Why burns blister

The skin on both sides of the joint comes together to heal the injured area. The result is a burn scar and it may not be possible to move the joint as fully as before the injury.

Through therapy, it is possible to gain back much of the motion that was lost as a result of the injury. This occurs when the burn is deeper and the healing elements of the skin may have been destroyed and are not available to cover the open wound. When this happens, the body closes the wound by drawing on the surrounding skin. As the wound heals, it actually becomes smaller. The contraction process often results in a loss of normal movement for the affected area.

Rehabilitation therapy is used to restore near-normal movement to the contracted areas. If a burn injury damages the nerve endings in the skin, the nerves will need to regrow. Throughout this regrowth period, the sense of touch may be affected. Because the sensation of touch is experienced through the skin, any areas that have nerve damage due to the injury may be less sensitive to touch. It is pink, red, dry and painful, but generally mild. An example of a first-degree burn is a sunburn.

If the burn is kept clean and moist, it will usually heal over a week or two. Some peeling will occur and there is no scarring. A second-degree burn affects a deeper layer of the skin. There is damage to the top layer or epidermis and some damage to the second layer of skin or dermis.

There are blisters, which may be broken or intact, and swelling. The skin under the blisters is wet, weepy, pink and painful. This type of burn may occur from a scald, hot grease or contact with a hot surface, such as a curling iron. In a third-degree burn, all layers of the skin are destroyed. Blisters may be present and color of the skin varies red, pale pink, white and tan. Typically, these burns have very diminished pain. These burns usually require surgery for skin grafting.

Ice is not recommended as an initial treatment for burns because it can decrease circulation and make the burn worse. Soaking the burn in cool water is fine. Do not put any food-based products on the burn as this may cause infection and make it more difficult to clean the wound.

Clean the wound daily with mild soap and water. This can usually be done in the shower or bath. Treat small burns with over-the-counter topical antibiotic ointment, like Polysporin or Neosporin, until healed.

Keep the wound covered with a bandage. Burns heal better in a moist, covered environment. Seek treatment from the UC San Diego Health Regional Burn Center if the burn is third-degree; goes over a joint; goes all the way around a limb, finger or toe circumferential ; can't be easily bandaged; or if pain is out of control.

We also provide comprehensive rehabilitation services for people who have sustained serious burns. The goal of the therapy for burn injury recovery is to return you to the highest possible functional level of independence. Products and services. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again.

Show references Burns. Merck Manual Professional Version. Accessed Nov. What to do in a medical emergency. American College of Emergency Physicians.

Mass casualties: Burns. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Purdue GF, et al. Acute assessment and management of burn injuries.