If you're ever in a situation where you accidentally burn yourself badly while preparing a meal, it's important to know what steps you'll need to take to get relief from the pain. Even if you're a fantastic cook who feels comfortable in the kitchen, there is always a chance of accidentally dropping something hot on your hands or other areas of your body. While it may not seem serious, some people have suffered serious and painful burns after accidentally dropping boiling water, hot grease, or other hot food on themselves at some point or another.
Immediately Use Cold Water
If something like this happens to you, the first thing you should do is turn on the faucet and let the cold water run over the part of your body that is currently in a lot of pain. The cold water will offer an instant soothing feeling for the moment while you focus on figuring out what you're going to do next to treat the injury.
Grab a Bag of Ice
Once you've used the cold water, grab some ice and put it into a sandwich bag or zipper-sealed bag. Place the bag of ice directly on the affected area and leave it in place. You may need to wrap the bag of ice around that specific part of your body with a towel and then tie it into place. The cold ice will help to soothe the aching pain you'd likely feel after dropping something extremely hot on your body. Once you've got ice on that part of your body, you should plan to visit the urgent care center for professional medical treatment.
Visit the Urgent Care Center
You'll need to visit the urgent care center because there is a chance you have second-degree or third-degree burns that will lead to blistering, discomfort, and possibly even some scarring if you don't take care of the burn injury the right way. You may need to get a tetanus shot because bacteria can get into the bloodstream through the wound. In addition to getting a tetanus shot, a medical professional at the urgent care center may prescribe a topical ointment for you to use each day, such as silver sulfadiazine. The purpose of the ointment is to prevent an infection from developing while relieving a lot of the discomfort associated with the burn.
If you ever end up with a burn injury, make sure to act quickly by covering the burn with cold water, using ice to get some instant relief, and visiting the urgent care center for treatment. You may need to get a tetanus shot or receive a prescription ointment to use to prevent an infection and treat the pain.
Share