If you have suffered a burn, the point is to stop the burn from getting worse. So, what you then do is apply water to the area that has been burned. Certainly, maintaining hydration is good for your health. However, if you suffered a burn on your leg (as one example) and instead of applying cold water to your leg, you drink the water, it will not do anything for the burn on your leg. What will happen is the burn on your leg actually getting worse. This is basic first aid. You suggested before that a "shit tonne" of water would amount to 2 glasses. Great. Drink the two glasses of water if you are thirsty or feeling dehydrated. But if you suffer a burn to your body? Then you need to apply water to the burn and run it continuously for 10+ minutes, or until the ambulance gets there. Do not drink water continuously for 10 minutes. That can kill you.
Proper hydration is required for efficient functioning with all aspects of homeostasis, immune response, and wound healing. This is a given; essentially, our bodies function as an aqueous solution. So, yes, it is somewhat accurate to say that drinking water will aid wound healing in response to a burn injury. However, when it comes to anything beyond minor injuries to the epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous layer or soft tissue/musculature, inflammation is a major influencing factor in wound recovery. In general, the more you can reduce the inflammation response at the site of injury, the quicker the recovery. Every sportsperson knows this: the treatment of acute injury is R.I.C.E. (Rest Ice Compression Elevation) in conjunction with pharmacological intervention with anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs. This is easily verified with any literature search. For example: Now, burns are a special case. The physiological responses to burn injuries are very complex, and treatment of severe burns is a medical speciality. Having said that, recovery from minor burns is predominantly influenced by reducing inflammation, as discussed above. Thus, application of ice and/or cold running water is the universally accepted procedure. Moderate to severe burns require significantly more medical attention. There are a large number of medical interventions that are required to prevent serious disfigurement, life-altering morbidities or death. This publication contains detailed information: Even a brief perusal of the above article lays bare the absurdity of the notion that burns can be treated solely by “drinking some water”.
