Coping and dealing with burns in winter

Winter is here once again.....this is certainly the time that everyone wants to go the extra mile just to ensure that they are warm. People will often do it all, from lighting the fire places, sleeping with hot water bottles or even just sitting back and sipping the hot cup of coffee or chocolate. Let us bear in mind that this is the time that we can get burnt due to the reasons listed above.

Burns are certainly a big problem and can be hazardous to your health if not dealt with in time.  Burns from hot water and scald burns are the most common types of burns in winter. The burns range from the life threatening burns to the mild burns that can be easily treated at home. If you are faced with the life threatening burns, then you need to seek medical attention promptly. Other causes of burns include; electrical accidents, chemicals and hot surfaces.

When should one take a burn as an emergency?

• If the burn is affecting a large area on ones face, joints, hands, genitals and any other large area of the body.
• If the burns seem to have an infection (with pus, swelling, itching or have an increased redness)

If you see that an individual has been badly burnt, you must call the ambulance immediately and you must do the following before the ambulance arrives.

1. Ensure that you do remove clothing from the burnt area and only avoid removing clothes that have stuck to the skin.
2. Keep running cool water but not cold water over the burn just till the pain lessens.
3. Cover the burnt area with a soft cloth or suitable cover, just to prevent infection.
4. Often use painkillers to lessen the pain if the burn victim is awake and alert.
5. You must not apply butter or any other ointments onto the burn as this will affect the burn.
6. Do not try to remove or burst the blisters that will have formed.

Burns are certainly an emergency and they always need to be treated like so. If you are faced with a burn or you are coping with a burn victim, you must make sure that you follow the right steps. Always make sure that you have the ambulance number in your home where everyone can see. 

Scald Burns                                                 Heat Burns