Overview
A burn is an injury to the skin or deeper tissues caused by heat, chemicals, electricity, radiation, or friction. Burns are often described by depth and by how much of the body they cover. Small, shallow burns may heal with simple care, while deeper or wider burns can lead to infection, fluid loss, scarring, breathing problems, or other serious complications.
Key Symptoms
Symptoms can include pain, redness, swelling, blistering, peeling skin, white or charred skin, and difficulty moving the burned area. Some burns may be numb rather than painful if nerves are damaged. Trouble breathing, coughing after smoke exposure, or burns around the mouth or nose are warning signs of possible airway injury.
Causes and Risk Factors
Common causes include flames, hot liquids, steam, hot surfaces, chemicals, electricity, radiation such as sun exposure, and friction. Risk rises in homes and workplaces without good fire, cooking, or electrical safety. Alcohol use, unsafe heating or cooking equipment, lack of supervision of children, and working with chemicals or electricity can increase the chance of burns.
Who Is Affected
Burns can affect anyone. Young children are especially at risk from hot drinks, bath water, and household accidents, while older adults may have thinner skin and slower reactions. Workers in kitchens, factories, construction, and electrical jobs may also have higher exposure risks.
Prevention
Keep hot drinks, pots, and irons away from children, and turn pot handles inward while cooking. Test bath water before use, use smoke alarms, and keep matches, lighters, chemicals, and fuels stored safely. Follow electrical safety rules, use protective equipment at work, and limit sun exposure by seeking shade and using sun-protective clothing.
Diagnosis and Tests
A healthcare professional assesses how deep the burn is, how much body surface is involved, and whether sensitive areas such as the face, hands, feet, genitals, or joints are affected. They also check for inhalation injury, dehydration, infection, and injuries caused by chemicals or electricity. Larger or more serious burns may require monitoring, wound evaluation, and other hospital tests.
Treatment Categories
Treatment depends on the cause, size, and depth of the burn. General approaches may include cooling the burn with cool running water soon after injury, gentle wound care, dressings, pain management, fluid support, tetanus review, and treatment for infection if it develops. Severe burns may need specialist burn care, airway support, surgery, or skin grafting.
When to Seek Medical Care
Seek medical care for burns that are larger than a small area, have blisters, look deep, or involve the face, hands, feet, genitals, buttocks, or major joints. Also get medical help for chemical or electrical burns, smoke exposure, signs of infection, worsening pain, fever, or if the burned person is very young, older, pregnant, or has other health conditions. If you are unsure how serious a burn is, it is wise to have it assessed.
When It May Be an Emergency
Emergency care is needed for trouble breathing, burns after being trapped in a fire, burns with blackened or white leathery skin, or burns covering a large area of the body. It is also urgent if the person is confused, faints, has severe pain, or if the injury was caused by electricity or strong chemicals. Do not delay getting help if clothing is on fire, if there may be airway injury, or if the burn happened during an explosion.