Burns are common injuries but they can be very painful. There is a case here in Singapore when a housemate (aged 61 years old) sprayed her other (aged 23 years old) housemate of hot water directly from the flask. The 23 year old housemate suffered first and second degree burns on her face, chest, neck, stomach and arms. The scars are likely to be permanent on her face. This happened last September 15 but the decision was recently released. The 61 year old female was sentenced to five weeks of jail time.
Whether you are burned accidently or for a reason, it is important that you know what to do while waiting for the help of the medics. Here are some things that you need to do when you or the one you know are experiencing burns:
Identify the severity of the burn
You should determine the severity of your burns. The first degree is red but slightly swollen. The second degree is also reddish and swollen but the skin will form blisters. When you are exposed to hot objects for long, it may be a third degree burn.
Use cool water
Regardless of the burn, you should expose the burned area in running water for about 10-15 minutes.
Apply cold compress
You can also consider applying cold compress. If you do not have cold compress, you can use ice pack covered by a towel and place it in over the affected area.
Pain relievers
If the pain is too strong and the medic has not come yet, you should take pain relievers. Scour your medicine cabinet if you have to.
If it is only a minor burn, it will heal faster and it does not require any medical attention however if you have severe burns, it is very important that you seek medical attention right away.