How To Treat A Burn On Your Hand
Whenever the skin comes into contact with something hot, it can be damaged, causing skin cells to die. Heat intensity, the length of time that the skin is exposed to heat and even certain chemicals can determine the severity of the injury.
What Are The Different Burn Degrees?
Depending on the severity of the burn, the appropriate treatment can be determined.
1st Degree Burns are characterized by there being a redness to the skin without blisters
2nd Degree Burns are characterized by there being partial damage and blisters are present
3rd Degree Burns are characterized by the skin being white and leathery
4th Degree Burns are characterized just like 3rd-degree burns, but with deeper damage to tendons, joints, and even bone. This is the most severe type of burn and in some cases can be life-threatening.
What Are My Treatment Options?
Initially, the hand should be removed from the source of heat and kept clean. The goal of treatment is to prevent further problems with stiffness and infection. Burns are treated differently depending on their severity. Hospitalization is required for burns covering a significant portion of the body. Those experiencing only hand pain may benefit from outpatient treatment.
1st Degree Burns (Superficial)
The primary treatment for a first-degree burn is local painkillers. In most cases, they heal within a week.
2nd Degree Burns
It is possible to trim blisters on the hand. Keeping the hand and forearm splinted will prevent stiffness in the future. Until the wounds are healed, they should be cleaned, dressed frequently, and treated with local topical antibiotics. In two to three weeks, the wound will heal.
3rd Degree & 4th Degree Burns
Skin grafts will need to be performed to replace the dead skin. As soon as the hand has healed from surgery, it is splinted. After an injury, this should happen within two to three weeks.
A number of operations will be required in patients with severe injuries. It is common for people who have burned hands to experience contractures, which result in stiff, constricted muscles years after they were injured. In order to determine whether you need future surgery that could improve your hand's function, you should schedule a long-term appointment with your hand surgeon.
Inpatient and Outpatient Therapy
The treatment of superficial burns does not generally require any formal hand therapy. It may be necessary to undergo extensive therapy and rehabilitation if the injuries are deeper or occur in conjunction with another injury. In the event that rehabilitation is recommended by your hand surgeon, they will coordinate with our in-house therapy team.
