A hot type of pepper, it is quite a popular product in any kitchen, because it gives dishes a special piquancy. But hot peppers can cause the most unpleasant sensations when they come into contact with the skin. Therefore, special care is required when working with them. But there are several proven methods that will help get rid of the consequences of skin contact with pepper.
Why does pepper burn?
Capsaicin is an oily substance found in some varieties of hot peppers; it is this component that gives dishes a special, specific taste. During cooking, pepper juice can get on the skin of your hands, thereby instantly causing a burning sensation and redness, which is very difficult to neutralize.
The amount of this component in all varieties of pepper is different. Thus, the more capsaicin, the stronger the burn from contact with the skin. Some of the most popular hot peppers are chili pepper, red hot pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Pepper heat units
Treatment
Help before diagnosis
If the burning sensation is caused by a slight burn of the skin (only redness, no blisters), it can be treated with dexpanthenol sprays. Medicines quickly relieve symptoms, soothe the skin and promote its healing. If you experience severe burns, rashes or other symptoms, consult a doctor. To quickly relieve burning sensations, experts prescribe gels and sprays with a soothing and cooling effect.
Conservative therapy
Therapy is determined by the underlying disease. Often, burning skin is caused by dermatological pathologies, to eliminate which an integrated approach is practiced. For mild cases of the disease, local remedies are sufficient: lotions and wet-dry dressings for weeping, ointments and rich creams for peeling. They use medications with antiseptics and antibiotics, topical steroids, and antimycotics.
For allergic dermatoses, systemic detoxification therapy is prescribed: antihistamines, sedatives, methods of extracorporeal hemocorrection. Antifungal drugs in tablets are recommended for the treatment of common mycoses. Herpes zoster requires intravenous or oral acyclovir.
Physiotherapy methods are effective in a comprehensive treatment regimen. To eliminate rashes, accelerate skin healing and stimulate immune defense, laser therapy, magnetic therapy, and ozone therapy are prescribed. In the remission phase of chronic dermatoses, skin irradiation with ultraviolet light and mud therapy are used. With senestopathies, patients require the help of a psychiatrist.
How to remove burning sensation on the skin
If you handle hot pepper carelessly and get it or its juice on the skin, a burn will form. To alleviate the condition of the skin, it is necessary to use traditional methods of getting rid of burning sensation.
- Dairy products effectively eliminate pain caused by contact with hot peppers. This is explained by the fact that the substance casein, which is found in dairy products, reacts with capsaicin and neutralizes it. If your hand has been burned, then you need to lower it into a container of milk, where it is better to first add ice cubes. Or generously wipe other areas of the body with a cotton swab.
- An equally effective method would be to use regular petroleum jelly and vegetable oil, since the hot components of pepper dissolve under the influence of other oils.
- Baking soda must be diluted with water to a thick paste, and the mixture should be applied to the affected areas of the body. After drying, wash off the mask under running water.
- Alcohol will get rid of the “fire” on the skin; it acts on capsaicin as a solvent. Periodically wipe your face, hands and skin with a moistened cotton swab until discomfort is eliminated.
Signs of pepper burn
Symptoms appear on the area of skin that came into contact with pepper. And includes typical signs of a burn: the skin itches, turns red, and a burning sensation is felt.
However, a burn can affect different layers of the dermis, in which case the signs will differ depending on the severity of the injury:
- mild degree - mild symptoms, which consist of mild discomfort;
- medium degree - redness of the skin, itching and peeling, and then a rash resembling hives;
- severe degree - the appearance of blisters, ulcers, and sometimes bleeding from the burned area.
Note! Pepper is dangerous not only in fresh form, but also in dry seasoning and in pepper plaster, since in any form it retains capsaicin.
How to remove a burning sensation in the mouth
If there is an excess of hot pepper in your mouth, and a painful burning sensation persists for a long time, then in this case it is necessary:
- First of all, eat a small piece of rye or wheat bread, which will absorb the hot oil and relieve the burning sensation in your mouth.
- Cold fermented milk products do an excellent job of this task: kefir, yogurt, fermented baked milk, sour cream and even ice cream. Or just rinse your mouth with milk from the refrigerator. This method is able to minimize the effect of the hot component of pepper on mucous areas. The main thing is that the higher the fat content of the product, the more effective the result will be.
- Alcohol is also a good way to relieve discomfort. It is most effective if it is some kind of wine. One glass is enough.
- Eating boiled vegetables with a high starch content: potatoes, corn will quickly relieve discomfort in the mouth and esophagus. In addition, boiled rice, banana, and a slice of lemon will also perfectly eliminate discomfort.
- If the pepper only gets on the tongue, then you need to prepare sugar syrup (3 teaspoons of sugar per 200 ml of water) and rinse your mouth and throat with it for 30 minutes.
After eating hot pepper, you should not drink it with water. This is due to the fact that the component capsaicin does not dissolve in water, thus, it can only worsen the condition of the “fire” in the mouth.
Treatment after first aid at home
Note! An eye burn requires mandatory therapeutic or surgical treatment.
It all depends on the severity of the damage. In inpatient settings, drug treatment includes the use of the following drugs:
- Painkillers. In this case, analgesics taken orally are often used.
- Eye wash drops . Medicines containing lidocaine are used and washed with Albucid drops.
- Steroid drugs . They help stop the inflammatory process. Used from the first days after injury. Treatment with steroids should not exceed 7-10 days.
- Moisturizing drops and gels. After an injury, the victim's tear production decreases. Drops and gels help restore normal tear production.
- Ascorbic acid. It has a beneficial effect on collagen fibers and accelerates the process of regeneration of the cornea of the eye. You need to take ascorbic acid 3-4 times a day.
- Antibacterial drugs. Designed to prevent infection, topical antibiotics are used.
- blockers . Helps reduce eye pressure, thereby making the patient feel better.
Stay up to date! If drug therapy does not produce a positive result, surgical intervention is necessary.
It is carried out using one of the following methods:
- removal of the damaged part of the conjunctiva;
- transplantation of part of the conjunctiva or affected mucous membrane;
- correction of a deformed eyelid;
- keratoprosthesis;
- keratoplasty.
If for some reason the victim is unable to immediately seek medical help, eye drops based on diclofenac will help to urgently alleviate the condition.
What to do if pepper juice gets in your eyes
When preparing dishes with pepper, it often happens that after washing your hands poorly, when rubbing your eyes, the substance capsaicin gets onto the mucous membrane, or the juice accidentally splashes into your eyes, which causes severe pain and burning.
It is very difficult to find special eye drops for such cases in your home medicine cabinet. Therefore, there are several traditional and effective methods to neutralize capsaicin and eliminate unpleasant sensations:
- It is necessary to steep the tea bag or tea leaves for 5 minutes to ensure a strong solution. Wipe the eye with a generously moistened cotton swab towards the inner corner of the eye.
- Using the same principle, you can prepare a tincture of chamomile or calendula. Pour into a large bowl so that you can put your head in there; your eye should be immersed in the prepared solution. You must try to open your eye and blink it, and also actively roll your eyeball.
- The most effective eye wash is cow's or goat's milk. It must be instilled using a special pipette. In this case, the milk should flow back when instilled, thereby washing away the burning substance.
- Everyone in their home pharmacy probably has a drug such as furatsilin, which is very popular in ophthalmology. To do this, you need to dissolve 1 tablet of furatsilin in cooled boiled water (strain), and rinse the eyes with a sterile pipette, instilling them into the conjunctival sac (or organize an eye bath). It’s even better if it’s injectable furatsilin, which doesn’t need to be diluted with water.
- After the procedure, it is necessary to instill eye drops that have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Do not rub your eye with anything that can injure the mucous membrane. There is a high probability of a wound or scratch forming where infection can penetrate.
Symptoms of pepper getting into your eyes
It is worth noting! When an adult or child gets red or black pepper in their eyes, the problem is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- severe burning sensation;
- blurred vision;
- redness of the whites and area around the eyes;
- feeling of a veil in the eyes;
- increased tearfulness;
- unbearable pain;
- inflammation;
- itching;
- swelling.
In this case, ingestion of hot red pepper is accompanied by severe pain and burning sensation .
How to protect yourself from burning
In cases where you are preparing a dish using hot peppers, you must prepare in advance and place next to you a container with water and bleach in proportions of 5:1. In this solution, when cutting peppers, you should periodically wet your hands and rinse them with water.
In addition, the safest method to protect yourself from getting burned is to use latex gloves or plastic bags while cooking. Or you can wet your hands with vegetable oil, which will neutralize the capsaicin. Only in this way is there a high probability of avoiding burns on your hands and getting pepper juice on other parts of the body and in the eyes.
To avoid getting burned when working with pepper, you must use safety precautions. And if necessary, immediately use the above traditional remedies to eliminate the symptoms of burning and burns. If pain, discomfort, burning in the eyes and body persists after the procedures, you should definitely contact a medical specialist for specialized care.
Diagnostics
A specialist in the field of dermatology will determine the cause of the symptom; if necessary, doctors of other specialties will be involved in the examination. The dermatologist conducts a visual examination of the areas of the skin where the patient feels a burning sensation, after which he takes material for laboratory tests. Diagnostic search includes the following research methods:
- Dermatoscopy.
Under a microscope, the doctor examines the structures of the skin and identifies the initial stages of pathological changes. This is a simple and non-invasive method, which is indicated if the patient has a burning sensation in the area of new growths or suspiciously changed areas of the skin. - Luminescent diagnostics.
Inspection of the affected area using a Wood's paw allows you to quickly confirm ringworm, pityriasis versicolor, and erythrasma. The technique is used for rapid diagnosis of pseudomonas infection and acne. - Scraping examination.
The upper layer of the epidermis from the affected area is taken for microscopic examination. This method is informative in the diagnosis of fungal and bacterial infections. If a dermatologist needs to clarify the nature of the pathological process, a histological examination of a skin biopsy is prescribed. - Blood tests
. A clinical test is performed to detect signs of inflammatory or autoimmune diseases. An increase in eosinophils in the hemogram indicates the allergic nature of the burning sensation. To assess the activity of dermatological diseases, a biochemical analysis with acute phase indicators and a proteinogram is prescribed.
During the period of remission of allergic dermatoses, prick tests are recommended to determine provoking factors and select ASIT. If there is a burning sensation in the lower extremities in elderly patients, duplex scanning of the peripheral arteries and arteriography must be performed. If complaints of burning skin are combined with inappropriate behavior of the patient, a psychiatric examination is prescribed.
Dressing for skin burns
Adviсe
- Adding sugary ingredients to your hot pepper dish (such as grated carrots, fried onions, etc.) will help reduce the heat, but the dish will still be spicy, although you won't feel it right away.
- Over time, the burning sensation should go away on its own.
- You can eat a couple of pieces of bread.
- Tomato juice or ketchup are also good options.
- Eat a saltine cracker before you drink sugar water. Salt tends to absorb water and oil, helping to reduce the burning sensation.
First aid
First aid measures relieve the acute symptoms of a chili pepper burn and reduce the likelihood of complications, but do not treat the injury itself. Therefore, if the burn was severe, after first aid you should consult a doctor to prescribe treatment.
Depending on which part of the body is affected, the method of relieving symptoms will differ. If your skin is burned:
- It is recommended to wash the damaged area with cold water for at least 15 minutes, but do not use soap, as this will worsen the situation, because alkali only neutralizes acids, not caustic essential oils;
- if water has no effect, the burn should be treated with a soda solution with ice, in which the hand is placed for 10 minutes (soda neutralizes capsaicin well);
- salt can cleanse the skin of pepper that has ingrained itself into it, for which you should pour it onto the damaged area and moisten it a little with water for even distribution (hold for no longer than 5 minutes);
- after treating with salt, the skin should be washed with milk, since it removes particles of caustic ether;
- Olive oil also dissolves the pungent substances of pepper and prevents them from penetrating deeper into the skin, so the affected area should be rubbed with it for about a minute, and then rinsed with warm water;
- weak vinegar essence can stop the burning reaction caused by chili peppers, as can citric acid - they also treat the burn.
If the mucous membrane of the mouth or throat is damaged, it is recommended to rinse your mouth with cold water until the burning sensation goes away, and then drink milk. In this case, by the way, any dairy products will help: yogurt, ice cream, etc.
Photo 2. Milk can eliminate the caustic effects of pepper. Source: Flickr (GummyPiglet)
And since starch dissolves capsaicin, it also helps with pepper burns. In this case, you can eat some pure starch, or potatoes, bread or rice.
Note! Under no circumstances should you touch your eyes, lips, or skin near them with hands that touched the pepper, because the burn on the mucous membranes will be felt even stronger and will cause much more harm.
