Sun Poisoning: Treatment, Symptoms and Other Information

Here in sunny, tropic Hawaii, severe sunburns and sun poisoning are relatively common. While sun poisoning can encompass sunburns, the medical term 'sun poisoning' can also be used for sun-related skin health maladies such as photodermatitis and sun allergies.

What is sun poisoning? From personal experience, sun poisoning is essentially a skin condition that occurs on skin exposed to the sun's ultra-violet rays (UVA and UVB rays).

What are sun poisoning symptoms? Sun poisoning symptoms appear after skin exposure to the sun. Symptoms of sun poisoning can appear to be sunburn (e.g. red, hot, itchy skin) in mild cases; more extreme cases of skin sun poisoning include blisters/bubbles of fluid under the exposed skin, as well as darkening and thickening of the skin.

What are the causes of sun poisoning? Sun poisoning usually occurs in individuals who have become more sensitive to the UV rays of the sun. It could be because you took a phototoxic substance. For example, some skin lightening creams make the skin more susceptible to the sun's UV rays, which can make you more sensitive to sun poisoning. You can also be more susceptible to sun poisoning if you are photoallergic (allergic to sunlight).

What is the best sun poisoning treatment? Sun poisoning is the result of exposure to the sun. Thus, the first treatment step for sun poisoning should be an avoidance of sunlight. If you are taking medications or skin creams that make you more susceptible to sunlight (e.g. creams with alpha hydroxyl acid AHA, such as in Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle cream), be sure to wear sunscreen and cover your skin with hats and clothes. To prevent sun poisoning, you should also wear sunscreen daily and avoid the sun when its UV rays are the strongest (10am to 4pm). To sooth and heal skin after sun poisoning, you can apply cooling aloe vera to heal the skin, as well as ice compresses. Your dermatologist may also recommend medicinal treatment, such as applying corticosteroid creams to decrease swelling, pain and itching.

What to do after sun poisoning: Sun poisoning is a serious skin problem. Those who experienced sun poisoning and severe sunburns should consult a dermatologist immediately for treatment options and preventative measure for future sun poisoning cases. Those who have had sun poisoning or sunburns also have heightened risks of skin cancer, such as melanoma. Thus, they should be screened regularly for signs and symptoms of skin cancer after having a case of sun poisoning.

If you have experienced sun poisoning: Consult a doctor immediately. Your individual case of sun poisoning may be nothing more than a light sunburn and the slight skin discomfort that follows. However, it is always best to consult a medical professional in all medical cases of sun poisoning. If your sun poisoning is severe, it is even more crucial to get advice from a trusted medical advisor. They should also be consulted regarding your increased chance of skin cancer after an incidence of sun poisoning.

If you do not yet have sun poisoning: If you have not yet experienced sun poisoning, you should continue to take preventative measures (as illustrated above, such as wearing high SPF sunscreen regularly) to protect and shield your skin from the damaging effects of sunlight and to ward against sun poisoning.