There are many types of radiation, however, not all of them can affect the body. So, radio waves, luminescence, electromagnetic or gravitational radiation are not at all able to have a pronounced effect on the human body. Ultraviolet and radioactive rays are capable of leading to the development of pathological reactions and, in particular, to burns. At the same time, the latter are able to cause not only local, but also general reactions called radiation sickness.

Photo 1. The sun is a source of dangerous ultraviolet radiation. Source: Flickr (Jannelle).

What are radiation burns

If thermal burns occur when tissues come into direct contact with a source high temperature, then direct contact with radiation sources is not required for the development of radiation burns. physical factor with ultraviolet and radioactive emissions influences, as a rule, for a relatively long period time, gradually causing burn lesions.

Note! Human skin is gradually exposed to ultraviolet or ionizing rays, as a result of which cell destruction occurs in it. At the same time, the external resemblance to thermal burns reactions and pathological processes occurring in the epithelium served as the basis for calling such injuries radiation burns.

Causes of radiation burns

Human skin is daily exposed to ultraviolet radiation and natural radiation, however, the strength of these factors is so insignificant that it cannot lead to any disturbances.

A burn injury develops when exposure and exposure to radiation exceeds natural norms.

With the development radiation sickness powerful detoxification therapy, prevention of dehydration and control of the main symptoms(anemia, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, etc.). From 2 to 3 days of treatment, antibiotic therapy begins.

Surgical intervention

At sunburn surgical intervention held in exceptional cases. This is usually required for the development infectious complications. The inflamed areas of the skin are removed, followed by tension or transplantation.

During the treatment of radiation sickness, you may need:

Massive blood transfusion;
Hemodialysis and plasmapheresis to detoxify the body;
Bone marrow transplantation.

rehabilitation period

After ultraviolet burns, complete healing takes place within 7-14 days, even with total absence treatment. Through 1 - 1.5 months areas of hypopigmentation completely disappear.

Note! Recovery from burns associated with ionizing injury can take anywhere from one week to four months. However, the long-term consequences malignant neoplasms skin can develop over the next 10 to 15 years or more.

Prevention

To avoid UV burns necessary:

The first sessions of sun exposure should not exceed 10 minutes at a time and 30 minutes throughout the day;
During tanning, it is necessary to use special creams that reduce the intensity of exposure to ultraviolet radiation;
If the skin already has any manifestations of the lesion, sun exposure should be stopped for 1 to 2 days.

To prevent radiation burns it is necessary to use personal protective equipment and minimize the time of work with a source of ionizing radiation.

When performing radiation diagnostics or therapy, one should strictly adhere to the rules of work and behavior.

- skin reaction to radiation, reminiscent of a sunburn.

After the course radiotherapy the skin becomes more sensitive, less resistant to mechanical stress; in more serious cases, blisters may form, which, when opened, expose the painful area.

Burns after radiation therapy do not occur immediately, can be of varying severity and have serious complications.

Like conventional thermal skin injuries, burns after radiation therapy can have 4 degrees of severity.

A first-degree burn is the lightest. In addition to redness, there is dryness of the upper layer of the skin, which eventually begins to peel off and fall off. They say about the second degree of damage if severe swelling is observed on the skin area after radiation therapy, and the burn area becomes wet.

The third stage of irradiation is characterized by the appearance of dead skin areas and the appearance of ulcerative rashes. The fourth stage of irradiation is the most dangerous and painful. They talk about it when charred areas of the skin appear, with the complete destruction of all glands. The patient's body becomes covered with blisters and he experiences severe pain.

Usually, 1st and 2nd degree burns after radiation therapy resolve on their own, and patients with 3rd and 4th degree burns need urgent hospitalization. However, it is quite difficult for an ordinary person to independently distinguish minor skin damage from deep damage caused by radiation, therefore, if even small signs of a burn appear, it is necessary to seek the advice of a specialist. It is known that burns after a course of radiotherapy do not appear immediately and, as a rule, simultaneously in several places - this distinguishes them from thermal damage to the skin.

The body of different patients reacts differently to radiation therapy. The reaction depends on the type of skin - if a person burns easily in the sun, then there is a high probability that he will get a severe burn even after exposure to low intensity. The effects of exposure to radiation may be more serious in immunocompromised people and those suffering from diabetes. The patient's condition may worsen the course that he underwent before radiation therapy. In any case, burns after radiotherapy should be considered as side effect from treatment, which will definitely pass if you seek help in time and start properly caring for the affected skin.

First health care It consists in the fact that wet wipes soaked in a disinfectant solution are applied to the damaged areas of the skin.

Treatment of burns after radiation therapy is a long and complicated process.

Patients are assigned plentiful drink, a course of treatment with special ointments, balms and gels.

Today, there are many effective balms and ointments (as a rule, they include aloe vera or sea buckthorn oil), contributing to the disappearance of redness, reducing burning and itching. To accelerate the healing of burns and eliminate discomfort Shostakovsky's balm (vinylin) can be used. With stronger reactions of the body, Tenon ointment can be used. You can use any ointment only after consulting a doctor.

Usually, over time, the burn passes, and the skin is gradually restored. If the burn does not go away for a long time (more than 3 months), more serious medical attention is required, for which you need to contact an institution that specializes in the treatment of such injuries.

The use of herbal medicine and traditional medicine

Phytotherapy can help the body cope with burns after radiation therapy and recover faster. You need to understand that the treatment of burns with folk remedies cannot completely replace the usual ones. medical measures. With severe burns, you should not try to self-medicate at all. Phytotherapy can help at home, when the area and depth of the lesion is small. The inclusion of phytotherapeutic procedures in the schemes for the prevention and treatment of complications after radiation therapy can alleviate the pain and suffering of the patient, help him recover from the treatment and improve the prognosis.

Use of sea buckthorn oil

When treating burns different origin, including radiation burns resulting from irradiation, sea buckthorn oil is very effective.

The value of sea buckthorn oil lies in the fact that it contains active ingredients that act on the affected tissue cells and have strong healing properties.

Due to this, the process of regeneration of the affected tissue area is faster, and the painful syndrome is significantly reduced.

There is different ways the use of sea buckthorn oil for burns after radiation therapy. Most often, gauze bandages are used, which are impregnated with sterile sea buckthorn oil.

Such a bandage is placed on a pre-treated area of skin with a burn and fixed with a bandage. The state of the affected area is monitored daily. In the presence of suppuration, the wound is treated again, and the bandage is changed. With the normal course of the healing process, the bandage is changed after 3 days. On the 8-10th day the bandage is removed.

There are situations when it is impossible to apply a bandage, for example, in the treatment of burns to the front of the head. In this case apply public method treatment - irrigation burn wounds. First, the procedure is done as it is absorbed, then 2 times a day for 7 days.

When radiation therapy is used to treat esophageal cancer, treatment course intake of sea buckthorn oil inside. Scheme of treatment - the agent is used orally at 0.5 tbsp. spoon 2-3 times a day preventive purposes(during irradiation) and medicinal purposes after treatment for 3 weeks.

Use of plantain and stinging nettle

Juice from fresh leaves plantain is an excellent antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, and also an anesthetic. The affected areas of the tissue are treated with the juice of the plant several times a day, lotions are made, and therapeutic dressings are applied. You can also apply fresh crumpled leaves plants. Similar application finds also the juice of nettle stinging nettle.

Using Aloe or Kalanchoe

Thanks to the special substances included in their composition - biostimulants - aloe juice (agave) and Kalanchoe juice have antiseptic and regenerating properties.

The juice has a calming effect on the affected tissues and accelerates their recovery, stimulating the restoration of new cells.

For treatment, the most developed lower and middle leaves of aloe and Kalanchoe are used. Juice from fresh leaves of plants diluted in cool boiled water in a 1:1 ratio, lubricate the affected areas every few hours.

You can apply clean napkins soaked and squeezed in the juice of plants in the form of compresses. The procedure is carried out 1-2 times a day for an hour.

You can also apply compresses from the slurry obtained by grinding plant leaves in a blender to the burnt fabrics. For burns of the oral mucosa and tongue, the juice, diluted in half with water, is used to rinse the mouth.

Created on the basis of aloe arborescens pharmacy drug Aloe liniment. In addition to aloe juice, the composition of the drug also includes castor oil and eucalyptus oil. The drug is effectively used to prevent burns received after radiation therapy. For this purpose, the product is applied 2-3 times a day. thin layer on the surface of the lesion after a session of radiation therapy and cover with a napkin. Skin lesions, as a reaction to radiation, when using the drug Liniment aloe, are milder and end with a quick recovery.

Uses of calendula

Calendula is known for its anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties. The use of plant preparations helps prevent inflammation and significantly speed up the recovery of affected tissues.

For the treatment of burns after radiation therapy, water or alcohol tincture plant flowers. Water tincture Calendula flowers are easy to prepare yourself. For this, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of dried flowers is poured with a glass of boiling water, allowed to brew for 15 minutes and filtered. The resulting tool is used to treat mild burns after radiation therapy.

Uses of black elderberry

For rinsing the mouth with burns in oral cavity apply milk broth black elderberry leaves. To prepare the product 2-3 tbsp. tablespoons of young elderberry leaves are crushed into gruel with a knife, poured with a small amount of milk and boiled over low heat for 8-10 minutes. The filtered broth is used for rinsing. The remaining gruel is used as compresses.

The use of burdock

For the treatment of shallow burns, an ointment from burdock root helps. The root of the plant is boiled in water until soft (about 40 minutes), kneaded with a fork into gruel and mixed with softened butter, adhering to the proportion 1:4. The ointment is used to lubricate the affected areas of the skin several times a day.

Burns after radiation therapy are dangerous because they do not occur immediately, they are of varying severity and have different kind complications. Only gamma radiation is dangerous, X-ray and neutron radiation burn any tissue that comes across them, but if you know how to help the patient in such a situation, you can greatly alleviate his condition.

Like simple skin areas, burns after radiation therapy have 4 degrees of severity. The first degree is the easiest, but it also forms dangerous symptoms. Apart from severe redness, there is a drying of the upper layer of the skin, which eventually begins to peel off and fall off.

If the damage to the skin after radiation therapy becomes severe swelling, and the burn area becomes moist, not dry, mark the second stage. At the third stage of irradiation, the appearance of dead skin areas and the development of ulcerative rashes are observed. The most dangerous and painful -. Its existence is indicated by charred patches of skin, complete destruction of all glands, the human body literally bubbles and swells, and all this accompanies strong pain.

As a rule, burns after radiation therapy of the first and second degree go away on their own. Third and fourth degree burns require urgent hospitalization. First aid is extremely careful, it boils down to the fact that a damp cloth is applied to the burned areas of the skin, abundantly moistened with a disinfectant solution. The patient must be sent to the hospital, where they will receive adequate therapy.

Treatment of burns after radiotherapy

Treatment of burns after medical exposure is usually quite complex. Radiation burns occur in those people who try to get rid of oncological diseases at very feeling unwell. Therefore, doctors try to stabilize their condition and help the body cope with problems on its own. skin. The patient is prescribed:

strict diet;
plentiful drink;
a course of special ointments.

Burns after radiation therapy disappear very quickly with the use of effective balms or gels, which include sea buckthorn oil or aloe vera. They reduce itching, burning, contribute to the disappearance of any redness.

A simple layman will not be able to distinguish slight damage to skin areas after irradiation from deep radiation anomalies. internal organs Therefore, if there are even minor symptoms, it is necessary to consult a specialist.

Distinguishing burns after radiation therapy from ordinary thermal defects

In both cases, the skin becomes red, pain appears, stronger burning sensation and eventually itching. But burns after radiation therapy do not appear immediately and necessarily in several places, such an etymology is their main difference from. It is noticed that the skin reacts to irradiation in different ways. If you burn badly in the sun, then most likely you will get a severe burn after exposure to even a slight intensity.

The patient's condition will worsen significantly if he underwent a course of chemotherapy before radioactive therapy. Such complications are natural, so do not panic when they appear.

Remember, burns after radiation therapy should be treated as side complication, it will surely pass with time, if you carefully care for the affected areas of the skin.

I am now undergoing a course of radiation therapy on such a beautiful device ... My attending physician and he is also the head of the radiological department is Sergey Mikhailovich Borodin, an old school doctor and a soul-man! In addition to gamma therapy, I get great psychological support from him!

Despite my vigilance, I still overlooked the beginning burn of a small area of \u200b\u200bthe skin.

One of serious consequences radiotherapy is a burn at the site of exposure. It is almost impossible to prevent such a burn with the help of prevention. I got a burn at the very end of the course of radiation. The color of the skin changed to red, and over time the skin turned brown, began to peel off, as happens after sunbathing in the sun.

It must be remembered that each case is individual. It all depends on your skin type, the intensity of radiation you receive. If your skin is very sensitive to sunbeams and you all the timeburn in the sun , then, most likely, you cannot avoid a burn during radiation therapy. But don't worry, in time the burn will pass, and the skin will be almost the same as before.

How to deal with a burn after radiation therapy?

You can lubricate the skin with ointments against burns: Bepanten, Actovegin, Solaris cream (expensive compared to others). The most important rule: lubricate the skin in the evening rather than before and after the session;
Lubricate the skin with sea buckthorn and olive oil in relation to 1 to 3;
Shostakovsky's balm (vinylin) - externally, applied to the surface of the irradiation;
Aloe liniment ointment - reduces itching, burning, promotes rapid healing burn;
Aloe Vera: cream and drinking gel;
With strong reactions Tezan.

Once again I want to emphasize that the use of any ointments only after consultation with the doctor. Just ask a question: I'm going to smear the burn with such and such an ointment. Will it do me good and not harm?

Gain strength and patience. As a rule, over time, the burn passes, and the skin is restored.But if you do not improve, and the burn does not go away for a long time (three months after radiotherapy), then radiation damage which must be treated. Contact a facility that specializes in radiation injury treatment.

Radiation burns (radiation) are damage to the skin by light or ion irradiation, reminiscent in structure of burns received from the sun. These injuries may be caused by beam methods treatment, accident nuclear installations, x-ray diagnostics and radioactive fallout. A radiation burn differs from it, first of all, in its delayed manifestation. This means that a person will not be able to immediately detect the consequences of a procedure or incident.

Degrees

Radiation skin lesions are of four degrees of severity:

1 degree. Burns appear about two weeks after a small dose of radiation and are the least dangerous. Damage from this degree is insignificant and is expressed in the form of slight redness, the effect of epilation and exfoliation of the upper layers of the skin.
2 degree. Symptoms of such a burn appear less than 2 weeks after exposure to moderate doses of radiation. This degree can be characterized by the appearance of blisters, extensive redness, secondary erythema, and in some cases accompanied by pain.
3 degree. The onset of symptoms occurs from 3 to 6 days and is accompanied by the appearance of hard-healing ulcers, erosions, skin edema and blisters, followed by necrosis.
4 degree. A radiation burn of this type is considered the most severe and dangerous. They appear almost immediately after negative impact on the skin and is expressed by the defeat of the upper ball of the skin, muscles, the occurrence of ulcers and necrotic processes.

From the second to the fourth degree, in addition to the above symptoms, fever, regional lymphadenitis and leukocytosis may also be added.

Symptoms

Symptoms vary for each severity.

With mild severity, there is a slight burning sensation, itching, the skin begins to peel off, slight swelling occurs, dark spots and baldness of the injured area is possible.
Moderate severity is characterized by the appearance of blisters, nausea, headache, secondary erythema, weakness and lethargy.
Severe radiation burns combine the appearance of edema, painful erythema of erosions and ulcers, which are accompanied by fever and high leukocytosis.

The most serious degree, which is usually called extremely severe, combines many of the symptoms listed above and, in addition, is famous for the manifestation of necrosis of the upper ball of skin and muscles.

Diagnosis

The doctor first of all pays attention to the occurrence of erythema, since at some stages it appears immediately, and quickly passes. Next, the doctor asks about the symptoms. If radiation burns were caused by therapy, then materials rise medical card to determine the power of radiation, the frequency of its implementation and the state of health in general.

Such burns are often accompanied by problems with the endocrine and cardiovascular system. In order to determine whether violations have occurred in these areas, detailed medical research and advice from specialists in this kind of activity.

First aid

First aid for radiation burns is performed by applying napkins soaked in a disinfected solution to the affected area. In the period up to 10 hours from the moment of exposure, the affected areas of the body are washed with soapy water. It is advisable to apply a children's ointment to the damaged area. As soon as the opportunity arises, they perform a complete sanitization in medical institution, as well as administer painkillers and anti-tetanus serum.

Treatment

First and second degree burns do not require medical treatment. Rehabilitation of damaged areas of the skin proceeds independently. It is also recommended, for acceleration, to adhere to a salt-free, high-calorie diet, use folk remedies, which help accelerated skin regeneration, preferably with aloe and sea buckthorn extracts, as well as additional gels and balms that eliminate not only damage, but also burning, itching, etc.

The skin of the injured area is rewound with a bandage previously moistened with antiseptic solution, this method is used to eliminate inflammatory process. If an infection enters the wound, the doctor prescribes a course of antibiotics and sulfonamides. If the victim has severe pain, then analgesics are prescribed. All period drug treatment must be accompanied by the intake of vitamins.

If methods conservative treatment if the problem cannot be fixed, then surgical intervention comes to the rescue. This method of treatment may be necessary even with a burn. medium degree gravity. During internal treatment radiation burn the area affected by necrosis is removed.

Prevention

Radiation burns during therapy are almost impossible to ignore, but there are several recommendations that will significantly reduce the chance of such a lesion:

the doctor who is treating you must individually, regarding the nature of your skin and body, prescribe the dose and frequency of use of ionizing radiation;
places that are exposed to radiation should be lubricated from time to time with agents that promote effective healing of body parts. It is recommended to perform such procedures at night.

Possible Complications

Complications can be caused not only with the help of a radiation burn, but from the radiation therapy itself. After the person may feel worse general condition, and most dangerous consequences is the infection of injured areas and possible appearance bleeding. If severe injuries were received, then the condition of the entire human body worsens significantly and the largest number harm goes to the organ that was closest to the site of exposure.

Do not self-medicate. Once you discovered similar symptoms- contact the experts. If the therapist puts correct diagnosis and appoint effective treatment, then the recovery period will be much less than with self-treatment, and the risk of complications will significantly decrease.