| Sunburn: Meaning, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
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Sunburn: Meaning, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
Sunburn is caused by excessive exposure to sun or any rays equivalent to sunrays. Anybody can get sunburn if he is exposed to sun like when a person goes to fishing, beach, works in open or moving out in bright sun. Almost everybody faces sunburn at any point of time. Sunburn causes lot of discomfort and distress.
Causes of sunburn:
Whenever there is sunburn, it is the case of skin burning due to ultraviolet (UV) radiations emitting from sun. Sunburn causes inflammation of skin. If your skin gets exposed to sun for even 30 minutes, it will start burning.
Sunburn is literally a burn on your skin. It is a burn from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The consequence of this burn is inflammation of the skin. Injury can start within 30 minutes of exposure.
Ultraviolet radiations from sun have two wavelengths; UVA and UVB. Both of these wavelengths cause premature aging of skin and sunburn. Out of two, UVB is more harmful, cancer causing. If someone is travelling towards equator and high altitude places, he can get sunburn. People with fair skin or light skin are at greater risk of sunburn. If skin is previously injured or recently exposed to sun for longer period, it is at risk of greater sunburn even if it is exposed sun for a lesser period. But this is not to say that one should completely stay away from sunlight which is essential for getting vitamin D.
Symptoms of sunburn
Sunburn is accompanied by various evident symptoms. If sunburn is mild and uncomplicated, skin gets mildly red and irritated. In very sever cases of sunburn where person is exposed to sun for longer period and is not treated for subsequently, he can suffer death too. Sunburns can be quite painful.
When skin is exposed to sun, it starts getting sunburn after 2-6 hours. Skin becomes red and irritated. After 12-24 hours, person can observe its more severe symptoms.
In extreme cases of sunburn, skin burns excessively and blisters come up. There may be small blisters or large, water-filled blisters which when burst; raw, tender, red skin is exposed underneath. Person suffering with sunburn shows symptoms like dehydration where there is great fluid loss, infection and electrolytic imbalance. There may be skin loss after 6-7 days of exposure.
When to go to doctor:
If sunburn is mild, you can treat it at home only. But if it is severe, you should see a doctor. Doctor, on examination, will tell whether it can be treated at home or you should be referred to a hospital.
If you have following condition, you should go to the emergency ward of hospital. Heavy blistering, headache, severe inflammation, pain, fainting, nausea and vomiting are such symptoms.
Treatment for Sunburn:
To get rid of sunburn, you should prepare yourself before going out in sun. Try to limit your exposure to UV radiations by wearing full sleeves cloths, always find out a shaded area.
If you have pain from sunburn, you can get relief from it by taking some medicines like Ibuprofen or aspirin. For relieving mild sunburns, prepare a cool compress by mixing equal parts of milk and water. Apply cool jelly of aloe or aloe based lotion on the sunburn for relief.
Have a bath with cold water but not ice cold water. Do not use bath salts, perfumes or oils as they may cause discomfort, when in touch of injury. Also, do not rub the skin. After bath apply mild and gentle moisturizer. While you have sunburn, do not go out in sun. Do not apply lotions, containing topical anesthetic medications.
In case of severe sunburn, doctor may prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines and cool compresses. For severe sunburns, oral steroids may be prescribed. For treating blisters and flulike symptoms, doctor will prescribe appropriate medication.
Prevention of Sunburn:
Prevention is best remedy for sunburn. For that you can follow some measures.
1 Avoid being in sun for longer period; limit your exposure to sun.
2 While in sun, wear wide-brimmed hats, long sleeves shirt and pants.
3 Always apply sunscreen lotion or cream having minimum SPF of 15. Apply sunscreen in generous amount and reapply it after being in sun for long period. Sunscreen gets reduced by sweating or swimming.
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