Home Remedies For Burns, Multitasking And How I Survived A Coffee Explosion

Last Updated on February 9, 2023 by Lori Geurin

One week ago, on a Monday, I learned an important lesson: I need to slow down and stop trying to multitask.

A friend and I were talking at church yesterday about recent studies that have shown, despite all our striving, we (the human race) don’t multitask well. (You might want to check out this article on Huffington Post, “Why Smart People Don’t Multitask”. Wish I’d read it before last Monday.)

However, this bit of wisdom never crossed my mind, until it was too late to change the course of history. I realize this may sound a bit dramatic, and I’m not usually the dramatic type. In fact, I’ve coached our kids many times to, “stay away from the drama.”

But, if you’ve ever survived a coffee explosion (or similar crazy accident that totally blindsided you) you might feel a similar sense of urgency to share your story and warn others away from a similar calamity.

Just sayin’.

What Happened And What I Learned

So here’s the play-by-play…It was an ordinary Monday morning at our house. Everyone had been hustling around, readying themselves for school and work.

I’d just driven our youngest daughter, Emma, to school and returned home to a long list of tasks I was aiming to accomplish that morning.

As I was simultaneously planning my day and cleaning up the kitchen from breakfast I put my mug of now-cold coffee in the microwave to warm it up.

This was mistake numero uno.

Lesson learned: Don’t use a microwave oven.

Microwaving your food is unhealthy anyway. Nixing the microwave has been on my list of steps to living a healthier life, but the convenience factor has always brought me back, unfortunately.

I must have pressed 2 minutes instead of my intended 1 minute to reheat my coffee and when I glanced at the microwave next I noticed my coffee was boiling up over the top of the mug.

So I stopped the microwave and took the mug out with my right hand.

I walked to the kitchen sink, picked up my plastic travel mug in my left hand and poured the boiling hot coffee into the travel mug.

Then, POOF!

The hot coffee literally made a hissing blast off sound, then exploded up out of the travel mug onto my left hand and forearm.

This was (obviously) not my finest moment, and was mistake number two.

Lesson(s) learned: Don’t pour boiling liquid into another container until it has time to cool. Don’t use plastic!

After the coffee explosion, I remembered what my Mama taught me and ran cold water over the burn for a good while (10 minutes maybe).

Once the numbing cold wore off I realized that it hurt and I should probably go to the doctor.

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

So I drove myself to the local walk-in clinic, where they prescribed a common topical burn treatment, Silvadene.

Three days, and an allergic reaction later I realized Silvadene has sulfa in it and I’m allergic to sulfa drugs (something I’d mentioned at my appointment and was written on my chart, but we won’t go into that now).

Like many of you, I’m no stranger to advocating for proper medical treatment. I normally read about anything and everything I’m prescribed before taking it because I want to be careful about what I put into my body.

Typically, I prefer natural treatments to pharmaceuticals when possible (although I acknowledge there are helpful, life-saving drugs out there), and was planning to switch to a honey-based treatment after the 3 days of Silvadene the doctor had prescribed.

I didn’t plan for an allergic reaction, but then again, who really does? But, by day 3 I was feeling pretty lousy, started studying Silvadene, and realized it was indeed a sulfa drug.

Because I’d never been burnt like this before I didn’t have a plan in place ahead of time. Otherwise, I’d like to think this could have been avoided.

But since then I’ve learned about some great natural remedies to help relieve and heal burns. I hope they help you if you ever have a burn situation as I’ve had!

Natural Home Remedies For Burns

I’m currently treating my burns by applying the following topically:

• Lavender essential oil
• Aloe Vera gel
• this raw honey-based burn treatment, Medihoney Wound Gel Ointment. I’ve experienced much more healing with it compared to the Silvadene.

Also, I’m making sure to eat plenty of healthy, whole foods, citrus fruits, and foods rich in Vitamin C, bone broth, apple cider vinegar, and healthy fats to give my body the rich nourishment it needs to properly heal.

The good news is that in the future I feel better prepared to help if someone gets a burn. So please, check out these great natural remedies for relieving and treating minor burns.

Home Remedies For Burns

• Raw Honey: Honey has antibacterial, disinfectant properties. Simply spread honey on a sterile gauze bandage and apply directly to the burn.
• Cold Water: Running cold water over a burn for several minutes can help remove the heat and stop the burn from spreading. Please note, do not ever apply ice to a burn because it can restrict blood flow, which is necessary for proper healing.
• Aloe Vera: If you have an aloe vera plant, just apply a bit of the gel to the burn. Or, you can buy 100% pure aloe vera gel. For added healing benefits, you can add turmeric powder to the aloe vera gel.
• Raw Potato: Potato soothes the skin when applied to a minor burn soon after the burn occurs.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Dilute vinegar with pure water and use this solution to rinse and/or soak the burned area.
• Lavender Essential Oil: Depending on your personal preference you may or may not choose to dilute the essential oil. I apply 2 or 3 drops directly to the burned area twice daily. Lavender is great for eliminating pain and reducing the risk of scarring.
• Vitamin E: This powerful antioxidant gel can be applied topically to promote tissue repair.
• Coconut Oil and Lemon Juice: Mix a solution of these two ingredients to promote healing once the initial burn has cooled. (Please keep in mind you don’t want to apply fat, such as lard or butter to a burn because it can trap the heat in, making it worse in the long run.) This is the coconut oil we use.

Summary – Home Remedies For Burns

There are many natural treatments you can use to help relieve and heal minor burns. These include raw honey, turmeric, essential oils, aloe vera, and raw potato.

Please learn from my missteps and don’t try to multitask, especially when you’re holding a cup of boiling hot coffee in your hands.

What natural treatments have you used for burns? What’s your opinion about multitasking?

Please share your comments below. I love hearing from you!

If you liked this, you’ll want to check out:

• 9 Impressive Health Benefits of Coffee
• Top 25 Healthy Food Instagram Accounts
• Healthy Food To Eat After A Workout
• Low Carb Green Smoothie Recipe
• Setting And Maintaining Your Nutritional Goals
• Top 20 Best Healthy Snacks For You

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