What is a Burn?
A burn is an injury to the skin or tissue brought on by heat, electricity, chemicals, certain radiations, and the sun. The burned patch of the skin gives a burning sensation and causes the cells to die. Depending on the degree of burn, most people recover without any serious outcomes but severe burns require immediate treatment because they can be life-threatening.
There are 3 types of burns:
- First-degree burn (superficial burn)
- Second-degree burn (partial thickness burn)
- Third-degree burn (full thickness burn)
Symptoms of Burns
The symptoms of the burn purely depend on the type of burn.
- First-degree burn: Only the outer layer, i.e. the epidermis, is affected and can cause redness and pain.
- Second-degree burn: Both epidermis and dermis are damaged resulting in red and white blotchy skin with swelling that can further transform into blisters with severe pain.
- Third-degree burn: These full-thickness burns not only destroy the epidermis and dermis but also damage the underlying fats, bones, muscles, and tendons. Such barbaric injury requires immediate medical attention as it cannot heal on its own.