What Should You Know About Degrees of Burn Severity?

Car accidents that end in fire or even explosions do not only happen in movies. Many crashes in real life end up involving fire too, which results in serious injuries and burns.

Burn injuries get measured in degrees, so it is important to understand what these degrees represent and what each stage means for the victim.

Superficial burns

Temple Health looks at the severity of burns suffered by victims. They range from first to third-degree burns, with first degree proving the mildest and third-degree having the worst impact.

First-degree burns are the most superficial and do not involve blistering. The burned area will feel raw and look red. Touching it will likely cause pain or discomfort. Treatment often involves topical moisturizers and pain reducers like aloe. Sunburns often fall into this category.

Moderate burns

Second-degree burns will involve blistering and affect both the upper and lower layers of the skin. The pain is worse and the damage is longer-lasting. Burns smaller than two or three inches may still get treated as minor burns even in the second degree. Burns larger than that or in crucial areas like the face, major joints or groin require a medical examination.

Severe burns

Third-degree burns can cause permanent tissue damage and involve all layers of the skin. Sometimes it can even reach the muscle or bone beneath. A burn of this degree is not minor no matter how small it is. The chance of this type of burn scarring is very high. Loss of nerve sensation may also occur. It is important to seek immediate medical attention in these cases.