Solar Uticaria: Sun Allergy

People can be allergic to a lot of things: dogs, dust, mold, pollens, milk, wheat, and the list goes on. We are familiar with most of these allergies even if we don't suffer from them ourselves. There is one allergy that most people are not familiar with, however: solar uticaria, a sun allergy.

My experience with sun allergy began when I was about 30. I have always burned easily in the sun, and I had my share of nasty burns as a child. When I reached adulthood, I took better care to stay indoors during the afternoons when it was really warm outside, and if I had to be out for more than an hour or so, I would use sunscreen.

One day, after going for a walk in the cooler hours of the morning, I noticed my arms starting to itch. Before long, red welts began to appear. At first I thought if might be the start of a sunburn, but I could tell before long that it wasn't. I have a penicillin allergy, so I was aware that these bumps were hives, but I couldn't imagine what might have caused them. The hives only appeared on my arms at first.

Through the next couple months, the hives returned more often and seemingly with more intensity. They started to appear on my upper chest. I was mystified about the reason for them; the only factor that was the same each time was that I had been outside. As ridiculous as it sounded, I decided to type "sun allergy" into a search engine to see what came up.

It turned out that a lot of people had the same experience I did, and the consensus was that there was indeed such a thing as a sun allergy. The cause of sun allergy is largely unknown. Certain antibiotics or illnesses seem to initiate the problem in some people, but others can't be traced to such a trigger.

As you can imagine, having solar uticaria can be rather debilitating. What seem like logical solutions don't usually work: wearing thin long sleeves, using regular sunscreen, avoiding the afternoon sun. There are some suggestions to help those with a sun allergy cope and have some semblance of a normal life.

• For one, a stronger sunscreen may prevent the hives from the sun allergy. Something as strong as you can find, at least over 70 SPF, has been helpful for some.

• Some antihistamines seem to be helpful, particularly loratadine (Claritin, Alavert) since it doesn't cause drowsiness.

• Sometimes a doctor will prescribe an immunosuppressant. The solar uticaria is an over-reaction of the immune system, so these medications may help, although the side effects can be difficult to cope with.

• The best method seems to be phototherapy performed by a dermatologist. The therapy can desensitize the skin so the hives no longer appear.

I have used a sunscreen that is 80 SPF, and it was helpful for very short periods in the sun, but any exposure over about 30 minutes left me with the hives again. I have tried using the antihistamines for the solar uticaria, and while I have not found them effective yet, I am not willing to give up yet. I simply cannot afford the trips and treatment a dermatologist would provide, so I can't speak from personal experience about this type of medical treatment for solar uticaria, but it does seem to be the treatment with the best results.

So in the meantime, I avoid going outside without heavy cover, which makes any trek outside in the summer unbearable. I even put sunscreen on when I go out to move the water on the lawn. But there does seem to be hope for those who have a sun allergy and can afford the treatment a dermatologist can provide. If you feel you may have solar uticaria, visit a doctor to get an official diagnosis and see if you can get relief from this debilitating sun allergy.

References:Dr. Robert Sarkany. "Sunlight sensitivity and sunlight allergies: what should I do?" sunallergy.org.Mayo Clinic. "Sun allergy." Cnn.com.Wikipedia. "Solar Uticaria." Wikipedia.org.