Touched super hot dish, burned thumb and finger..

[applecrisp]

Very stupid cooking move..... involving burning something in microwave (a first for me), smoke alarm, touching hot dish and burning thumb and finger.

This it the first time I burned my hand while cooking... or at least one that hurts a whole lot.

So my thumb has a white mark/blister on it. it doesn't seem real puffy yet. Another finger slightly red, and hurts a bit.

So what do I do now? It's throbbing like crazy. Thanks.

And, yikes, who knew I used this finger so much when I typed.

[DeeK]

I recently did the same thing by brushing up against the dryer vent.

I soaked my finger right away in cold water with a few ice cubes in it. I've been told NOT to put ice directly against a burn.

Then I just tried to be very careful not to break the blister. It healed enough to not hurt very much in a few days.

Sorry you hurt yourself. It's so easy to just grab in the "heat" of the moment when something is burning. Hope it heals up quickly.

[applecrisp]

Thanks Deek. My thumb dosn't hurt that much but I do have a mega blister on the thumb. It's just sensitiveI and tight from the skin/blister. I put a bandaid on it to protect it... big mistake, since some of the adhesive stuck to it. Let's just say it was quite an event getting it off. Oh, and I must of used those super strong bandaids. Had to soak it blah, blah.

Hey I never realized how much I use my thumb. I will say quite lucky that I just got my thumb.


I've never had such a big blister before and certainly never from a burn .... I remember reading never to pop it. But not sure if what happens then?? Do I just leave it? The thought of it popping by accident while using my hands.. ugh.

[avariell]

applecrisp - I am so sorry you burnt yourself so badly. I had a similar burn from a microwave last year and called my doctor. They had me come in that day and prescribed some ointment to help care for it. The prescription really helped - I recommend checking with your doctor.
I had about 3 fingers peel off in the weeks following the burn - that was nasty! :)

[DeeK]

If the blister does pop, just keep it clean, maybe use an antibiotic ointment and keep it covered lightly.

The blister will harden over in a few days and eventually go down in size.

Of course, if it reddens or looks worse, get thee to the doctor. A secondary infection would be no fun.

[Beth]

My Dad always used Foile ointment for burns, and it does help the pain. It will stain, so you need to use a bandage with it. Another option is an aloe with lidocaine, usually sold for sunburn relief, or I think Johnson & Johnson has a bandage with cooling just for burns. I don't have any now to check the name but bought some a while back.

If you can't wrap a bandaid large enough to not stuck to the blister around your thumb, get some gauze to wrap it and then use that nonstick krinkle wrap over it. It won't stick tot he skin, but you might need the athletic type to be sticky enough to hold on your thumb (yeah, we do use them more than we think). You will need some protection to keep it from getting infected -- if not now, as it heals and you go through layers of skin and possibly an oozing blister. The padding will help protect it and give you a way to keep an antibiotic on it (also available with pain medication in it).

A white blister that doesn't hurt a lot sounds like it could be a third degree burn. Seeking medical attention would not be silly, especially if you have not had such an injury before. My sister had a bad steam burn and swore by the ointment they prescribed for her for both pain relief and to prevent infection. The can also show you how to bandage it.

It will get better, but try to avoid any heat with that hand for a couple of days -- even more temperate water in the shower and try not to hand wash dishes with hot water for a couple of days.

Hope it's better fast.

[LakeMartinGal]

You can also use a sunburn-relief gel on the blister, as long as it's not broken. It'll help take some of the heat/pain out of it. Band Aid has bandaids especially for blisters, which might be handy to pad it without endangering the blister.

I did the same kind of thing with a new All Clad pan on Christmas, out of a 500* oven... After I stopped cussing :o, I put ice in a dishtowel and wrapped it around my palm...:(

[applecrisp]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

Beth -- It doesn't hurt now, but man it hurt for a long time after I burned it on Friday night. I did look up burns to see the difference between the different types. I have a good size blister on the thumb but no pain, other than annoyance of having a blister. Thankfully I just touced the hot dish with my thumb.

Avariell -- ugh, peeling off. So happy that all ended fine.

I think I have some gauze on hand, so I am going to wrap it, this time keeping the adhesive far away (what a production that was removing the bandaid).

The microwave still stinks. Vinegar and baking soda don't seem to be doing much yet.

And, I will say... wow that thumb comes in handy. Good thing I almost never text on my cell phone. I would be lost.

[JulieM]

I can tell you from personal experience, as well as the experience of a close neighbor, that pure, raw honey is incredible. They are using it now in hospitals. It prevents infection and does remarkable things with healing. But it must be totally raw--regular honey does nothing.

I cooked some cornbread in a skillet in the oven, and yes :p I grabbed the handle while I was cutting it and burned myself pretty badly:eek:. I kept ice on it until it stopped hurting(which I'm a firm believer in), then kept it covered with the raw honey and I healed quickly with no scarring.

My boat neighbor had his grill going with the cover down, got distracted and was talking with another neighbor across the canal and laid his forearm on the grill. Oh my he burned himself horribly! I've never seen a burn that bad--bleeding and all that. He has no insurance and is the type to never go to a doctor. I was able to convince him to cover it with raw honey and bandage it of course. Again, he healed quickly and his scarring was not nearly as bad as I would have thought it would be. Never any infection and no other medicine used.

Here's a link to more info:
http://www.naturalnews.com/021506.html

I know I've read about this from one of the trusted medical sources like webmd or Cleveland Clinic but can't find it at the moment. If I get time I'll search it further and post the links.

[Libra20]

I got a burn recently. I googled natural remedies and found egg whites. I put egg white on the burn and the pain went away immediately.