Burn injuries can be traumatizing. Not only are they painful, but they also typically have a psychological impact on the victim. A second or third degree burn wound can take a long time to heal as the skin cells are destroyed, prolonging the recovery process.
Here’s what you need to know about burn injury recovery.
What to Expect
The aftermath of sustaining a burn injury depends on the severity of the wound. In most serious burn injuries, patients experience scarring because of the body’s natural healing process. You may develop prominent scars around the injury site as the body tries to shrink the wound and make up for the loss of skin. This can also affect joint movement and temporarily limit mobility.
If the nerve endings are damaged by the injury, your sense of touch may be impaired. As the damaged nerves try to regrow, you might experience reduced touch sensitivity. The areas damaged by the burn injury may become less sensitive to touch, and it can take a while for you to restore full touch sensitivity. In more severe cases, nerve damage can permanently change how your skin responds to touch.
Many burn injury victims also experience increased perspiration and itching during the healing process. This happens if the blood vessels and sweat glands on the skin were damaged by the burn.
Skin discoloration is also a prominent feature of the burn injury recovery process. The burnt skin is likely to appear red initially. The color usually fades over a few months as the skin heals and responds to medical treatment.
What Treatment Do You Need?
Burn specialists determine the treatment plan for burn injury victims. They first examine the wound to assess the damage and determine the extent of the injuries. Individuals with burn injuries covering over 20% of their bodies are categorized as major burn injury patients and require intensive treatment.
Your burn injury treatment plan may include:
- Removal of damaged or dead tissue
- Skin grafting surgery
- Oral, topical, or intravenous medication
Do You Need Rehabilitation Therapy?
Burn injury victims may require physical, occupational, or psychiatric therapy for their injuries. For instance, individuals experiencing limited mobility due to scarring need occupational and physical rehabilitation therapy. They may also need psychiatric therapy to address mental and emotional health challenges, such as PTSD or low self-esteem due to a deformity.
Hire the Right Burn Injury Lawyer For Your Case
If you’ve sustained a burn injury due to another person’s carelessness, our burn injury lawyers can help you file a burn injury claim.
