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[personal profile] neadods
Remember my post last night about the half-inch burn blister? Wasn't exaggerating.

Last night, I burned myself on steam. Despite lots of cold water and aloe gel fresh from the plant, the burn soon was raising a gigantic blister just above the cuticle of my thumb. The blister got so big and so stiff that I thought about pinholing it to release the pressure. In retrospect I wish I'd done so, because a controlled release would have been better than dealing with it when it burst this morning.

Since the "advanced healing" bandaids I'm so fond of essentially mimic a blister, I slapped one on instead and have gone about my business.

All day long, I've watched the cushion part of the bandaid swell to slightly beyond the original outlines of the blister. Occasionally there's a little bit of moisture that channels through to the outer edge of the bandaid.

At this point, do I:

1) Leave everything resolutely alone for a couple of days with this bandaid and let it stew in its own juices?

2) Remove the bandaid (which may cause its own small amount of damage), clean up whatever's under there, put on some disinfectant, and put a new bandaid on?

3) Remove the bandaid and let it drain on its own for an hour or so, then put on a new bandaid? (Won't that be charming while handing out candy to the kiddies!)

Aside from the blister, things don't seem to be too bad. The rest of the burn area isn't even reddish; I can tell there's some damage from the sensitivity of the skin, but it's not even as bad as a sunburn. Except for that blister.

Bleh. Friction blisters I know how to deal with; burn blisters are new and unpleasant.

Date: 2005-10-31 09:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] queenmaggie.livejournal.com
From my own experience, If it is becoming more uncomfortable, or the friction of the bandage is causing difficulties, I would uncover, clean up the mess, add bacitracin or other antibacterial ointment, and then re bandage. Burns and cuts are documented to heal faster when they are kept covered.

Date: 2005-10-31 09:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] vyxenmacd.livejournal.com
I was recently attacked by a flying spatter of bacon grease that hit my little finger dead on. This resulted in a nasty 2nd degree burn with a huge blister. After applying cold water and ice, I put on neosporin w/ pain reliever and a really nice knuckle bandage and kept it covered for the longest time. I was really proud of myself for not having the blister pop, rather it deflated. I changed the med and bandage 2/day and left if off while sleeping a couple of nights just to let it get some air.

The neosporin w/ pain reliever is a pretty good product.

Best of luck, Nea.

Date: 2005-11-01 01:47 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neadods.livejournal.com
Thanks! Still way too sore and raw to leave anything off, but I'll try that after a couple of days.

Date: 2005-10-31 10:16 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] karentoe.livejournal.com
For minor burns, including second-degree burns limited to an area no larger than 2 to 3 inches in diameter, take the following action:

Cool the burn. Hold the burned area under cold running water for 15 minutes. If this is impractical, immerse the burn in cold water or cool it with cold compresses. Cooling the burn reduces swelling by conducting heat away from the skin. Don't put ice on the burn.

Consider a lotion. Once a burn is completely cooled, applying an aloe vera lotion, a triple antibiotic ointment or a moisturizer prevents drying and makes you feel more comfortable.

Cover the burn with a sterile gauze bandage. Don't use fluffy cotton, which may irritate the skin. Wrap the gauze loosely to avoid putting pressure on burned skin. Bandaging keeps air off the area, reduces pain and protects blistered skin.

Take an over-the-counter pain reliever. These include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Aleve) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others).

Minor burns usually heal in about one to two weeks without further treatment. They may heal with pigment changes, meaning the healed area may be a different color from the surrounding skin. Watch for signs of infection such as increased pain, redness, fever, swelling or oozing. If infection develops, seek medical help. Avoid re-injuring or tanning if the burns are less than a year old — doing so may cause more extensive pigmentation changes. Use sunscreen on the area for at least a year.

Caution

Don't use ice. Putting ice directly on a burn can cause frostbite, further damaging your skin.

Don't break blisters. Fluid-filled blisters protect against infection. If blisters break, wash the area with mild soap and water, then apply an antibiotic ointment and a gauze bandage. Clean and change dressings daily. Antibiotic ointments don't make the burn heal faster, but they can discourage infection. Certain ingredients in some ointments can cause a mild rash in some people. If a rash appears, stop using the ointment. If it's a major burn, don't apply any ointment at all (see below).
Third-degree

The most serious burns are painless and involve all layers of the skin. Fat, muscle and even bone may be affected. Areas may be charred black or appear dry and white. Difficulty inhaling and exhaling, carbon monoxide poisoning or other toxic effects may occur if smoke inhalation accompanies the burn.

For major burns, dial 911 or call for emergency medical assistance. Until an emergency unit arrives, follow these steps:

Don't remove burnt clothing. However, do make sure the victim is no longer in contact with smoldering materials or exposed to smoke or heat.
Make sure the burn victim is breathing. If breathing has stopped or you suspect the person's airway is blocked, try to clear the airway and, if necessary, do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Cover the area of the burn. Use a cool, moist sterile bandage or clean cloth.

Date: 2005-11-01 02:02 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] karentoe.livejournal.com
It's from mayoclinic.com. Great search option, and lots of advice on how to treat things. You have to be careful on what you put on a burn because the wrong stuff can make it much worse.

Date: 2005-10-31 10:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] zinelady.livejournal.com
Do you have some burn ointment? Antibiotic ointment would work as well. I would take off your old bandaid, put ointment on both the bandaid and your blister and then cover it. I would change your bandaid every day or so (like when you shower) to prevent infection. You want to keep the bandaid dry.

Date: 2005-11-01 01:42 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neadods.livejournal.com
You want to keep the bandaid dry.

The advanced healing bandaids I'm so fond of aren't the usual plastic-with-a-pad. They're some gel thing that seal everywhere (including around the edges of the pad itself) and are water-resistant so you can wear it for ages without the area getting wet.

The downside is that while it mimics a blister quite nicely, the pad part also has a slight stick to it, and that's what's making me think I'll wait a little while longer (another day) to change it. When I peel this loose, I'll be pulling at the skin that covered the ruined blister, and I'm trying to keep it as intact as possible.

Date: 2005-11-01 01:48 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] faireraven.livejournal.com
The only problem with the advanced healing ones is that being waterproof, the wound doesn't breathe.

I found that out the hard way when I spiked myself on a tent stake two years ago, and after a couple of weeks of it just not healing up, I went to the doctor, and they told me to put sterile gauze over it and tape it down on the edges. That would keep it clean, but would let it dry. The advanced healing ones work really well on certain types of cuts, but not anything liquidy (in my experience).

Try neosporin pain reliever with gauze taped around the thumb, but not taped directly over the blister?

Date: 2005-10-31 10:21 pm (UTC)
twistedchick: watercolor painting of coffee cup on wood table (Default)
From: [personal profile] twistedchick
Suggestion:

Remove the bandaid. Let it drain, let it dry. Cover it with gauze (breatheable, and will pad it a bit) and then with some tape over that. I suspect that it started swelling up again because the bandaid kept it from breathing and drying out. I have no words of wisdom on particular antibiotics, but aloe vera has always been good and so has Rescue Remedy Creme for the things I've had, also any variety of salve with comfrey in it.

Date: 2005-11-01 01:43 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neadods.livejournal.com
I grow aloe plants for just such occasions as these...

more on burns

Date: 2005-11-02 12:55 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fandance.livejournal.com
I burned two fingers and my thumb on Labor Day by stupidly grabbing a lit sterno can. By the time I was able to let go of it (I was moving it), I had pretty good second degree burns in three places. I was working in a food booth right next to the Fire Department booth. I asked them for advice on treating it. They told me to put my hand in cool water, and later as it healed, to put Vitamin E on it.

The burns formed some big, very stiff blisters. They didn't burst, but in 3-4 days, they started to break down, leaving pretty raw skin. I did the neosporin thing and bandaids for a few days. By the second week, I just put liquid Vitamin E on the skin. At the end of 14 days, everything was as good as new, which was a relief.

I think you'll do fine; just watch out for skins of infection. Pain and tenderness is a good indicator.

Good luck!

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