Chemical/Caustic Burns

Chemical or caustic burns can happen in the safety of your home, in your workplace, or at school. They are caused by accidentally coming into contact with a chemical or misusing a chemical product.

Chemical Burn Symptoms

Although chemical burn symptoms can differ, they pose serious threats to your health. Symptoms will vary depending on how and where the burn occurred. When you come in for treatment we will want to know a bit about the burn to treat you properly:

• How long was your skin in contact with the chemical?
• Did you inhale or swallow the chemical?
• Did you have any open cuts on your skin during contact with the chemical?
• Which part of your body did the chemical touch?
• Was the chemical in liquid or solid form? Was it a gas?
• How strong was the chemical?
• What amount came into contact with your body?

Common symptoms caused by chemical burns include the following:

• Numbness or pain
• Loss of vision (if chemicals touched your eyes)
• Redness, burning, irritation in the area surrounding the burn
• Dead skin caused by acid

If you accidentally swallowed a chemical, you may experience some of the following symptoms:

• Headache
• Seizures
• Dizziness
• Cardiac arrest
• Low blood pressure
• Irregular heartbeat
• Shortness of breath

Chemical Burn Causes

Anytime you are exposed to chemical materials, you are at risk for a chemical burn. The most common causes of chemical burns are:

• Bleach
• Toilet bowl cleaners
• Teeth whitening products
• Ammonia
• Denture cleaners
• Car battery acid
• Pool chlorinators

Treatment

Your chemical burn must be treated immediately. Remove the chemical and rinse your skin under constantly-running water for up to 20 minutes. If a chemical splashed into your eyes, it is important to rinse your eye for a minimum of 20 minutes before heading to Trusted ER. If you are wearing any clothes or jewelry that came into contact with the chemical, remove them.

Gently wrap the affected area with a sterile cloth. If the burn is larger than three inches or if it occurred on your face, hands, feet, buttocks, or groin, head to Trusted ER immediately. If the burn happened on a major joint, like your elbow or knee, it is important to visit us right away. Otherwise, head to Trusted ER if you aren’t able to control your pain with over-the-counter medications or if you have any symptoms of shock.

At Trusted ER, your chemical burn will be diagnosed based on a few factors. These factors will include how deep your burn is, if there are any signs of an infection, if there is any swelling, and what your level of pain is.

Minor chemical burns will heal quickly with treatment. However, for a more severe burn, you may need long-term treatment.

A chemical burn is a medical emergency! Have you or a friend suffered from a chemical or caustic burn? Come into Trusted ER –  we are here for you 24/7!

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