Boiling Water Blister And Medical Advice?

[jerryfram]

Few nights ago I poured some boiling water on my finger. I then put my hand in cold water for about 30 minutes or so. There is a burn blister there but it isn't like those big yellow ones that develop where it looks really big. It does look and feel like a blister though.


Are you suppose to put anything on it afterward it happens? I read very mixed reviews on this. Some say put nothing. Some say cover it with a bandage. Some say put Vaseline or aloe vera. Some say neosporin but many say don't put that. This is assuming the blister has not popped yet. Are you suppose to put anything on it or not?


I had this happen to me a few years ago as well and it was a lot of hot boiling water. I recall my hand was very red. The next day I recall one big yellow blister. I did put manuka honey on it for a short while I believe. I believe a few days later it popped. I then washed with soap and water and put manuka honey and gauze on it I believe. I recall it took a few weeks for it to heal.


The thing is this blister hasn't gotten into like a big yellow blister when you talk about boiling water burn. I am posting 2 pictures of it here. The thing is it seems to be the same size and shape since it happened. I'm not sure if it will pop? I read blisters usually pop but sometimes they just go smaller and go away on it's own without popping? If so, how long does it take? If it pops, you have to put Neosporin and then bandage? What about manuka honey?


From the pictures, anyone have advice on this? I am currently putting nothing on it. I had read someone mentioned you put vaseline on it afterwards so it won't blister? I didn't do that. But I then read you not suppose to use anything at all. I don't have manuka honey with me now otherwise I would put it. Should I be covering it? Does it eventually get smaller and go away on it's own without popping? The thing is there isn't like a big yellow blister that grew the next day like what happened to me a few years ago but that time was when I burned my hand a lot more than this.

 

[Andy M.]

Boiling water burn (scald): Symptoms, treatments, and home remedies

Boiling water burns, or scalds, can be mild to severe. In this article, learn how to identify the severity and perform first aid for the burn.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

 

[jerryfram]

I checked that. The issue is there is so many mixed reviews on different sites. Some say don't put anything on it but others say put something on it. So I am not sure what is the real answer here. Someone said their dermatologist told them whenever you get a burn, put vaseline on it to prevent it from blistering so it goes against other things that are said. So I wanted to know what is the proper thing to do here. This is a blister right? But it isn't that big yellow blister though that shows up though.


Will this go away on it's own without itself popping? Or it has to pop itself? That is what I want to know. I did not put anything on it. Should I buy neosporin and wait until it pops and then use it when it pops? I would use manuka honey but I don't have now. I would have manuka honey later on this week though but not sure if it would be popped by then. So I am not sure what to do here. It's been the same size and shape and feeling since it happened.

 

[jerryfram]

Is it safe me to hand wash laundry with nitrile gloves? I normally hand wash clothes with nitrile gloves right before I put everything in a plastic bag before I go to a public laundromat. I did that only for certain clothing that are really dirty so I want to give it a hand wash with nitrile gloves and detergent powder and water before I put it in a plastic bag along with my other clothes. Is that still fine or not because of this? The other thing is any issue with touching oxiclean? I have one pair of shorts that I need to soak in oxiclean before I bring it to laundromat... but would that be fine or not? I know oxiclean is much more harsher than regular detergent.

 

[jennyema]

I’d put Neosporin on it or at the least keep it clean with hydrogen peroxide and very warm water with soap.

It’s very easy for blisters to get infected.

 

[dcSaute]

from those pix, I'd classify that as a 'baby burn' . . .

slathering any 'stuff' on the burn creates more potential for infection(s).
topical 'numbing creams/salves' probably will not help once the burn has some age.

pay attention to the 'burn degree' - seek medical treatment for really deep burns . . .

I have found 'popping' a blister, so the crispy burnt skin can lay down and protect the 'oh...that's tender' stuff usually hastens the skin regeneration under the blister. draining the liquid from a blister is imho a good thing - as underlying (wet) skin kept wet seems to skin over/heal slower.
popping a blister with a needle/safety pin/really pointy thing often results in the hole 'closing up' - I've used nail clippers to 'snip a big slash' in the blister - which is less likely to 'seal up'

using gloves is a good approach while the burn/wound is still "open/draining" - infection at the site is a thing to be avoided . . .

 

[msmofet]

If the blister pops, remove the skin. I had bad burns and when the blisters broke, left them. Bacteria will grow in the dead skin fold of the blister. I learned that the hard way. The doctor said if blisters break, remove as much of that dead skin as possible.

 

[dragnlaw]

@jerryfram Please, I'm sure you know that this is a food/cooking forum. Not for medical advice.
Please, go and see a medical professional.
Even though many members here are giving sound advice - they cannot replace a medical advisor.
A medical advisor can actually see, know and recognize the symptoms, therefore know the proper choice of how to go about healing the burn.

 

[jerryfram]

I get what you mean. The thing is I had this happen a few years ago and the burn was much worst. It grew a big yellow blister the next day and then I put manuka honey and gauze on it for a short while. Then the blister broke. I believe I used manuka honey and gauze on it afterwards. It took a few weeks to heal.


The thing is this time, a new big yellow blister didn't show up, It still looks the same now. So I have no idea if it will pop or not. Is it possible it won't? Yes I know this is a food/cooking forum but I thought since this is related to it since people gets burns when cooking, that is why I ask.


So someone says it is a baby burn. Do you know if this will pop eventually? Or it might not pop at all? It still looks the same now.

 

[taxlady]

I have no idea if it will pop. I have had a blister heal without popping. But, it was a friction blister. I burn myself often when cooking, but I don't remember ever getting a blister. I didn't even get a blister when the handle of a kettle broke and my thighs were scalded with the water that had been boiling seconds before it cascaded over my legs. I hopped in the bathtub and grabbed the handheld sprayer. I sprayed cool, not cold, water on my thighs until they quit hurting / I couldn't feel the burn at all. I was standing in the tub with the water spraying for what seemed like a long time. I hadn't looked at the time, so I will guess somewhere between 15 minutes and half an hour. Surprisingly, after that water, I didn't even have a first degree burn, no damaged or even pink skin.

 

[blissful]

Topical Application of Honey for Burn Wound Treatment - an Overview - PMC

The use of honey in the treatment of burn wounds is discussed and an attempt is made to assess honey's current status as a burn wound dressing. Various kinds of honey are considered, as also the history of its use for this purpose since ancient ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

If you have honey from your local beekeeper, you can also use that.

 

[jerryfram]

Okay so what type of blister do I have from the pictures then? This isn't like those big disgusting yellow blister.


So it will either absorb or pop?


What type of honey? I used manuka honey a while back. The thing is, is this a wound?

 

[dragnlaw]

I think you are overthinking this. It is just a blister. I got one too the other day taking a lid off a pot. After the initial swearing which alone could blister the paint - I forgot about it.

 

[Linda0818]

I just leave them alone until they heal. If the blister impedes things I need to do, I cover it with a Band-Aid. As for washing dishes or laundry, it definitely hurts like crazy placing your blistered hand into hot water, so I wear thick rubber gloves until the thing heals.

Otherwise, I don't pay much attention to it. Like dragn said, it's just a blister. It'll go away on its own.

 

[jerryfram]

HI. The issue though here is you touched the lid but no hot liquid got on your hand though. Wouldn't that a big difference here? The boiling water got on my finger.


I noticed that since I eat while holding a fork right into that blister, I am sort of pushing against it. I have done that a few times already since well that is where I hold my fork. So the blister is like flattened a bit each time but a bit later the skin goes back to how it was with the blister still there. Do I have to avoid holding the fork that way because of this?


Do you know how long it would take to go away? Is it possible it won't pop after weeks or months? Is there a term for this type of blister? Boiling hot water got on it but it wasn't a lot of water. There has been no pain at all and it's been the same as the pictures since I posted it. But over time, it will just flatten and go away?

 

[dragnlaw]

Oh my, you've never had a burn from steam? let me correct you on that one. Steam is water that has evaporated and is just as hot and could possibly be hotter than boiling water.
Wear a band aid on it while you eat if it is hurting while the fork presses against it.
If it is still bothering you then pop the darn thing, drain it and be done. It might fill again, pop it again. Soon it will not fill and be gone.
It certainly doesn't sound like a serious burn. If you are truly upset and concerned, see a doctor or a nurse.

I can't answer the rest of your questions as to length of time. It is not something that has concerned me. It just goes away.

 

[John B Good]

We have an aloe vera plant in the house and if you break a stem off and rub the gel on the burn it takes a lot of the burn away. I don't know if it helps with the healing but it feels better.

 

[lastmanstanding]

That blister will go away, and after a few days the skin will darken and peel off, and all will be as before, no scars or anything. It will take about a month for the whole thing.
Anyway, burns from steam is more painful than that from water. And takes a few hours more for pain to go away.

I always have ice in the fridge, in case of a burn, and came in handy a year ago. Also I have the burn cream - silver .....- on the fridge so I don't have to search around until I faint. Ready to snatch at once. I check its placement on the fridge regularly. Also I have aloe vera plants. When burned, I apply the cream immediately, put a large plastic bag around the hand, and put the hand in ice water. Bag in order to prevent the cream washing away, from doing its thing, a large one so the hand has breathing space. After a while I put aloe vera in the water, add ice, and dip the hand until the pain eases. You cannot keep the hand in ice for long, and you can't keep it out for long as it begins to pain. So you have to do it intermittently as you find convenient.

All the above is my own method, decided by me myself. No medical recommendation in any manner. Probably medical advice could be different. I have no idea.