Burn injuries can affect anyone who ends up exposed to a high source of heat. These injuries can range in severity from relatively mild, to potentially life-threatening.
It is important to understand what differentiates these types of injuries from one another. When exactly does a burn injury go from mild or moderate to severe?
Severe second degree burns
Temple Health discusses burn injuries and their degrees of severity, along with forms of treating them. First degree burns do not require extensive medical care, generally speaking. A sunburn will typically fall under this category. Thus, while it is still important to treat these burns with care, they do not constitute a severe injury.
For the most part, second degree burns do not constitute severe injury, though they are much more harmful and painful than first degree burns. However, there are two exceptions. First, if the burn is located on the face, no matter the size, it falls under the “severe” category. Second, if the burn is larger than 2 to 3 inches wide, it also counts as severe.
Third degree burns
Third degree burns are the most extreme type of burn and will always count as severe no matter what the size or location. These burns can affect all layers of tissue and have even reached muscle or bone in known victims.
The more severe a burn injury, the more crucial it is to get timely treatment. Without it, these injuries can threaten a victim’s life or leave them with permanent pain and/or disfiguring scars. Needless to say, such impacts can drastically alter a victim’s life.