What is sun poisoning | Symptoms of sun poisoning | Causes of sun poisoning | Sun poisoning treatment | sunburn treatment
Sun poisoning can affect you if you are exposed to ultra violet rays from sun. Their symptoms can be mild or intense and the remedy or cure can take several days for full relief.
What is Sun Poisoning
Sun poisoning describes a variety of allergic reactions of the skin to the sun. Sunburn, sun poisoning and sun allergy are usually used to describe a hypersensitive reaction to the sun. All are known as photodermatitis in medical terms and are caused by either overexposure to sun's rays (ultraviolet UVA and UVB) alone or in combination to certain cosmetics, chemicals, plants and drugs used on the skin or taken internally which make the skin more sensitive to sun exposure.
Heat Stroke, Heat Exhaustion and Sun Poisoning
In the summer time, there are many cases of heat stroke, exhaustion and poisoning. You can prevent yourself from these and can treat and get first-aid, if you have symptoms of these.
Frequent overexposure to ultraviolet rays can develop rashes, scars, itchy skin, dry skin and premature wrinkles; and increases the risk of developing eye cataracts and macular degeneration, leading to blindness. Sunburn early in life increases the risk of developing skin cancer at a later age.
Fair-skin people are more susceptible to the allergies because they have a shortage of protective skin pigmentation. Farmers who handle foods such as celery, carrots, parsnips, figs and limes under sun are susceptible. However, sunburns and sun poisoning can happen to anyone who is exposed to sunlight.
Symptoms of Sun Poisoning
In sun poisoning, the reaction is severe and uncomfortable, while the sunburn symptoms are less intense. Most of the symptoms in both the cases are the same, except their intensity.
You will know the full extent and severity of the sun poisoning in 12 to 24 hours after sun exposure. Symptoms of sun poisoning are
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Red skin rash
- Chills
- Rapid pulse
- Rapid breathing
- Vesicles (fluid-filled, bubble-like under the skin) in severe form. The skin may become thick and dark in color.
Risk Factors, Causes & Prevention of Sun Poisoning
- Avoid sunlight. Exposure to sunlight may have the following effects:
- Phototoxic effect: exposure to the ultraviolet rays or taking chemicals or medications that make the skin more sensitive to UV light.
- Polymorphous light eruptions or PLE: exposure to sunlight results in a red rash, hives or small fluid filled bumps.
This condition usually affects People who live in the northern hemisphere can have PLE without sunburn. - Photoallergic effect: exposure to sun and taking certain chemicals or medications that make their skin allergic to sunlight.
- Wear hats, long sleeves, sun glasses and use sunscreen when in sunlight.
- Apply sunscreen every 2 hours if you are in the sun, or if you are playing sports in sun. Use zinc oxide as sunscreen at least with SPF >30. Use a lipstick that contains a sun-blocking agent.
If you are out in a cloudy day you still need to wear sunscreen because the sun rays can penetrate through the clouds.
For tanning your skin, use bronzing lotions that produce a tanned look and providing protection against sun exposure. - Certain creams, lotions, cosmetics and toiletries which contain psoralens, cortisone, coal tar, musk ambrette, methylcoumarin, psoralens or salicylic annelids or lemon oil.
- Certain perfumes with lemon oils
- Some soaps, deodorant bar soaps, detergents
- Some aftershave lotions
- Some shampoos
- Sunscreens with p-aminobenzoic acids (PABA)
- Some sunburn remedy products containing anesthetics are not good.
- Certain drugs such as tetracycline, diuretics, tranquilizers, sulfa drugs , sulfonamides, phenothiazines, birth control pills, blood pressure medications. etc. These medicines can cause a healthy person's skin to suffer a serious rash on light exposure.
- Prevention of sun poisoning is similar to sunburn prevention.