Kitchen Burns: Precautions And Remedies

Kitchen Burns: Precautions And Remedies

Do you know? Approximately 486,000 burn injuries occur annually —or about one every 65 seconds. As the American Burn Association recommends, “Preventing a burn injury is always better than the pain and trauma of medical treatment afterward.” Here are some reminders (or precautions) of how to stay safe while cooking food.

Hot Water Burns Similar To Fire

Hot water can burn skin at far less than its boiling point of 212°. The severity of scalds relies on the temperature of the water and the duration of time for which the skin is exposed. Human exposure to hot water at 140°F (the temperature of several home hot water heaters) can lead to a severe burn within three seconds. At 120°F (the suggested temperature for home hot water heaters), a serious burn takes about 10 minutes. Barista-poured drinks from your local coffee shop are typically 150°-170°F. Scald burns from water, hot liquids – for instance – tea and coffee, and steam make up 65% of burns among kids under the age of 4 who are hospitalized for burns.

Safety Zone To Keep Children & Pets Safe

Keep your kids as well as pets at least three feet away from the site or area where hot food and beverages are prepared—for instance – around the stove or the barbecue pit if you are grilling outdoors. Never carry or hold a kid while you are sipping a hot liquid (tea, coffee) or cooking.

Drawback Of Microwaves

Steam burns, removing hot containers from microwaves without utilizing a potholder, or spilling contents are some of the common accidents, especially among kids, teens, and the old age individuals. Be especially more cautious if the microwave is mounted above the cooktop or located on a high shelf.

Placing a Lid

Cooking accidents in India, particularly those related to frying, are a crucial concern, with a World Health Organization (WHO) report depicting that over a million people in India suffer burn injuries annually. These incidents are a leading cause of injuries both in commercial kitchens as well as homes, typically resulting from contact with hot oil, steam, and cooking vessels.  In a scenario when a grease fire flares up in a frying pan, switch off the heat and carefully cover the pan with a lid or a cookie sheet to smother the flames.

Remember - Four C's: Cool It, Clean It, Cover It, and Call for Help

If individual suffers a burn, they should run cool tap water over the injured site/area. Then cleanse the site or area with soap and water; apply topical antibacterial ointment, cover with a bandage, and call for help.

Dos And Dont's

Do: Take off attires that has been burned or soaked in hot fluid or chemicals, as well as any jewelery in the impacted or affected area/site.
Don’t: Remove attires if it is stuck to the burn area/site.

Removing all entities attires or jewelery around the burn is crucial because if the skin begins to swell, these items can restrict blood flow to the site. Furthermore, in the case of scalding, attires can retain heat and elevate the seriousness of the burn.

However, in the scenario of severe burns, do not attempt to take off attire that is adhered to the skin. Doing so can cause the skin to peel off which will create an open wound, hamper healing duration and potentially lead to infection. Medical intervention is necessary to take off attires in such a case.

Do: Soothe the burn under running water to halt the burning, soothe pain and decrease swelling.
Don’t: Utilize ice-cold water or ice cubes on a burn.

Dunking burn in ice water or soothing it with an ice pack might be your first instinct when you get a kitchen burn, but this is an absolute no-no. Burns damage the skin tissue and expose underlying layers which are more sensitive, putting ice directly onto this sensitive tissue can cause damage and interfere with the healing process. In order to avoid these issues, make sure utilizing cool or room temperature water to soothe burns at home.

Do: Cover the burn with a soothing ointment and a clean bandage.
Don’t: Apply sketchy burn remedies – for instance – toothpaste or butter.

It is a widely disseminated myth that utilizing toothpaste or butter can help heal kitchen burns. While you may have heard this touted as an easy, prompt remedy for burns, it can actually do more harm than good. Butter, and other such greasy substances, trap heat on the surface of the skin and worsen the injury, whereas toothpaste may comprises ingredients that are harmful for burned skin and can intensify pain and aggravate the injury.

Instead, healing ointments, can be utilized to soothe the burn.

Do: See a doctor if blisters are large or cloudy, or if the burn is depicting signs of infection.
Don’t: Break open small blisters because this could let germs into the wound.

Blister formation is a normal part of healing. It could be covered with a clean bandage and allow them to clear by themselves. Do not pop blisters as this will create an open wound which might get infected. However, if the blisters are large and painful, or depicting signs of infection like leaking pus, then consult a medical professional.

Treating kitchen burns at home is as simple as that. Remembering these handy points and always turn to medically bolstered burn remedies over dubious health care tips. If still not confident of how to give first aid for minor burns, reach out medical professional for help.

Always visit health professional if a wound is deep, bleeding profusely or depicts signs of infection. For diabetic patients especially, proper wound care holds the utmost significance. Do not hesitate to discuss any issues with medical professional, even when it comes to minor wounds and cuts – especially if they’re on limbs -feet.

Fibroheal Products For Kitchen Burns Relief

FIBROVID
A topical antiseptic and wound healing ointment, which has a unique patented amalgamation of Povidone-Iodine (PVP-I), and silk protein can be utilized in case of kitchen burns incidents.

FibroZyme 
A Papain-Urea based Debriding Ointment can be applied in case of cooking related burns – home, corporate offices.

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