A burn is damage to your body's tissues from heat, chemicals, electricity, sunlight or radiation.
Common causes
- scalds from hot liquids and steam;
- building fires;
- flammable liquids and gases.
Inhalation injury, from breathing smoke, is another kind of burn.
Three degrees
| Degree | Damage |
|---|---|
| First-degree | only the outer layer of skin |
| Second-degree | the outer layer and the layer beneath |
| Third-degree | the deepest layer of skin and the tissues underneath, damaged or destroyed |
Effects
Burns can cause swelling, blistering and scarring, and in serious cases shock and even death. Because they break the skin's protective barrier, they can lead to infection.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the burn's cause, depth and how much of the body it covers.
- Antibiotic creams prevent or treat infection.
- Serious burns may need the wound cleaned, the skin replaced, and care to make sure the patient gets enough fluids and nutrition.
Sources
Based on "Burns," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, drawing on the NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
LanguagesEnglish
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from medlineplus.gov
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