Can iodine burn a child's skin?

An alcohol-based iodine solution is available in almost every home. This medication has a pronounced antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect, so it is actively used externally, as well as for inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract and oral cavity. Iodine is a unique healing agent that can be harmful in inexperienced hands.

Self-inappropriate treatment of skin and respiratory tract diseases can cause damage. In medicine, such cases are few in number, but these injuries are actually quite common, but remain unknown due to not seeking medical attention.

To prevent negative influences, it is necessary to always be able to neutralize the resulting damage; you need to know all the intricacies of providing assistance and further therapy.

Mechanism of action of the chemical

Iodine is usually used as directed by a doctor. But in some cases it is used in cosmetology. This product is used to treat the outer skin around the injury, hematoma, and throat in the presence of an infectious lesion. This remedy is often used to dry out pimples on the face.

Damage to the epidermis

A burn from iodine is damage to the dermis of the 1st or 2nd degree. An iodine solution is unable to penetrate the deep layers of the dermis, so if used incorrectly, severe damage cannot be caused. A burn from iodine on the skin begins to look like a dried dark spot, which peels off after a certain period of time. The victim may experience pain in this area and a slight burning sensation.

It follows that the solution is incapable of causing serious damage and becoming a threat to life or health. The only problem is that iodine burns take a long time to go away and change the appearance for the worse. The most dangerous situation is if it is localized in the eye area.

In addition, some people are sensitive to iodine itself. Even if all precautions are taken, they experience irritation and itching.

Internal chemical burns

Iodine-based solutions are actively used to treat the upper respiratory tract. Sometimes at home, patients do inhalations based on it without consulting a doctor. It is not always possible to maintain concentration and select the amount of medication. Therefore, accidents such as burns to the throat mucosa often occur. Sometimes the source of injury may include the oral cavity and even the esophagus.

Inhalation of high doses can damage the mucous membrane of the respiratory system.

An iodine burn localized in the internal organs is more intense and painful than a dermal burn. Symptoms for this condition are as follows:

1. dull pain in the sternum;
2. dry cough;
3. urge to vomit;
4. nausea and dizziness;
5. swelling of the larynx;
6. increased salivation;
7. In rare cases, high fever may occur

Burns often occur during a sore throat. Patients unknowingly try to get rid of ulcers this way, but end up with burns on their vulnerable tonsils.

What to do if you are burned by iodine?

What should be done if symptoms of damage from iodine solution are detected? To prevent the spread of the lesion, preventive measures must be taken. Timely assistance contributes to faster healing and less pain. To do this, you need to perform the following manipulations:

1. Washing. In order to remove the burn, use regular tap water. The affected area is kept under a powerful stream of water. The exposure time depends on how soon the fact of improper use of the product was established. If almost immediately, then 10 minutes is enough, if after a significant period of time, then 20-30 minutes.
2. Neutralization of the substance. The next stage of first aid is neutralization of the chemical. After all, a skin burn with iodine is a chemical effect that will not stop on its own. To do this, use a solution of water and several bars of soap. This mixture is used to treat the entire area that has been exposed to aggressive action of the substance. Leave for an hour.
3. If there is no soap available, you can use alternative methods. For example, use sweet water. It is prepared from 20 g of granulated sugar and adjusted to 80 ml.
4. The best results can be achieved by using chalk water or powder to clean your teeth. They are used to treat an iodine burn and leave it to act. They should not be washed off.

It is especially necessary to treat iodine burns on the face carefully, since the skin there is thinnest and most sensitive.

Treatment with pharmaceuticals

Further therapy involves the use of special agents that will speed up the healing process. Finding them in a pharmacy and purchasing them will not be a problem. Their prices are low. Most modern drugs combine several effects at once: antiseptic, regenerating and analgesic. Therefore, you can choose a product based on your needs. The most famous and effective drugs are the following:

1. Panthenol - promotes rapid regeneration of the skin and moisturizes the skin, preventing flaking;
2. Levomekol - have an analgesic effect, prevents the development of bacterial infections and helps to quickly restore damaged skin;
3. Rescuer - combines a mild calming effect with anti-inflammatory and wound healing;
4. Vineshvsky ointment is an old and proven remedy that has a soothing effect on chemical burns;
5. Solcoseryl is the best healing agent in this price category;
6. Bepanen - promotes tissue restoration and prevents the development of pathogenic microflora in this area;
7. Eplan is an analgesic and wound healing agent.

Folk remedies

If, after exposure to the medication, the skin begins to look dry and wrinkled, then you can use the following remedies:

1. Sea buckthorn fruit oil. This product of natural origin helps to quickly restore damaged skin. This effect is achieved due to the high content of vitamins A and E. During the treatment process, it is necessary to lubricate the skin several times a day. Treatment is continued until complete healing. Sea buckthorn oil is recommended for use when the skin on the face is damaged.
2. Egg white. It is necessary to beat this ingredient until foam forms. Then the affected areas of the body are treated with this product and left to act for a short period of time.
3. Oatmeal. This folk remedy helps neutralize all manifestations of a burn in a minimum period of time. Chilled porridge is used for treatment. Apply to the skin several times a day.
4. Grated potatoes. A raw tuber is used, which is previously peeled. Apply rubbed to the painful area and leave for a few minutes.
5. St. John's wort oil. Oil extract is prepared by mixing raw materials with vegetable oil. The medicine is used to treat a variety of wounds.
6. Welding. Use natural tea of ​​any kind. The resulting tea leaves are cooled and used as a poultice.

Eye damage

This does not occur as often as burns to the skin caused by medication. But at the same time, such an injury is considered the most dangerous and can cause vision impairment. To prevent this, rinse your eyes with water and consult a doctor immediately.

Treatment of laryngeal injuries

If this area is affected, the following should be done:

1. Rinse with cooled boiled water for 5-7 minutes;
2. Rinse with sugar solution;
3. Treat with sea buckthorn oil.

You should also refrain from eating food that irritates the mucous membranes of the mouth. In case of severe damage, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Hello! A 4-month-old child scratched his face between the eye and nose, blood flowed, I treated it with peroxide and iodine. I had no idea that it could burn the skin. at the beginning there was a red spot, I thought it was from a scratch, and didn’t wash it off for a long time, then it finally came and I washed off the iodine, but not quite completely. The next day the spot was pink, I smeared it with baby cream with panthenol, in the evening it started to turn red, I smeared it on Actovegin. As for me, there is no improvement, the spot without blisters does not seem to bother the child much. Please give recommendations on how to treat? Should I treat with peroxide? Actovegin, panthenol, is this possible? And the place is very visible.. what should I do? Will it go away? and how to how long? thanks.

Recently, iodine has become less and less used as an antiseptic, especially for children. But, despite the decline in popularity, this drug is widely used in various folk recipes and very often to the detriment of the child. One such recipe is the use of iodine as a stimulator of the endocrine gland. It is with this use that a burn from iodine can occur in a child. Before treating it, consult a medical specialist.

Burn from iodine in a child: recommendations for treatment

If a child suffers chemical damage to the skin from iodine, it is recommended to follow these tips.

1. For a burn caused by a reaction to iodine, you must follow the same recommendations as for treating thermal burns. Try to quickly wash off the iodine from the skin with boiled warm water (the procedure should be carried out for 8-10 minutes). If the period of iodine remaining on the skin is more than 20 minutes, the time of rinsing with water should be increased to 30 minutes.
2. After washing, the burned surface is treated with a neutralizing substance - soapy water, chalk, tooth powder, etc. As a last resort, you can use a 20% sugar solution.
3. After burns from iodine in children, brown spots may remain on the body, which will disappear over time. These spots should not be specifically reduced as they are not pigment formations and are not actually removed by laser or ultrasound therapy.
4. When treating tissue burns from iodine in a child at home, you can use the popular external aerosol “Panthenol”. It has a local anesthetic and healing effect.

The main causes of burns from iodine in a child

First of all, you should pay attention to the incorrect use of iodine solution by some parents. In situations where a child has a disease that does not require the use of iodine as the main means of treatment, parents begin to come up with various treatment methods, based on traditional medicine and someone else's advice.

One of the common causes of burns from iodine is its internal use. Some doctors advise using iodine for the development of the thyroid gland in children (meaning iodine-containing tablets). Inexperienced parents, not understanding this, use an alcohol solution of iodine, choosing the proportions themselves.

A burn from iodine in a child most often occurs due to negligence on the part of parents. Before choosing your own treatment method, familiarize yourself with the main medical options for treating this burn. It is even better to consult a doctor immediately - this way you will preserve the health of your baby.