How To Get Rid Of Burn Pain

Urgent Care: How to Make a Burn Stop Hurting

February 24, 2018

Feeling the burn?

Burns are one of the most common household injuries. Each year in the United States, more than 1.1 million burn injuries require medical attention. That's not to mention the countless minor burns that don't result in a trip to the doctor's office.

You need to prepare should you experience a burn at home. These tips will help you safely treat the wound to alleviate pain, stop the infection, and start the healing process.

Minor burns may be common, but that doesn't make them hurt any less. Read on to find out how to make a burn stop hurting.

Check the Burn

First, run your burn under cool water. Your first instinct might be to put ice or butter on the wound, but that actually hinders blood flow to the affected area. Run your burn under water for at least 15 minutes.

You should then check to make sure you don't need medical attention. Burns always require medical attention if they are third-degree or fourth-degree.

A third-degree burn will result in large blisters almost immediately. Fourth-degree will go deep into your muscle tissue.

You should also seek medical attention if the burns begin to show signs of infection. Medical professionals should deal with any oozing wounds with a pus discharge.

You can never be too safe with burns. There are over 12,000 deaths related to thermal injury every year. Error on the side of caution.

How to Make a Burn Stop Hurting

After you evaluate the burn, it's time to deal with the pain. But how to make a burn stop hurting?

Clean the burn with soap and water to protect it from infection. You will then want to take an anti-inflammatory drug. Over-the-counter drugs like Ibuprofen work to alleviate pain and inflammation.

Let the anti-inflammatory sink in. If you are still experiencing pain, you can add some skin lotion to the burn. Skin lotions can promote skin healing and are especially useful for first or second-degree burns.

Skin lotions are also useful to use during the healing process. They can reduce itching that comes in the days after an initial burn.

Avoid using at home remedies to deal with the pain. Things like butter, toothpaste, and hydrogen peroxide disrupt healing and can even make the pain feel worse.

What to Use During Healing

Now that you have dealt with immediate pain, it's time to let the healing process begin. You can expect your burn to hurt for the next few days while your skin and tissue begin to heal.

You don't have to be in pain during this process. Take frequent cold showers to help with the pain.

Another thing you can use to deal with pain is aloe vera. Aloe can help your burn heal and can alleviate pain.

You can continue to apply it to your burn for a few days until it heals. Don't forget to use skin lotion. It not only helps with itching but also swelling.

Your Burn

The best way to make a burn stop hurting is to give it time. Use these tips to deal with your pain and to promote proper healing.

Do you have a burn that requires medical attention? We can help. Contact one of our five urgent care offices to get immediate assistance.