What are the symptoms of burns?
Burn symptoms depend on depth. First-degree burns are red, dry, and painful with no blisters. Second-degree burns blister and look wet or shiny with swelling. Third-degree burns leave white, brown, or leathery skin that may feel numb because nerve endings are damaged.
The look and feel of a burn tell you how deep it goes — and depth is what determines how serious it is. Burns are graded by degree, from a mild surface burn to one that destroys the full thickness of the skin.
What Each Degree of Burn Looks Like
First-degree (superficial) burns affect only the outer layer of skin. The skin is red, dry, and painful with no blisters. A typical sunburn is a first-degree burn. These usually heal on their own within a few days.
Second-degree (partial-thickness) burns reach into the deeper layer of skin. They blister, the skin looks wet or shiny, and there is swelling and significant pain. Blisters may weep clear fluid. These are more prone to infection and scarring than first-degree burns.
Third-degree (full-thickness) burns destroy the entire thickness of the skin. The skin looks white, brown, black, or leathery, and — counterintuitively — the burn itself may feel numb because the nerve endings that sense pain have been destroyed. Surrounding, less-damaged skin can still hurt intensely.
Symptoms That Signal Danger
Some symptoms point beyond the skin to a more serious problem:
- Numbness or leathery skin — a hallmark of a deep, full-thickness burn.
- Cough, hoarseness, singed nasal hairs, or trouble breathing after a fire — signs of possible airway or smoke-inhalation injury, which can be life-threatening.
- Spreading redness, warmth, pus, or increasing pain a day or two later — signs the burn is becoming infected.
- Fever during healing — another marker of infection.
- Confusion, fainting, or a racing heartbeat — signs of shock from a large or severe burn.
A charred appearance, a burn that circles a limb, or a burn on the face, hands, feet, or genitals all indicate a burn that needs prompt professional assessment.
For a complete guide to burn degrees and treatment, see our burns page. Bellaire ER offers 24/7 emergency burn care at 5302 Bellaire Blvd — walk in any time or call (713) 660-0001.