The skin is an essential part of your body and its largest organ. You have three layers(层) of skin which act as a barrier against disease, poisons and the sun's harmful rays. The functions of your skin are also very complex: it keeps you warm or cool; it prevents your body from losing too much water; it is where you feel cold, heat or pain and it gives you your sense of touch. So as you can imagine, if your skin gets burned it can be very serious. First aid is a very important first step in the treatment of burns.
Causes of burns
You can get burned by a variety of things: hot liquids, steam, fire, radiation (by being close to high heat or fire, etc. ), the sun, electricity or chemicals.
Types of burns
There are three types of burns. Burns are called first, second or third degree burns, depending on which layers of the skin are burned.
• First degree burns These affect only the top layer of the skin. These burns are not serious and should feel better within a day or two. Examples include mild sunburn and burns caused by touching a hot pan, stove or iron for a mordent (熨烫熨斗).
• Second degree burns These affect both the top and the second layer of the skin. These burns are serious and take a few weeks to heal. Examples include severe sunburn and burns caused by hot liquids.
• Third degree burns These affect all three layers of the skin and any tissue and organs under the skin. Examples include burns caused by electric shocks, burning clothes, or severe petrol fires. These burns cause very severe injuries and the victim must go to hospital at once.
Characteristics of burns
First degree burns
• dry, red and mildly swollen(肿胀的)
• mildly painful
• turn white when pressed
Second degree burns
• rough, red and swollen
• watery surface
• extremely painful
Third degree burns
• black and white and charred (烧焦的)
• swollen; often tissue under them can be seen
• little or no pain if nerves are damaged; may be pain around edge of injured area