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Pain Relief for First Degree Burns
from:Almost everyone that cooks has had a first degree burn at one time or another; it would be miraculous if you haven’t. First degree burns really hurt! You have everything you need to stop the pain of a burn right in your own kitchen. If you have vinegar, or honey, tea, egg whites, or potatoes you can relieve the pain of a burn almost instantly.
Vinegar is a natural pain reliever for first degree burns; the acidic acid works as an anti-inflammatory agent on the skin to relieve the pain of first degree burns. Some people that have been burned get instant relief and the pain never comes back. Apply vinegar to a cloth until it is well saturated. Apply the vinegar soaked cloth to the first degree burn for 10 to 15 minutes and the pain will be gone. Vinegar is used often in the treatment of sunburns.
Honey is another anti-inflammatory agent that most people have in their kitchen cabinet. Honey keeps the burn from swelling. It isn’t so much the heat that causes the pain for the swelling from the burn that hurts. You can apply a coat of honey onto the burn and it shields the burned area from the air and relieves the pain of first degree burns. You can apply honey to a gauze bandage or a band aid to the burn if it is small enough and fasten it to the skin. Apply as need for pain relief.
Tea is great for the treatment of first degree burns because the tannic acid in the tea seems to pull the heat out of the burn. Brew up a few bags of tea in a boiler and then add enough ice to make it tepid. You don’t want it to be cold because for some reason the tannic acid has a cooling effect. Pour some tepid tea onto a cloth and apply it to the burn. Let it sit on the burn for 15 minutes. The burn will feel instantly cooled and will be noticeably cooler as the tea application cools to room temperature. This is great pain relief for first degree burns.
Egg whites are another choice for pain relief of first degree burns. The egg white acts as a barrier between the burn and the air, and it has a natural cooling effect while it is wet. Apply the egg white as needed for pain relief. Egg white is also good to bring down a fever. It works as well or maybe even better than cool cloths. Just crack open some eggs and separate the yolks and set them aside, and just apply to the burned area as needed.
Potato peelings work well for first degree burns. Peel a potato and use the peelings to place on the burn and tape it in place for a few minutes. Potato peelings stay moist for a long time and the peeling when taped to the skin keeps the area moist and relieves the pain. The use of potato peelings are being studied by researchers in the treatment of burns. It seems that dressings made with potato peelings don’t stick to the wounds and the effect of the potato dressings has great healing properties.
Everything you need to treat minor first degree burns is in your kitchen. If you are burned over a large area you should get medical attention as soon as possible. Never put ice onto a burned area because it can cause frostbite. You can use cool water, but never use ice to relieve the pain of first degree burns.
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