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Is reddening of the skin occurring after exposure to the sun or other ultraviolet light. It happens when the amount of sun exposure exceeds the ability of the body to protect the skin. The body protects the skin through melanin pigment which acts like an umbrella that covers the skin. Sunburn is a burn which is most commonly a first degree burn part I, II, more severe or deep sunburns can lead to second degree burns with the formation of blisters and rarely third degree burns part I, II. Very light skinned people can have sunburns in less than 15 minutes of exposure to midday sun while dark skinned people may tolerate the same exposure for hours.

Symptoms:

Symptoms of sunburn typically don’t develop until about 2-6 hours after sun exposure, while in children it happens as little as 15-30 minutes after being exposed to the sun without adequate protection.

Tissue expansion is a procedure that allows the body to grow extra skin. It is done by inserting a silicone balloon expander under the skin near the area to be repaired (such as scars happening after burns) and then gradually filling the balloon with salt water over time causing the skin to stretch and grow (keeping the skin under tension causes new cells to form).

Tissue expansion is used in conditions such as breast reconstruction surgery, repairing burns, scars, large birth marks, hairy areas such as the scalp (the extra skin is still able to grow hair).

After the skin stretches the scaring is surgically removed and the expanded skin is extended to meet healthy un-scarred skin.

Steven Johnson Syndrome is a systemic allergic reaction that has high morbidty and can lead to death in severe cases. It is charactarized by the appearance of rash on the skin and the mucous membrane. This syndrome can affect the eye, respiratory and nasal tracts, vagina and the urethra.

What are the complications of Steven Johnson Syndrome:

Steven Johnson Syndrome may affect any organ in the body. Some are serious and may even lead to death. Complications may include:

The following is a first-hand account of a survivor of severe burns, as told to CNN.com. This story should give hope to all victims of severe burns that they can overcome their injuries, and lead a productive and happy life.

“I came to America as a transfer student in the fall of 2004. I did three years of computer engineering in India and then transferred to Purdue University Calumet. On July 2, 2005, just a month before graduation, a man who lived on the first floor of my apartment building set fire to his own apartment deliberately.

The fire started at 4:30 a.m. My roommate and I could not jump out, because the balcony and windows were engulfed in flames. As my roommate fell unconscious in front of me, I started running down the stairs but I also passed out from smoke inhalation. A firefighter found my body a few minutes later and pulled me out of the building.

I’ve posted a few entries lately about home fires that began because of unusual circumstances. In one instance, a fire destroyed a house and nearly killed two girls because clothing was laying across an extension cord that shorted out.

But just because a fire started from an unusual source doesn’t mean that it was not preventable. In New York City this week, a retired schoolteacher died after a fire broke out around 2:30 a.m. in her apartment. While the cause of the blaze is not yet known, neighbors say that the 82-year-old woman was a hoarder whose clutter in her third-floor apartment was surely a fire hazard. A religious woman, “she saved fliers from every church she had ever been to,” said the building’s manager. “I helped her move apartments just to give her a clean start. She used to say, ‘When I was growing up, I didn’t have anything.'” That seems to be why the woman rarely threw anything away. But when the fire began, the woman, who used a cane, could not get out of her front door. In fact, she was heard yelling, ‘I’m scared!” It’s a tragic story.

Now, most of us do not rise to the level of hoarder–but collecting too much stuff within the home is a problem that many of us do have. While this retired schoolteacher had scores of flammable papers all around her house, it’s likely that many of us have “overcollected” things that aren’t necessary anymore. What’s more, even simple messiness with items that you do use regularly can pose a serious fire hazard within the home.

Treatment of skin scars:

• Steroid injection: this is done by injecting steroid into the scar itself. This may help flatten and soften the appearance of a keloid or hypertrophic scar.
• Cryotherapy: it involves freezing the scar with a medication.

First aid:

All third degree burns require emergency medical treatment, usually in a burn unit, call 911 or take the person to an emergency room as soon as possible.

• Smother any flames if the patient is on fire eg, using a blanket, stop drop and roll.