Suffering from a burn is no walk in the park, no matter what level of severity you suffer from. However, it is important to understand the differences between these levels, as this determines how to treat a burn moving forward.
Burns fall into three categories of severity: first, second and third-degree. Depending on which category the injury falls under, treatment and care will differ.
First and second degree
Temple Health discusses burn injury severity levels. First-degree burns comprise the mildest category. Most sunburns fall under this umbrella. The burn will often hurt, but not to the degree that over-the-counter pain killers or cooling gels cannot handle. Burns will not often leave scars and after an initial check-up, most victims can care for the injury at home.
Second-degree burns will blister and cause damage to more layers of tissue. Though victims can also treat these burns at home, medical care at a proper clinic should come first. This is especially true for second-degree burns on the face or burns that take up more than 2-3 inches on the body. These burns count as a severe injury.
Third-degree burn severity
Finally, third-degree burns count as severe injuries no matter how big they are or where they are on the body. Victims of these burns may not feel pain due to the destruction of nerve injuries. Scarring and disfigurement often occur and it is important for victims to seek immediate medical care and have continued care and support through the entire healing process.
If a victim gets the right medical care early on, it can make the rest of the healing go more smoothly, decreasing the severity or chance of permanent issues like scarring and loss of feeling.
