Water and Electric Burns
Water and Electric burns are types of burns that you should know about. According to the Burn Foundation, more than 500,000 scald burns occur in the United States each year. Children under the age of 5 and elders over the age of 65 are at the most risk, for these burns. Water burns can damage your skin and body permanently. The knowledge of these types of burns can be helpful to prevent yourself and others as needed. (Site sources)
Water Burns
What it is:
If you’ve ever sipped a hot cup of coffee or washed dishes with hot water, you may have experienced a hot water burn. Many burns are caused by dry heat from a fire, hot iron, or stove. A burn caused by something wet, like steam or hot water, is called a scald.
Reasons for cause:
Scalds can be accidental or not, but many can be prevented. They’re often caused by minor accidents when you are in a hurry or under pressure. For example:
-
You can scald yourself by spilling a hot beverage or soup on your skin.
-
Steam from the oven or microwave can also burn you if you are too close.
-
Tap water burns are more likely if your water heater is set above 120°F.
What to do in case:
-
Remove the heat source to prevent further injury.
-
Apply cool running water to cool the area for at least 20 minutes. Don’t use ice, iced water, or greasy substances. Keep the person warm during this process to maintain appropriate body temperature.
-
If the burn covers a large portion of the body, don’t submerge yourself in cool water. This could cause you to lose body heat and further aggravate the injury.
-
Remove any jewelry or clothing near the affected area to reduce the temperature on the skin and allow room for swelling. If items are stuck to the burn, don’t remove them. This can cause further damage.
-
Cover the burn with a moist bandage or clean cloth. Here's a selection of moist burn pads that can protect scalded skin.
-
If possible, elevate the burned area above heart level.
-
Don’t break any blisters.
Scald burns take time to heal. While mild cases can take days, more severe cases can take weeks to fully heal.
If you begin to notice shock symptoms or signs of infection, or if your burn is larger than three inches, seek immediate medical attention.
If Serious, immediately seek medical assistance by calling 911 or going to the nearest emergency clinic/doctor.
Seek medical attention anyway because there could be problems.
Electric Burns
What it is:
An electrical burn is a burn that results from electricity passing through the body causing rapid injury. In extreme cases, electricity can cause shock to the brain, strain to the heart, and injury to other organs. Getting struck by lightning is one cause that could lead to an electrical burn.
Reasons for cause:
Electrical burns can be caused by a variety of ways such as:
➡️touching or grasping electrically live objects,
short-circuiting
➡️inserting fingers into electrical sockets
➡️ falling into electrified water.
➡️Lightning strikes are also a cause of electrical burns, but this is a less common event.
What to do in case:
Call 911 immediately because this burn is very serious!!
