Burned My Hand with Boiling Water
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (121604)
Gainesville, Florida
May 8, 2024 5:10pm CST
I boiled some water this evening as I was preparing dinner, but I realized I put too much water in the pot to heat up. So after the water was done boiling, I went to pour some of it out in the sink and ended up spilling a bunch of it over my left hand, burning it quite good. Thankfully, no blisters as of yet, but my hand hurts like hell. Which made me think, I'm sure glad I wasn't a medieval soldier storming a castle and trying to scale the castle walls while the defenders poured large cauldrons of boiling water over the sides of the castle walls. Getting your full body drenched with boiling water sure would ruin your day! I guess dealing with a burned hand isn't quite so bad when compared to those medieval soldiers who got their entire bodies burned!
Anyway, I've been running some cool water on my hand for a few minutes to help with the burning pain. What are some remedies you use to treat burns?
24 people like this
24 responses
@MarieCoyle (37569)
•
9 May
Put ice in a ziplock. Wrap the ziplocbin a clean lightweight towel. Feels soooo good on burns. I’m sorry that happened. I know it really hurts!
4 people like this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 May
Running it under cold water for a few minutes really helped, but I am definitely going to try the ice. The pain is mostly gone away, but my entire hand is bright red! It will probably annoy me later tonight when I'm trying to sleep.
3 people like this
@MarieCoyle (37569)
•
9 May
@moffittjc
The doctor told me once ice is ok if you keep it wrapped in a lightweight towel. He was correct, it’s the only way for me.
You could try whining and moaning and maybe the women in your life will bring you drinks and treats!! 
3 people like this
@lovebuglena (44544)
• Staten Island, New York
9 May
Ouch! Sorry can’t help. I was gonna suggest ice but not sure if that’s a good idea or not. Hope the pain goes away and there are no marks.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 May
@lovebuglena My hand seems back to normal now. I've been rubbing aloe on it every day from the aloe plants in my backyard.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 May
My hand is still bright red, but other than that no blisters or no other visible marks. The pain is not too bad right now, but it is definitely still there to some extent. I just hope it doesn't keep me awake all night tonight.
2 people like this
@lovebuglena (44544)
• Staten Island, New York
9 May
@moffittjc good that the pain is not as intense. I hope the redness goes away.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (180805)
• United States
8 May
Ouch that had to have hurt! Cool water is best..unless you have some aloe or something.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 May
I ran my hand under cool water for about 10 minutes. It really did help it feel better (or less bad), but my hand still throbs a little. I just hope it doesn't keep me up all night when I'm trying to sleep.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
11 May
@snowy22315 I took some Advil before bed and that seemed to help. Or maybe it was Tylenol. Either way, it helped.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (50979)
• Canada
8 May
I'm so sorry that you got badly burned Jeff.
I always wrap my hand in a cold cloth with some ice inside of it and hold it that way for quite a while.
I remember when I was hospitalized when I was 11 at the Children's Hospital here in London.
There was a 4 year old girl who was crawling into the basement window and the ankle strapping on her snowpants caught on something on the hot water heater and it caused it to spray her with scalding water. That was in the winter time, and we were patients in July, and she was still suffering and getting skin grafts.
The water got into her snowsuit and boiled her and she had huge wilts over most of her body.
She was unable to walk and used to move about on her tummy on a little surf board which was on wheels.
The nurses used to put her meal tray on the floor and she would eat it like that.
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (50979)
• Canada
9 May
@moffittjc That was sweet of you to do.
That little girl that I remember from the hospital would never walk again, I would imagine that she had a pretty short life, her prognosis wasn't good then, and even as a child myself, I knew that.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 May
That's horrible. Poor little girl. I hope she ended up being okay in the long run, although she probably has extensive scarring.
When I was in college, I saw a newspaper article about a boy who was pouring gasoline into his go-kart, and it somehow caught on fire and the gas can exploded, burning over 80% of his body. At the time, I was the philanthropy chairman of my fraternity at the university, and I rushed into action to set up a fundraiser to help with the boy's medical bills. We ended up raising quite a bit of money, but obviously it was probably only a small dent in the budget compared to what the overall bills probably were for all his burn treatment.
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (106361)
• Marion, Ohio
8 May
If you have aloe vera plants break off a piece and rub the juice on your hand
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (106361)
• Marion, Ohio
9 May
@moffittjc I thought you said you did. They help a lot
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 May
I have a backyard filled with aloe vera plants. Great idea! I would have never thought about that!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 May
@wolfgirl569 It did help! I’ve been reading about aloe and its many healthy benefits.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 May
That’s funny, because that’s exactly what I kept saying as well!
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (69824)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
9 May
That is the best thing to do for a burn. And as quickly as possible, too. Make sure the water isn't too cold or it'll damage your hand.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 May
Yeah, I ran it under cool water right away. Luckily, I was standing over the kitchen sink when I burned my hand.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (37355)
• Toccoa, Georgia
9 May
Cold water, but I remember my Mom would put butter on burns and I really thought that was the right thing to do until I heard it was an old wives tale. Have you heard that old wives tale?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 May
@LeaPea2417 It felt really soothing when I rubbed the aloe on it. I have a bunch of it growing in my yard, I’m surprised I don’t use it more often on my skin.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 May
I have heard that old wives tale, but I also know that most modern treatment advises against putting butter or any oils on a burn. I did rub aloe on it from one of my aloe plants I have growing in my backyard.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471421)
• Switzerland
9 May
I am sorry Jeff, let your hand under cold running water for at least 5 minutes, then apply Aloa Vera gel on the hand.
I was very bad at burning my hands in the oven. A few years ago I had to go to the ER, it was really bad.
I had used ice to cool the area and the doctor scolded me, cold water is good, ice is bad, an ice burn is very bad.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471421)
• Switzerland
10 May
@moffittjc I hope your hand is fine now. I have just burned a finger in the oven.
I can only blame myself, always doing everything quickly, I know I should wear the oven mittens.
I can only blame myself, always doing everything quickly, I know I should wear the oven mittens.1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 May
@LadyDuck My hand is much better today. And like you, I am always burning myself on the oven because I get in a hurry.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 May
I ran my hand under cold water for about 10 minutes, and I put aloe on it from one of my aloe plants growing in the backyard.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (79892)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
9 May
Your wish is my command, All the best and I hope it feels much better soon,
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326405#
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (79892)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
10 May
@moffittjc hope it stopped hurting and is healing
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 May
@RasmaSandra it’s not hurting anymore.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 May
Thanks, that was a good article. Thankfully, I knew to run my hand under cool water for about 10 minutes. It really did help.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 May
Most medical recommendations say not to use ice or ointments, but to run cold water over the burn. I did end up rubbing aloe on my hand from one of my aloe plants in my backyard.
1 person likes this
@noni1959 (10095)
• United States
12 May
@moffittjc I forgot to mention aloe. I grew it and had it for different uses. I remember my doctor telling me to wrap ice in a towel and hold on my hand as I drove to the ER. That was many years ago. Times changed over the years.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
15 May
@noni1959 I wonder if I can harvest my aloe and make smoothies with it?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 May
Now that’s a treatment that I haven’t heard of before! Does it really work?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 May
@just4him I wonder how that works to ease pain?
1 person likes this
@just4him (317089)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
10 May
@moffittjc Yes. I've tried it. It takes the sting out almost immediately.
@Dena91 (16634)
• United States
9 May
Sorry that you burned your hand. Easy to do when cooking. I put aloe on burns if I have some, it takes the sting out pretty fast.
When I was going to school to become an EMT, they taught us that burns are the worst injury a person can endure because of all the damage it causes to the skin, muscle, and sometime down into the joints and bones.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 May
I have a backyard full of aloe plants, and didn’t even think of that option until another myLotter commented about it. That stuff does wonders!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 May
My daughter burned her hand on the oven not too long ago. She got herself good, and it blistered pretty badly. Thankfully, I don't have any blistering that I can see, but my whole hand still hurts.
2 people like this
@popciclecold (38765)
• United States
9 May
Hate that happened. I know it did hurt. Ice and a towel. Feel better soon
1 person likes this
@popciclecold (38765)
• United States
11 May
@moffittjc Glad to know it. You be careful cooking.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 May
I think I got really lucky, as it is now two days later and my hand seems back to normal. And thankfully no blistering or peeling.
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 May
It wasn’t pleasant for the few hours immediately after, but running it under cold water for 10 minutes and taking some pain relief medicine helped. Thankfully, the hand feels much better now.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 May
I almost can’t even tell I burned it. It’s still a little painful to the touch (like a sunburn), but other than that it’s good
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (50256)
• United States
11 May
I hope that it is healing well. I know that hurt terribly.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
14 May
It did heal quickly, and there was no blistering or peeling skin. I think the aloe plant really helped
@Marilynda1225 (82789)
• United States
10 May
I'm sure that hurts like heck and that the cool water helped and no blisters appeared. I've burned myself many times and haven't ever thought of storming a castle and having boiling water dumped on me 
but now that you mention it.....
but now that you mention it.....1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 May
My brain thinks of the weirdest things at the weirdest times! Haha
1 person likes this
@jefferson126 (3268)
• Shenzhen, China
9 May
Put some pieces of ice cube on your burned hand,the ice can suppress pain..I had such burned experiences before,totally understand your pain.take care.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 May
I did end up using an ice pack last night, which definitely helped.
1 person likes this
@jefferson126 (3268)
• Shenzhen, China
10 May
@moffittjc ,Thus lots of family always save ice in Fridge,sometimes,these ice are helpful to fix unexpected problems.
1 person likes this
@Ghostlady (1309)
• United States
11 May
I keep 100% Aloe Gel in my Frig as I am an accident waiting to happen. I have 2 kinds Green Bottle...Clear Tube.Had the same thing happen to me about 2 weeks ago...never blistered. Used to have an Aloe Plant, but I am a Plant Serial Killer. Even Cacti run when they see me. Hope your hand doesn't blister.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121604)
• Gainesville, Florida
11 May
I planted one aloe plant in my backyard about 4-5 years ago, and now it's spread like crazy. There's probably 20 or more huge aloe plants there now. I never think about using the aloe from the plants, but I should since it has healing powers and is a healthy alternative to other medicines.
1 person likes this
