During the summer months it can be tempting to spend time outside soaking up the rays, but at this time of the year the sun is at its strongest and can cause severe burns.
Sunburn can be caused by over-exposure to the sun or even a sun lamp, and although the risk is greater during the summer, when the sun is stronger, it can be a danger at any time of the year, causing anything from just soreness to a life-threatening cancer.
At high altitudes sunburn can occur even on an overcast summer day, and many skiers often find themselves nursing sunburn even after a day on the piste in sub-zero temperatures.
Some medicines can cause side effects which may include severe sensitivity to sunlight, and on rare occasions sunburn can even be caused by exposure to radioactivity.
Recognition Features
Most sunburn is superficial but in severe cases, the skin can go a lobster red colour and become badly blistered, and the casualty may also be suffering from heatstroke as a result of being in the sun for too long.
Sunburn is often recognised by reddened skin, pain and soreness in the area of the burn. Later the casualty may develop blisters in the affected area, and he may suffer from dehydration as well if the blistering covers a large area. The casualty may also have a severe headache or feel faint or dizzy as a result of the dehydration. It will usually be associated with being outside in the sun for reasonably long periods of time, but can also be caused by over-exposure to a sun lamp, like the ones used in sunbeds.
Treatment
Treatment should be primarily focused on easing the pain and discomfort caused by the burn and preventing the condition from getting any worse.
As a result, the first thing to do with anyone suffering from sunburn should be to take her out of the sun or away from the sunlamp which has caused the burn. After this has been done and the casualty is sitting somewhere cool and in the shade - preferably indoors - you can start to help relieve the pain caused by the burn.
The easiest way to do this is to cool the skin by sponging it with cool water or by soaking the affected area in a cold bath or a cool shower for ten minutes.
- If you choose to use the shower, make sure the water pressure is not so high as to hurt the casualty further or cause more damage to the injured area.
- It is not advisable to place ice onto the injured area as this can cause more damage to the skin.
- If there is extensive blistering or any other skin damage you should seek medical advice and suggest the casualty sees the doctor. Do not burst blisters.
- If in doubt, get medical aid.
Advice for the Casualty
After cooling the skin, as long as there are no blisters you can suggest that the casualty applies calomine lotion or an aftersun lotion to the affected area to soothe it.
The casualty should also take sips of cold water to combat any dehydration they are experiencing as a result of the burn and / or being out in the hot sun for too long.
You should also recommend that the casualty stays out of the sun for the rest of the day where possible, and that they protect the burned part of their skin by covering it with light clothing and using a high factor sun screen when they go out.
Avoiding Sunburn
The best way to avoid getting burned is to stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm, when the sun is strongest, wear a hat, and put on sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Wearing a t-shirt in the sun is the equivelant of SPF 25, meaning you can stay in the sun 25 times longer with a t-shirt on than without before starting to burn. However, you should always make sure you use sunscreen on exposed areas, and especially on any moles as they can be more susceptible to some types on skin cancer.
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