The affects of burn injuries and how to deal with them

California residents may be surprised to learn that on an annual basis more than 30,000 individuals who suffer a burn injury in Delaware, southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey alone require treatment at a hospital emergency room. The most common result of burn injuries is discomfort and pain, depending on how badly the victim was burned. While some burn victims suffer months of pain, others experience physical pain for the rest of their lives. In addition, burn injuries can affect a person’s ability to sleep, work or perform simple tasks.

Many burn victims struggling with constant pain also experience emotional effects such as depression, anger or anxiety. Therefore, all burn victims are different and need various modes of therapy. While some may require plastic surgery, others may need help with physical therapy or managing their pain.

When burn victims are undergoing treatment, it is necessary for them to fully explain their health care needs to their physician who can then provide proper treatment and care. This includes telling a health care provider exactly what type of pain is being experienced. These could include neuropathic pain, which occurs when the nerve endings in the skin have been damaged, and acute pain, which is extreme pain that happens during physical therapy or while tending to the wound. Constant pain is called resting pain, and pain that continues for at least six months or more after healing is termed chronic pain.

A person who has suffered a burn injury due to a defective product or house fire, for example, may wish to meet with a personal injury attorney. If negligence was a factor in causing the injury, it may be advisable to seek damages through a lawsuit filed against the responsible party.