use cold water from the tap or refrigerator(not too cold) over the burnt skin. Run the cold water at least 20 minutes continuously until the pain subsides.
2)Honey: Honey works as a healing agent. It prevents the bacteria from entering the wound. It prevents blisters. Apply a thick coat of organic honey on the affected area and leave it throughout the day. Do at least thrice daily.
3) Milk is supposed to be a calming and soothing agent. Apply fresh and unadulterated milk, that is cool on the affected skin. Simply soak the burned area in the milk for 15 minutes or apply a cloth soaked in milk to the affected area. You must repeat this every couple of hours until the pain and burning sensation begins to fade.
4 )Aloe vera: It is the great treatment for burns. Apply the thick coat of fresh aloe gel extracted from the aloe leaf. Do this two to three times a day.
5 )Raw potato: You can place a fresh slice or grated potato on your burn. This will draw out the heat and the pain from the burned area.
Point to be noted: Whether your burn was minor or serious, use sunscreen and moisturizer regularly once the wound is healed and also remove rings or other tight items from the burned area. Try to do this quickly and gently, before the area swells.
Never do any of the following to treat mild burns:
1)Never use ice on a burn, ice can freeze the area and cause even more damage.
2)Never use butter or vaseline on a burn. These items can prevent heat from escaping and allow the burning to continue deep inside the skin.
3)Never break a blister. This can allow germs inside and cause an infection.
4)Never use oil such as coconut or olive oil on burns. Oils trap heat, preventing the heat from the burn escaping. Trapping the heat can cause the burn to get worse instead of better.
5)Toothpaste: Some people believe applying toothpaste to a burn site can help. In fact, the unsterilized toothpaste may actually help spread bacteria into the burn.
Attention: If mild burn covers an area larger than 2 inches in diameter then it should be treated by medical professionals only.
Stay out of the sun: Keeping a burn shaded when outside, can help reduce both pain and the risk of worsening the burn. If a person can not avoid the sun, wearing loose-fitting clothing that covers the wound may help.
Dr.Suman Setia