Every family wants a safe and happy festival. But firecracker burns are common at this time of year, and they can happen even when people are careful. If someone near you has been burnt, start by cooling the area under running water. The sections below explain the rest of the first aid and when the burn needs medical attention.
Should You Apply Something to a Fresh Burn?
Many of us grew up believing a burn needs a home remedy like a toothpaste, an ointment or something from the kitchen. But when it comes to a fresh burn, cool running water is the first thing you need.
Our skin holds heat, so a burn can continue damaging the skin even after the source of the burn is removed. Cooling the affected area with cool running water for 20 minutes helps remove residual heat, ease pain and limit further tissue damage.
Pastes, oils, butter and household remedies cannot replace this cooling process. Some of these remedies may also contaminate the wound or make it harder for a doctor to assess the burn. So, avoid applying anything to the burn before cooling it and getting appropriate medical advice.
Here are the first-aid steps to follow if you or someone nearby suffers a firecracker burn:
- Move away from the fireworks: Make sure nothing is still burning. If clothing has caught fire, stop, drop and roll, or smother the flames with a thick blanket. Do not let them run, as this can fan the flames.
- Start cooling immediately: Hold the burned area under cool running tap water for at least 20 minutes. If running water is unavailable, gently pour cool water from a clean jug or bucket over the area. Do not use ice or ice-cold water. Start cooling as soon as possible, even while someone arranges medical help.
- Take off tight jewellery and nearby clothing: Remove rings, bangles, watches and loose clothing near the burn while you cool it. Swelling follows quickly, and a ring or bangle left on can squeeze the limb and cut down blood supply to the fingers or hand. If fabric is stuck to the skin, leave it in place.
- Cover the burn loosely: Use a clean cling film, laid lengthways, not wrapped tightly around a limb. If a cling film is not available, you can also use a clean, non-fluffy cloth. Cotton wool and fluffy towels leave fibres in the wound, so they should be avoided.
What if a firecracker injures the eye?
Firecracker sparks and flying debris can cause serious eye injuries, even when there is no visible burn on the surrounding skin.
- Do not rub, however much it stings, as rubbing can scratch the surface of the eye.
- Do not press or put unprescribed ointment in the injured eye.
- Rinse very gently with clean water for about 10 minutes, then see a doctor immediately, even if the pain settles.
- If something is stuck in the eye, or you think a cracker has caused a deeper or blast injury, don’t rinse it and or attempt to remove it. Protect the eye without applying pressure and reach the emergency care as soon as possible.
Is first aid enough for a firecracker burn?
First aid is only the first step in managing a firecracker burn. Cooling and covering the affected area helps but it does not replace medical care.
The severity of a burn depends on how deeply the skin and underlying tissues are damaged, how large the affected area is and which body part is involved. A burn can also look mild at first and turn out to be deeper than it seemed.
What Not To Do After a Burn
- Don’t use ice or freezer packs. They can cause further tissue damage. Use cool running water instead.
- Applying ink, toothpaste, butter, ghee, turmeric or powder. They don’t help, hold heat in, and have to be scrubbed off later, which hurts and raises infection risk.
- You should not pop blisters.
- Remove rings, bangles and watches near the burn before swelling makes them difficult to take off.
- Don’t peel away skin or pull off clothing stuck to a burn.
- Don’t judge a burn by pain alone. Deeper burns can look white, waxy or charred and may hurt less because nerves are damaged.
When to Seek Emergency Care
Get medical help immediately if:
- The burn is on the face, eyes, hands, feet, genitals or over a joint
- It is larger than the person’s palm
- The skin looks white, leathery, charred or very dark
- There are large or many blisters
- The injured person is a child or an older adult
- Something is embedded in the skin, or a cracker exploded in the hand
- There is breathing difficulty, hoarseness (abnormal change in the voice), or a burn near the mouth or nose
- There is ringing in the ears or reduced hearing after a blast
Conclusion
Festivals should be about laughter, joy and light, and we hope your evening goes back to that. If a firecracker burn has interrupted the celebration, follow the first aid steps and get medical help as soon as you can. You can visit the emergency care department at the CK Birla Hospital to have the burn assessed and treated.
