A burn injury affects a person more than they may think. Whether it's a minor or severe injury, burns are known to become fatal if left untreated.
Understanding how severe burns are may help victims address them immediately and get proper care to avoid complications. There are many sources for getting burned out there, and this page covers them all.
What Are the Consequences of Having Burned Skin?
A severe burn injury can lead to many complications for a person. The sooner they get treated, the less risky it will be. An injury lawyer in Nashville can be contacted to see if the burn requires legal action.
What makes burns so dangerous is that they can happen anywhere. Whether a person is at home or on their way to work in their car, they can expose themselves to certain burn hazards.
Some of the most common complications a burn victim can experience include:
- Infections
- Burn shock
- Systemic complications
- Respiratory complications (i.e., inhalation injury)
- Skin problems
- Multisystem organ dysfunction
- Soft-tissue injury
- Fractures
People with pre-existing medical conditions, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, may experience even more complications after getting burnt.
Why would someone ignore a burn injury? Sometimes, those who get first-degree burns think the symptoms will go away after some time. However, the nature of the injury and its location can affect how it develops over time.
In any case, those who get burnt should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Understanding Burn Classifications
There are three common classifications for burn injuries. Understanding how they happen is crucial to ensure proper burn care in the future.
First-Degree Burns
First-degree burns are the least dangerous injuries a person can get. They only affect the epidermis, which is the outer layer of the skin.
People who get these burns can experience slight pain and redness in the affected area.
Second Degree Burns
A second-degree burn affects the epidermis and dermis, which is the second layer of the skin. They're known as "partial-thickness burns." The burn symptoms vary depending on the source.
Most of the time, the person may experience swelling and redness in the skin. In some cases, the skin can also turn white or splotchy.
In this stage, the skin can develop blisters and scarring. The former is painful for most people.
People who get second-degree burns over 10% (or higher) of the total body surface area should seek immediate treatment at a specialized center, according to the American Burn Association.
Third-Degree Burns
These are called "full-thickness burns," and they're the most dangerous ones for a person. Unlike the other two injuries, these can reach fat layers and other structures under the skin, which can destroy nerves.
Depending on the source of the burn wounds, these can turn brown, white, or black. The skin may also get a leathery texture.
Third-degree burns should never be ignored. In the case the injury destroys the nerves, the person may start feeling numbness, making it difficult to experience pain. This makes things even more dangerous, so it's crucial to seek medical attention immediately.
What Are the Most Common Sources of Burns?
Burns come from different sources. While some of them aren't as easy to avoid, there are preventive measures available for most of them.
Below is an overview of the most common heat sources to be aware of:
Radiation Burns
These are relatively common compared to other sources. Usually, they happen due to overexposure to UV rays from sunlight. In other words, sunburns are a type of radiation burn.
However, these burns also come from other sources of radiation, including X-rays. A person may have to get different treatment depending on how the injury happened.
Electrical Burns
These burns come from electrical currents. Simply put, they can come from alternating or direct current.
Electrical burns can be extremely painful, depending on the source. It's important to stay aware and deal with any "exposed current" areas that may be around.
Thermal Burns
Thermal burns come from many sources. These happen when a heat source raises the skin's temperature to a dangerous level. Typically, they can cause cell death or charring, which are equally dangerous for the body.
Some of the things that cause thermal burns include:
Flame burns
Hot liquids
Steam
In mild cases, these will burn only the outer layer of the skin (or only the epidermis). While these may not pose such a risk to the person, they should still seek help.
Chemical Burns
They cause tissue damage through many substances, including gasoline, strong acids, drain cleaners, etc.
What makes chemical burns dangerous is the fact that they're not always recognizable immediately. It's important to note that chemical burns may also affect the eyes, mouth, and internal organs.
Regardless of which type of burn someone experiences, they shouldn't wait long to get help. Waiting can lead to infections or other complications that could put the person's life at risk.
What to Do to Avoid the Risk of Burns
Many easy measures can help most people avoid burns. Most of these risky sources are found at home, which is why it's crucial to take care of them as soon as possible.
Some of these measures include:
Be aware of the environment.
Label flammable objects.
Don't smoke indoors.
Install smoke detectors.
Cover unused electrical outlets.
Don't allow electric cords to hang from a counter.
Don't leave children or pets unsupervised.
When going out, it's important to wear sunscreen and be aware of everything that's happening. Drivers, especially, must consider all the potential road hazards they must avoid. Otherwise, they will be more exposed to a burn injury.
Bottom Line
Burn patients can deal with most of their symptoms safely if they get medical attention fast. Those who aren't dealing with these wounds should still consider the burn prevention measures mentioned above.
Whether the victim has major or minor burns, there's still tissue damage going on in their body. Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys are also able to help with questions like can I hire a personal injury lawyer from another state?
People who got burn injuries because of another person's negligence may be entitled to compensation. The experts at Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys are willing to "Go to war" for their clients, ensuring everyone gets the attention and justice they deserve while recovering.