Skip to main content

Burns

How bad is my burn?

First Degree
Put the affected area in cool water or apply a cold, wet compress
Apply petroleum jelly a few times each day
Consider taking over-the-counter pain medicine like acetaminophen or ibuprofen to ease pain
Protect the affected area from the sun
Second Degree
Follow all first degree burn treatment recommendations
Don’t break any blisters
Apply a bandage if the skin or blisters are likely to become irritated by clothing or daily activity, or if the blisters have broken open
Third Degree
Seek immediate medical attention
While waiting for medical help to arrive, cover the affected area in a clean bandage and attempt to raise the affected area above the heart

Alternative accessible version (pdf)

March 14, 2022

NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers is a prominent researcher in the treatment of sickle cell disease.

Meet the Director: Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

How does an expert on blood diseases become the head of a “diabetes institute”? That’s a question Griffin P. Rodgers,...

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, former Director of NIAID.

Infectious Diseases

Meet Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), served the American...

A researcher works in a lab.

Precision Environmental Health’s role in preventing disease

What is Precision Environmental Health? Precision Environmental Health is a research area that helps scientists learn how interactions between the...