What to do after burning fingers?
Have you ever accidentally touched the stove or grabbed a hot pan without oven mitts? We’ve all been there. The immediate pain of burning fingers can be excruciating, but don’t worry – there are steps you can take to alleviate the discomfort and promote healing. Let’s dive into what to do after burning fingers.
Move Away from the Heat Source
The first step in treating a burn is to remove yourself from the source of heat or flame. If your hand is still in contact with something hot, gently pull it away so that it’s no longer exposed.
Pro tip: Try using tongs or a utensil instead of your bare hands next time!
Cool Water Soak
After removing yourself from the heat source, immediately run cool water over the burn for at least 10 minutes. This will help reduce swelling and soothe pain. Avoid using ice cubes directly on your skin as this can make things worse.
Hot take: Dipping your burned finger in an ice cream cone may sound like a good idea, but trust us – stick with cool water instead!
Remove Rings and Jewelry
If you’re wearing rings or other jewelry on the affected hand, remove them ASAP. Burns cause swelling which could potentially restrict circulation if jewelry remains intact around burnt areas.
Ouchies alert: Your favorite ring might suffer some scratches when forcing it off swollen digits (it’s these moments we’re glad designer purses aren’t sentient beings).
Skip Home Remedies
Although home remedies based on recommendations passed down by generations served little purpose even then but people believed they worked regardless; medical practitioners recommend completely avoiding any butter/oil/creams/honey/vinegar/egg whites/turmeric/onions/plain toothpaste/spices related solutions (basically anything besides clean cold H2O) because they actually ruin blisters causing infections.
Extra pro tip: Although applying peanut butter or vinegar may have been suggested by a wise old great aunt, please avoid it at all costs. It makes the healing process much worse.
Bandaging
A burn will turn into a blister shortly after incurring an injury; this is your body’s way of defense against foreign objects entering through the affected area. Vomiting probably ensues upon popping blisters but refrain from doing that because skin forms around them to ensure quick recovery; pop prematurely and pain may take longer to heal.
If the burnt finger has its own private rooftop cottage (in other words if it’s got some unsightly bubbles protruding out), cover it loosely with sterile gauze wrapped around twice and then tape with medical tapes not adhesive bandage – this can actually make things worse tbh!
Prevent continued friction between objects you’ll be touching so surgical gloves come in handy here as well!
Don’t forget to change bandages at least once every day for fresh air movement & cleansing purposes otherwise there’s higher risk of infection.
Over The Counter medication
Any OTC drug administered should correspond with strength/depth of burns incurred which are characterized by five levels: superficial epidermal burns (1st degree); partial thickness dermal injuries (2nd degree); full-thickness coagulation necrosis caused through sensitive tissue damage (3rd degree).
Medical practitioners recommend using any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as over-the-counter antihistamines instead like ibuprofen immediately post-ejection unless allergy concerns exist or severe gastrointestinal/liver/kidney/cardiovascular/neurological issues persist that might trigger further complications relating vasoconstriction/dilation leading towards immune deficiency syndrome alongside postponing wound healing or liver poisoning due prolonged consumption respectively, get prescription documentation before incorporating such medicine intakes within accidents roster under medical supervision regardless.
Overuse warning: Avoid hogging ibuprofen endlessly at the slightest hint of ache or suffer liver toxicity which no one likes due to extensive dosage without consulting qualified practitioner.
Keep Away for Awhile
If it’s a second-degree burn or worse, it’ll take longer to heal. You might even have peeling skin once things start healing up; if you come face-to-face with flaking fingers from petting your furry friends pat yourself on the back because hard times will be over soon.
It can easily feel like eternity at first but ouchie digits that are in recovery should not touch any hot surfaces for attestation as well as neither do unprotected icy pieces either until burns recover completely (on average this phase takes about two weeks dependent upon intensity) since layer between burnt area and another object would create acute pain and prolong healing duration exponentially!
Remember: It’s important to avoid re-injuring burned areas by refraining from engaging in activities that could expose them again!
When To See A Doctor?
Seeking medical attention is crucial if an injury breaches Full-thickness coagulation necrosis had occurred alongside (some examples being):
- Burns affecting more than just the finger
- The visual surface that has turned black/brown/white coloration due tissue death aka gangrene appearances
- Pain doesn’t lessen after multiple treatments/symptoms worsen instead
- Large blisters forming
Take heed: If third-degree burns are left untreated, they can quickly turn into severe infections which may cause amputations too given instances of bone/tissue decay progressing faster than expected comparatively so don’t delay visiting doctor timely.
In summary: Always put safety first when dealing with heat-related injuries. Take the necessary steps needed to alleviate discomfort after burning your fingers off with diabolical hot sauce bottle opening sessions, apply OTC medication only under professional guidance in appropriate dosages as extreme reactions requiring immediate critical care facilities aren’t unheard of alongside refraining from engaging in site seeing at hospital waiting rooms.
Remember, these fingers? There are no spares!