October 2009 Archives

Burn injuries are considered a problem in health care. Burn injuries are in the top five as the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. There are over 200 special burn care units in the United States. Statistics on burn injuries confirm that at least 50% of all burn accidents could have been avoided. There is one out of every 13 fire deaths in the United States that was caused by a child setting a fire. One-third of children preschool age has died by playing with fire. 

There are 2.4 million burn injuries that are reported per year in the United States. There are around 10,000 pediatric burn injuries yearly in the United States. Around 650,000 of the injuries are treated by medical professionals and about 75,000 are hospitalized. Out of the people that are hospitalized, there are 20,000 who have major burns. There are 8,000 to 12,000 who die from these burns.

Burn classification

Burns are categorized into first, second, and third degrees. The first degree burns which are superficial burns are caused on the top layer of skin. Symptoms of the first degree burn are redness in the skin. The burn can be painful and dry. It takes about around a week for the first degree burn to heal on its own. The next burn is the second degree burns which are partial-thickness burns. This type of burn goes under a few layers of skin. The symptoms of this burn are redness, and blisters that appear. It usually takes three to four weeks for it to heal and may leave a scar. The last type of burn is third degree burns which are full-thickness burns. These burns tear down all layers of skin. It can go through the underlying fat, muscle, bone and nerve structures. The symptoms of the burns are brown or black with the essential tissues showing white. Third degree burns are considered as being a serious condition.

One type of burn injury is from radiation. Ultraviolet light and nuclear radiation are causes of radiation burns. When absorbing too much Ultraviolet light, it can result into a burn injury. UV burns can come from tanning beds, too much exposure to X-rays, radiation therapy and too much sunlight. Treatment can include pain control medication to surgery. 

Do you think you have a radiation burn? If you even suspect that you have been exposed to radiation of any type, it is extremely important that you see a doctor. This can even include overexposure to a microwave, or burns caused by a cell phone on the fritz. Here are some signs that you may have a radiation burn:

A radiation burn is any damage caused to the skin by exposure to either radiation ionization, such as that created by a microwave, or exposure to radio frequency. A sun burn is a form of radiation burn, and most radiation burns are very similar to the symptoms of a sun burn. The symptoms of a radiation burn are any type of redness, itching, or peeling away of the skin in a localized area. If you have any of these, especially if the symptoms have arisen inexplicably, it's very important that you see a doctor in order to get treatment.

Some possible explanations for a radiation burn are:

Extended exposure to X-Rays in a medical context. X-Rays operate by passing radioactive particles through your body. If you are over exposed to X-Rays, it's possible that you may have suffered a radiation burn.

Over exposure to the sun. Make sure you use sunscreen at all times when you're outdoors for extended periods of time, even on cloudy days. This is the most common type of radiation burn and can even be one of the most dangerous forms.

Exposure to high powered radio transmitters. If you live near a radio tower, or a company that is utilizing some form of radio transmitter, it's possible that the rays it is giving off can cause a radiation burn. If you inexplicably have the symptoms of a radiation burn, and have not been exposed to X-Rays or extensive sun light, this may be the cause.