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A burn will happen to everyone at some time. You grab a hot pan or skillet handle. Boiling water splashes on you. You come in contact with an open flame (can't help but think barbecue grill here). A chemical or strong cleaning agent gets spilled on you. Or you could be struck by lightning. To varying degrees, they all cause burns to the skin.

The degree of a burn depends on how many layers of skin are involved and how much of the body's skin surface is affected. As it may not be apparent how deep the burn is, any burn that involves more than 15% of the body's surface is considered serious.

A first-degree burn affects only the top layer of skin, causing redness and pain. It can be treated by simply cooling the area with cold water.

A second-degree burn penetrates the deeper skin layers, causing blisters, redness, and pain.

Third-degree burns go through all the layers of skin and into the tissue beneath. These burns can cause the skin to look waxy-white or charred. Often there is no pain due to nerve damage.

A second- or third-degree burn requires medical attention quickly, but there are things you can do until help arrives:

Run cool (not cold) water over the area.

Remove any clothing around the area and any jewelry on an affected limb. Swelling may
occur and make it hard to remove them later.

Cover the burn with a sterile bandage. Keeping the burned area clean is important in
preventing infection.

Encourage the victim to drink fluids to prevent dehydration.

In serious burns, cover the victim's burns with a clean, white sheet and a blanket over
the rest of him.

DO NOT apply butter or any other burn remedies to the area.

DO NOT break blisters.

If it's a chemical burn, wash the area immediately with water. Read the label on the
container for instructions, or call the Poison Control Center.

Remove the victim safely from electrical wires, being sure that no live wires are
touching the victim before you touch him.

Electrical burns, including lightning, can cause a person to go into shock. The victim's breathing and heart rate should be watched closely until medical help is available. Rescue breathing and/or CPR may be necessary.

Of course, using some common sense can go a long way toward preventing most burns, but we humans just have the knack for occasional carelessness. Knowing what to do in an emergency is the next best thing to prevention.

Learn more about this author, Rebecca Foster.
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