Symptoms & Steps to prevent Sun Poisoning during travel

Symptoms of Sun Poisoning and what to do

If you unfortunately happen to get sunburned, drink lots of liquids. Lotions or gels with aloe vera will help alleviate the sunburned skin. Not taking proper care of your skin, especially children, could lead to sun poisoning.

Resource & Articles on Sun Poisoning

Source: Medic Direct
Sun Protection

Many people enjoy the rare opportunity to "soak up the rays". However, the warmth you can enjoy, but tanning is not a safe option! Any sun exposure enough to cause tanning will increase your risk of skin cancer and premature aging of the skin. Most skin cancers are the basal cell type, which, if caught early, are more of a nuisance than a life-threatening illness, but extreme tans and burning episodes when young are risks for developing melanoma, a frequently fatal cancer. If you insist on sun-bathing, do so slowly, with the use of protective creams. This will allow the skin to "toughen up" to further damage.

Ultraviolet Light

Ultraviolet light is the spectrum of light just above the wavelengths which our eyes can recognize. It is the wavelength that causes most of our problems. Knowing the characteristics of ultraviolet light helps to understand how it causes problems.

UVA

UVA is the spectrum of ultraviolet light nearest to that which we can see. UVA, although it constitutes most of the ultraviolet light which reaches the earth's surface, does not cause much injury to skin. It may, however, trigger an initial phase of redness in some people, and can be responsible for triggering phototoxic or photoallergic reactions associated with certain medications (see below) or illnesses such as Lupus. It may also play a large role in the photoaging process. Many (but not all) newer sunscreens protect against UVA for these reasons.

UVB

UVB, although making up only about 10% of the UV light which reaches the earth's surface, is the most important for causing burning and damage to the skin. It is filtered out by the atmosphere (especially in the ozone layer), but it is far more intense mid-day and nearer the equator (or in summer compared to winter). As you increase altitude, there is about 3% more UVB for every thousand feet elevation. UVB, as all light, reflects from certain surfaces, and this must be taken into consideration - snow and ice reflect up to three quarters of the light which hits it, and water may reflect up to 100%! This is why being out on the water on a cloudy day carries such a high risk of sunburn - the infra-red (heat-associated) wavelengths are absorbed by the clouds, but not the UVB, which is also reflected. You don't feel hot, but are being exposed to huge amounts of UVB!

UVC

UVC, although used in germicidal lamps, is of little consequence to humans due to its low energy and low penetration of skin.

Sunscreens

Physical Blockers

These consist of creams and suspensions such as zinc oxide which physically block ultraviolet light. These are usually opaque, sometimes brightly colored, and are now becoming available in a micronized form which is clear upon application.

Chemical Sunscreens

Sunscreens contain chemicals that absorb ultraviolet light at various spectrums. Sunscreens are rated by SPF, which is the relative time for developing redness after exposure to UVB of treated skin versus untreated skin - an SPF of fifteen means that for a given light condition it takes 15 times as long to develop redness with the screen as without. In essence, it blocks about 94% of the UVB. One might assume that this would be plenty, but you must consider several factors:

testing was done with more sunscreen applied than you may normally use. sunscreen may wash or sweat off - use screen in a "waterproof" carrier if you will be in the water or sweating profusely. reapply frequently, especially if getting in and out of the water a lot. Treating a Sunburn

Unfortunately, there is little you can do to reverse the damage done. It is vitally important to prevent further burning (an intuitively obvious conclusion) with clothing sufficiently heavy and sunscreens. The burning and inflammation responds best to cool soaks and anti-inflammatory analgesics such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Steroids such as prednisone may be used if a great deal of swelling or "sun poisoning" is present, but probably won't help most burns. Occasionally narcotic analgesics are needed to treat the pain.

Medications That May Cause Photosensitivity

The following medications may cause problems when in the sun. There is no way of predicting who or when, so use a sunscreen which blocks UVA if taking any of these. Others may also cause problems, check with your pharmacist.

antihistamines coal tar products ("tegrin", "denorex", etc.) oral contraceptives and oestrogen anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen, etc.) phenothiazines (major tranquilizers such as "thorazine", etc.)sulphonamides - sulpha antibiotics such as "bactrim", "septra", TMP/SMX, etc. sulphonylureas - many of the oral diabetes medications thiazide diuretics (fluid pills) some antimalarials - "fansidar" (a sulpha), chloroquine tetracycline antibiotics - including doxycycline, "minocin", etc. tricyclic antidepressants - "elavil", etc. acetazolamide ("diamox") - a diuretic used for glaucoma and to prevent altitude illness some deodorants, deodorant agents in soaps, perfumes, etc. several herbal products, especially those in the citrus, umbilliferae (celery and fennel), and St. John's wort families.

Source: http://www.medicdirect.co.uk/travel/default.ihtml?step=4&pid=193

Please take good care of yourself and your loved ones. Wear lots of sunblock and stay out the noon sun to avoid sun poisoning, a lifetime of memories is more precious than a temporary tan.

I wish you a healthy and enjoyable vacation.

NOTE: This page is intended for informational purposes only, it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your physician with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.