Effective First Aid for Minor Burns: A Step-by-Step Guide

Mild burns are one of the most common injuries that occur in the home or workplace. Treating them is easy and very important in preventing infection or further damage.

Things You'll Need

• water
• gauze
• medication
• burn ointments or lotions

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Instructions

• 1

  COOL THE AREA. The first thing you want to do is run cool water over the burn for about 20 seconds. This will stop the heat from doing any further damage to your skin.

• 2

  COVER IT UP. You will want to cover the burn with a clean, dry, cloth to reduce the risk of infection. Wrap it lightly with something like gauze.

• 3

  SOOTH IT. You can relieve pain and swelling by using lotions and ointments that contain aloe vera. Applying 0.5% hydrocortisone cream to the burned area can also help.

• 4

  KEEP IT COOL. Continue to use cool water to sooth the burn, running it under cool water or taking frequent showers can help keep the pain away.

• 5

  MEDICATE. You can also take several over the counter medications to help with the pain and swelling. Acetaminophen (Tylenol, Panadol)for pain. Ibuprofen(Advil, Motrin), Aspirin(Bayer, Bufferin) or Naproxen(Aleve, Naprosyn) as an anti-inflammatory.