Burns

[SweetErika]

I got two, 2" x 0.5", moderate 2nd degree burns on my leg Sunday. I covered them with Neosporin and sterile bandages, but I haven't been burned like this in a long time and have some questions:

- Do burns of this severity typically hurt worse as they heal? Today the pain is a little better, but last night it was so bad I couldn't sleep, even with a topical anesthetic and painkillers.

- Is it normal for there to be redness around the burns (say, an inch of redness from the borders of the burns on every side), or is that a sign of infection? Does that redness sometimes hurt as a function of nerve damage from the burn, or whatever?

Yes, I know I should have a doctor look at it to be safe. Right now, I'm just trying to assess whether the burns seem to be healing normally, or if the pain and redness are clear signs of infection with burns (I know they are w/ other wounds, but burns may be different). If it sounds normal to people who know burns better, I'll probably wait another day or so. If it sounds like an infection's eating my thigh, I'll go first thing tomorrow.

 

[tenchikoi]

I got two, 2" x 0.5", moderate 2nd degree burns on my leg Sunday. I covered them with Neosporin and sterile bandages, but I haven't been burned like this in a long time and have some questions:

- Do burns of this severity typically hurt worse as they heal? Today the pain is a little better, but last night it was so bad I couldn't sleep, even with a topical anesthetic and painkillers.

- Is it normal for there to be redness around the burns (say, an inch of redness from the borders of the burns on every side), or is that a sign of infection? Does that redness sometimes hurt as a function of nerve damage from the burn, or whatever?

Yes, I know I should have a doctor look at it to be safe. Right now, I'm just trying to assess whether the burns seem to be healing normally, or if the pain and redness are clear signs of infection with burns (I know they are w/ other wounds, but burns may be different). If it sounds normal to people who know burns better, I'll probably wait another day or so. If it sounds like an infection's eating my thigh, I'll go first thing tomorrow.

Have you developed any sort of fever? This is a clear sign of infection with any sort of injury. The redness and pain sound normal for a burn. But it would help if we knew the cause of it. Certain burn exhibit different symptoms. The neosporin is good, but you should leave it uncovered at night when you're at home so it can breathe and heal better. The bandage would hold in the heat and possibly make it worse than it needs be. Also, be sure to keep it super clean with antibacterial soap and aloe vera is a burns best friend. Slather it on chilled from the fridge and set a fan on it on the low setting. You want to discourage heat build up. Taking a couple of extra strength Excedrin before bed will help greatly with the pain. If the pain gets too bad during the day, freeze a wet wash cloth and lay it over the burn. Feels awesome. I've had more burns from sunburns and my own clumsiness than I care to recall.

 

[coastal-boy]

without seeing it, the redness sounds normal. Watch for streaks. Has the blister broken? As long as there is skin over it and it is intact, the likelihood of infection isnt as high. Burns hurt.

 

[SweetErika]

Have you developed any sort of fever? This is a clear sign of infection with any sort of injury.

It feels like I have a bit of a fever maybe, but temperature is rarely a reliable indicator for me (even when I had pneumonia and other serious infections, I didn't really have a fever, and I haven't been temping on a regular basis recently, so I don't know what my personal baseline currently is).

I've been exhausted and feeling crappy for the past two days, which usually means my body's fighting something. Whether that something is an infection from the burn, allergies or a virus, I'm not sure.

The redness and pain sound normal for a burn. But it would help if we knew the cause of it. Certain burn exhibit different symptoms.

They're thermal burns, from my ~400 degree curling iron bouncing off my leg.

I guess my concern is the new, and apparently growing, redness around the actual wounds. There was a thin border of redness until sometime Tuesday (so about 48 hours post-burn), and then yesterday it looked like it had grown to about a 1/2" border. That concerned me some, so yesterday evening I circled the borders with a Sharpie to see if it was spreading. Today it's a little bigger on one of burns, and at least double on the other (about an inch all the way around). And it's tender, and maybe warmer to the touch than the normal skin in the area.

That sounds clear-cut, but I have very light skin, so ANY redness is incredibly obvious. And that area has been subjected to bandages and tape, so maybe it's just a combo of irritated skin and increased blood flow to the burn sites? (Although the other skin that's further from the burns and has been taped and such has no redness or pain).

Otherwise, the burns themselves appear to be healing. They're dark red with lighter areas in the middle (the deepest part), fairly dry and don't appear to be producing pus or anything. If there is an infection, it feels like it's deeper down and more around the burns.

 

[PertPerth]

Ouch!
Yes, burns do have a "ring" of affected tissue around them, but that isn't a sign of infection (ie it's normal).

Yes, burns can take a long time to heal - and will be painful for longer than a cut (in my experience anyway!).

As burns tend to be prone for infection - if you get a high temperature I suggest a visit to your doctor. Else, don't worry...it sounds like they're sore, but not infected.

I'd wash it in cool water (soap may irritate) and cover it with "plastic skin". You should be able to get it from your pharmacy.
http://www.shop3m.com/70071221843.h...om-AtoZ-Nexcare-Tegaderm-Transparent-Dressing
This can be left on for over a week and can be worn in the shower etc. You might notice some fluid build up under the cover- that's normal and will help to heal the wound faster.

 

[coastal-boy]

burns are interesting...they keep burning. If you didn't get ice packs on the burn immediately, there will be first degree burns surrounding the second degree burn that comes with time.

It is not uncommon to feel like crap when you get a bad burn.

What you are describing is not a second degree burn...that has a blister. If it is charred, then you need to see a doctor...it will get infected. If it was blistered, and it broke...again, be careful cause that can get infected. If there is a blister with alot of water, the pressure it is putting on the burn will cause alot of pain and will cause redness around it. There gets to be a time where it is better without the blister.

I would try cold compresses...it will hurt, but it will reduce the swelling.

 

[tenchikoi]

Ouch!
Yes, burns do have a "ring" of affected tissue around them, but that isn't a sign of infection (ie it's normal).

Yes, burns can take a long time to heal - and will be painful for longer than a cut (in my experience anyway!).

As burns tend to be prone for infection - if you get a high temperature I suggest a visit to your doctor. Else, don't worry...it sounds like they're sore, but not infected.

I'd wash it in cool water (soap may irritate) and cover it with "plastic skin". You should be able to get it from your pharmacy.
http://www.shop3m.com/70071221843.h...om-AtoZ-Nexcare-Tegaderm-Transparent-Dressing
This can be left on for over a week and can be worn in the shower etc. You might notice some fluid build up under the cover- that's normal and will help to heal the wound faster.

Yes, definitely buy and make use of the second skin burn bandages. They're pretty common in drugstores and not expensive. It will help protect and promote healing.

 

[rosco rathbone]

............

 

[Weird Harold]

- Do burns of this severity typically hurt worse as they heal? Today the pain is a little better, but last night it was so bad I couldn't sleep, even with a topical anesthetic and painkillers.

I'm surprised a topical anesthetic didn't ease the pain -- at least keep it numb except to new insults like bumping it or pressure from a full blister.

Since it has been over 48 hours and the redness is still spreading, I'd make a doctors appointment. Even if you did nothing at all to it, the redness should be receding after 48 hours, but with a topical anesthetic and anti-bacterial ointment it should be long past the red and spreading stage.

If they burns still have an unbroken blister over them, it may be pressure from fluid buildup inside the blister causing the pain. The serum inside the blisters should have begun to resorb by now and if they haven't, then lancing them with a sterile needle might relieve the pressure. If the serum released by lancing isn't clear and watery, then you probably have some infection and it's time for a doctor's opinion.

 

[SweetErika]

without seeing it, the redness sounds normal. Watch for streaks. Has the blister broken? As long as there is skin over it and it is intact, the likelihood of infection isnt as high. Burns hurt.

Yep. I don't know if there ever was a real blister. I think it went deeper than that, but if there was, it broke quickly.

My mother-in-law is a Nurse Practitioner and happens to be in town for a conference. I just got a hold of her, and she's calling in scripts for Silvadene cream and Kephlex right now, since the symptoms sound suspicious to her. I'll have her take a look at the burns tomorrow evening, too, get some good rest, and see how it goes.

 

[Noor]

could be a neosporin allergy too, I hade one and it looked like that, it also itched after awhile.

I always wash my burns and put second skin on it, nothing else. If they don't have it where I am I either go and buy some or drive home and get it. People think i am nuts but I get infections easily and won't chance it.

I tape the second skin on with paper tape and cover it. The burn heals, no infection, minimal scarring if any. It also feels better.

 

[bailadora]

Erika: I have absolutely no experience with burns, but did want to leave a short note to say that I hope it's nothing more serious and that I hope it heals quickly.

 

[SweetErika]

Erika: I have absolutely no experience with burns, but did want to leave a short note to say that I hope it's nothing more serious and that I hope it heals quickly.

Thanks!

My temperature is up (a couple of degrees, I think...anything above 99 is a pretty good fever for me), and I'm feeling worse, so I'm pretty sure I'm on the right track with the antibiotics.

They better work...I kinda need my left thigh and stuff!

 

[Vivi1975]

A while ago I found this stuff at Walmart called Burn Gel Plus. It is used by the military (that's what the package says anyway). But if you apply it as soon as the burn occurs, it actually halts the progress of the burn. It also helps heal burns you already have and takes the hurt out of them for a while.

We have used it several times since I bought it and I am a firm believer now. That crap works.

This doesn't really help you for this unfortunate incident while curling your leg hair (just kidding!) ....but next time.

Let's face it - Curling irons were made by the devil. This will not be the last burn you get from one!
Which is why I don't use them anymore.
Polish girl + curling iron = FREQUENT BAD BURNS

 

[SweetErika]

A while ago I found this stuff at Walmart called Burn Gel Plus. It is used by the military (that's what the package says anyway). But if you apply it as soon as the burn occurs, it actually halts the progress of the burn. It also helps heal burns you already have and takes the hurt out of them for a while.

We have used it several times since I bought it and I am a firm believer now. That crap works.

That's good to know. I think I saw that, or similar, on the day I burned myself, but I passed it by in favor of large bandages for some reason.

I'm going to get something like this to have on hand next time I'm shopping. Hubby especially seems to be a magnet for hand injuries, including burns when he's cooking, and given our love of wax and fire play, it'd be smart to have that kind of burn treatment in our first aid drawer.

Let's face it - Curling irons were made by the devil. This will not be the last burn you get from one!
Which is why I don't use them anymore.
Polish girl + curling iron = FREQUENT BAD BURNS

I've been using a curling iron several times a week-daily most of my life now, and this is the first time I've burned myself badly. On the very rare occasion I accidentally touch it to my neck or fingertips, the burn is so minor that it doesn't hurt for more than a couple of minutes or require any kind of treatment. I figure those are pretty good odds, and it's worth the risk considering the alternative is straight hair that tangles easily and looks bad totally straight.

But, yeah, I'm sure I'll have the scars to prove extra caution is necessary for quite sometime (hopefully not forever!) and won't make the same careless mistake again!

 

[fire_breeze]

Thanks!

My temperature is up (a couple of degrees, I think...anything above 99 is a pretty good fever for me), and I'm feeling worse, so I'm pretty sure I'm on the right track with the antibiotics.

They better work...I kinda need my left thigh and stuff!

All the symptoms you have described prior to this one seems normal - at least they are to me whenever I burned myself (which, when working in theatre, was frequently). However, fever isn't one of them. This worries me... a burn that is accompanied by a fever is often a sign of an infection developing. Or it may be completely unrelated. In any case, please see a doctor (or your Mother-in-Law) to determine the next course of action.

Good luck and quick healing!

 

[SweetErika]

All the symptoms you have described prior to this one seems normal - at least they are to me whenever I burned myself (which, when working in theatre, was frequently). However, fever isn't one of them. This worries me... a burn that is accompanied by a fever is often a sign of an infection developing. Or it may be completely unrelated. In any case, please see a doctor (or your Mother-in-Law) to determine the next course of action.

Good luck and quick healing!

It has to be an infection because the wounds are looking MUCH better with just a few doses of the Silvadene cream and oral antibiotic, the spread of the redness has slowed dramatically and my fever's down a little. It still hurts to walk and touch the area, but the pain's a little better and at least it doesn't feel like the pain is spreading out and down into my thigh.

I'm guessing we caught it just as the infection was really starting to gather steam, and for that I'm seriously grateful. I don't want to think about what kind of trouble I might be in right now if I had waited! This is the first time I've really had an infected wound (even the deep cut on my finger from its run in with the filthy table saw blade last year healed just fine!), but my immune system's been fighting allergies and a sinus infection recently, and I know burns are particularly infection-prone.

 

[ninevahcatgirl77]

They're thermal burns, from my ~400 degree curling iron bouncing off my leg.

Aww, feel better soon! I'm familiar with this kind of injury. About two weeks ago I lost my grip on the curling iron as I was curling my bangs. The result was a burn (1 1/2 x 3/4 in.) at the top of my right cheek just under my eye. It crusted over after the first two days and peeled a few days later. My Mom was horrified by the bright pink place left after the skin came off. It's just now getting back to it's normal color and texture. I was also dumb enough to work late on a stained glass project even though I knew I was tired. I dropped the soldering iron onto my left thigh. It made a big blister and later, an ugly scar. Mederma worked wonders on it though. I can barely see it anymore. You can pick it up at most drug stores, usually behind the counter, and wait until the wound is COMPLETELY healed before using it.