Sunday, May 23, 2010

I have a burn on the top of my foot and I have to put socks and shoes on it to go to work.?

Now my foot is red and swollen, does this mean it is infected? What should I do?
Answer:
cold water is the best first aid when you burn yourself - 20 minutes under the tap is ideal. NEVER ice or vinegar or milk or butter or green tea or mustard or toothpaste or sunscreen or semen or vaseline or tomatoes or vanilla extract or yogurt or sour cream or egg white or lavender oil or cocoa butter or salt or tea bags or potato or shaving cream or olive oil or baking soda or banana peel or petroleum jelly or whipped cream or avocado or bacon grease or corn starch or tumeric or lemon juice or curd- not until the skin is fully healed!alcohol might help with the pain but it is a serious risk as it will dehydrate you - so don't drink any. ibuprofen or aspirin will help but larger burns are often accompanied by stomach ulcers, so tylenol/panadol is best for pain if you are gonna tough it out. drink plenty of water or energy drinks that don't have caffeine (gatorade) i would advise that you cover the burnt area with white soft paraffin (white petroleum) or aqueous cream bp. (check the links below and see if you can find a local equivalent). wash the burn and reapply every 4-6 hours - cover with cling wrap if you wish to cover with clothes - this will stop your clothes getting covered with paraffin and maintains the burn.cling wrap alone is ok if you can't get hold of any paraffin. it also acts as a protective artificial skin - helping retain moisture and protect from further damage and pain. cling wrap is cheap and clean off the roll. in Australia ambulances often use this when someone has been burnt. - please note that cling wrap isn't always practical, like on your face.the paraffin imitates the natural oils, creating a seal stopping water leaving the body and reduces pain by protecting sensitised nerves. both of these factors improve healing - good stuff stays in, bad stays out - that is one job of healthy skin. aloe is good coz it remoisturises but that moisture can be quickly lost as the skin can't contain fluids. so put aloe on, and then the paraffin on over the top. if there is broken skin leave out the aloe - just paraffin.http://www.doorone.com.au/xgs-aqueous_cr...http://www.pharmacyonline.com.au/david-c...http://www.cvs.com/cvsapp/cvs/gateway/de...email if you still have questions - send photos feedingthedogcustard@hotmail.c...finally if you are really worried go to a hospital that has a burns unit or plastic surgeons. serious sunburn i.e. blisters (and all other burns) should be seen by a burns trained doctor or nurse.
put some savlon or something on it and go to the doctors.
try some aloe vera and then wrap your foot with gauze
If it was never blistered (3rd degree) then it is most likely just irritated. Put on cream, and don't wear shoe or sock to work. If it was blistered, or is now, then see a doc
Yes, it could definitely be infected. This happened to me once and it was really bad. I went to the hospital and after they ruled out infection, they put this burn cream on. For the first day or so, my foot HAD to breathe, so I wasn't able to go to work. Over the next few weeks, I had to cover it with gauze and wear loose shoes. It was the middle of winter, so I wore a sock and a sandal. My boss was okay with it because I explained what the problem was. Get this checked out immediately so it doesn't get worse.
It's natural for burns to swell.Take a NSAID like Acetaminophen to keep the pain and swelling down. If you have the time, you may want to apply an ice pack.Since you have to go to work, you'll want to cover and protect the burn. This is prevent further irritation of the burn and swelling, an addition to warding off infection. Apply some aloe vera to a sterile piece of gauze and secure to your foot with either rolled gauze or tape.From what you're describing, your burn sounds like it may be a simple first degree. However, more serious burns may require a doctor's care.
I guess my first question to you would be is it a sunburn or a contact burn (ie hot water, fire, chemicals, etc). Either way make sure you clean the area with soap and water as best as you can. If it is confined to an area like the top of your foot, then try putting some burn ointment on it(this can be found at just about any drug store) and let it breathe as often as possible. I burned my foot last year with hot water and had to keep it covered with a large gauze pad and burn ointment so that I could wear nylons at work and then I removed all of it when I came home. It took a long time for it to heal but it eventually did leaving a nice scar. Good luck to you!

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