Home Remedies For Burns

The severity of a burn will or will dictate whether a person needs to seek emergency treatment. All burns don’t require hospital treatment, and sometimes it’s possible for a person to treat a burn or a scald at home by doing some remedies.

When Can You Treat a Burn at a Home?

Burning your hand on a pan or standing under the sun for a long is never a pleasant thing to experience. Unfortunately, it is seen that burns are one of the most common household injuries. Burns have been categorized on their severity. The first degree of burn is considered to be less severe. This is because it generally affects only the outer layer of the skin. It only causes mild pain and swelling. The second degree of burn affects the deeper layer of the skin, the Third degree of the burn may affect all the layers of the skin, whereas the fourth level of burn affects the joints, joints, and bones of the body. 

The third and fourth levels of burn are considered a medical emergency and can only be treated in a hospital. At the most and second degree of the burn can usually be treated at home if the area burnt is significantly less. The rest of the degrees of burn require medical interventions. 

Best Home Remedies for Burns

Mild burns generally take a week or two to heal completely. These types of burns are usually not very scary. The main goal behind the burn treatment is to reduce the pain, prevent any infections, and heal the skin faster. 

Following are some of the home remedies for the treatment of burns:

1. Running The Burn With Cold Water– Running cold water on a first degree or a second-degree burn for about 15 to 20 minutes can help cool down the skin, soothing the skin and help prevent further injury. Then washing of the burnt area with mild soap and water can help in prevention from any infections. 

2. Cold Compressing- A cold compressing or putting a clean wet cloth over the burnt area can effectively reduce the pain and swelling. It’s generally recommended to apply compression over 5 to 10 minutes of intervals. Putting of icy compress in the burnt area should be avoided as this may cause more irritation in the burnt area. 

3. Bandages- It is not generally recommended for an individual to cover the burnt area with applications in first and second-degree burns if the burnt blisters are not open. However, if the burn position, if the chafing is likely, if dirt can quickly enter the skin, and if any blisters have started oozing, applying a bandage may provide a barrier against infection in that area.

4. Antibiotic Ointments- Applying antibiotic creams or ointments can help in the prevention of the occurrence of infection in that area. Applying antibacterial ointments to the burnt area and covering it with cling film or a sterile, non-fluffy dressing or cloth can help prevent the infection. 

5. Aloe Vera- Aloe Vera is often known as a “Burn Plant”. Aloe Vera is considered to be very effective in the treatment of first and second degree of burns. Aloe is an anti-inflammatory, promotes circulation and also inhibits the growth of bacteria. 

On the other hand, Aloe vera is one of the primary ingredients found in many creams, sunscreens, and moisturizers. It is a very effective element in the treatment of burns and moisturizers. 

6. Honey– Honey just got sweeter. Apart from its delicious taste, honey may heal a minor burn when being applied topically. Honey is an anti-inflammatory and naturally antibacterial and is also an antifungal element.  

Applying honey over the bandage and then placing it in the burnt area may also help sterilize the site and thus help in preventing any infection. 

7. Pain Medications– First degree and second degree of a burn can cause a lot of pain in the burnt area of an individual. Taking painkiller medicine can be very helpful in reducing the pain and swelling in that area. Ibuprofen is one of the safe and also practical choices when it comes to pain killer medication. It is a non-steroidal and also an anti-inflammatory drug that helps a lot in decreasing inflammation.

8. Plastic Wrap– The United Kingdom’s National Health Service has recommended using household plastic wrap as one of the potential home remedies for the treatment of burns. It is always better to layer the sterile film over the burnt area instead of wrapping it down the limb. For hand burns, a pure, see-through plastic bag is a good alternative. 

Remedies To Avoid

Some of the remedies are recommended not to apply in the burnt area are as follows:

1. Oil– Oil trap heats the burnt area, preventing the space from escaping from the burn. Trapping the heat can cause more swelling and pain instead of healing the burnt area.

2. Butter–  Many people think that rubbing butter over a burnt area will lead to promoting faster healing. However, butter acts similarly to other oils and traps heat. It may make the burn worse instead of healing it down.

3. Ice– Many people are seen turning to Ice before putting cold water to provide relief to the burnt area, thinking that the freezing temperature of the Ice will do a more effective job in cooling the burned skin. 

However, Ice is said to be causing more harm than healing. An individual may experience cold burns after that area is exposed to Ice.

4. Toothpaste- It is seen that some people apply toothpaste in the burnt area instead of applying ointment or cream to it. Toothpaste is non-sterile, and it may encourage bacteria to spread into the burnt area.