My kids and I recently visited their old preschool to say hello and catch up with everyone. One of the teachers travels extensively and we love to hear her stories. As I asked her about her travels in summer of 2009, she revealed that her Caribbean stay was not as she has planned. Her husband came down with a serious case of sun poisoning.
"Sun poisoning?", I asked. "What is that?" I know about sunburn and heat exposure and the other damaging effects of heat and sun combined but wasn’t familiar with sun poisoning. What is it, exactly?
First, its official name is photodermatitis. What’s interesting is that it’s not exactly like sunstroke or heat exhaustion. It’s an allergic reaction of the body to the light of the sun, specifically the UV rays of the sun. A person can be affected due to medications they are on, underlying conditions like an autoimmune condition or even the kind of sunscreen used on the skin.
The rays of the sun can actually make the body toxic and recovery can be slow and extremely painful. Our former teacher told us about how swollen her husband became. His feet were unrecognizable and she first assumed he had contacted some form of elephantitis of the feet. He was unable to walk and in extreme pain. Other common signs of possible sun poisoning is sickness and nausea, and a red, painful and itchy rash or blisters on the skin is almost always present.
There is no real way to completely avoid sun poisoning because it’s an allergic reaction that can be caused by unknown factors like diet, medications (including over the counter medications), and the kind of sunscreen used. People taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be more at risk, as well as those taking antibiotics for bacterial concerns – these antibiotics are known as Tretracyclines. Look up sunscreen before applying. Sunscreens that have PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid) in their ingredients may put a person at increased risk for sun poisoning due to the ink of PABA to allergies.
Avoiding sun poisoning isn’t always possible. But there are ways to decrease the risks. Taking care to limit sun exposure if taking the medications listed above is a good idea, as is choosing a sunscreen without PABA additives (pretty easy these days since many sun screen manufacturers have eliminated PABA from their sunscreens) . Using a sun factor of 30 or above is advisable in general, but certainly a good way to decrease the risks of photodermatitis. Persons with lupus or any other kind of autoimmune condition should also be cautious about sun exposure and everyone needs to remember that UV rays are strong even on cloudy days. Wearing a broad rimmed hat will also help.
If sun poisoning is suspected, a visit to the doctor or ER is advisable. Some people recover in a couple of weeks but others, like the case of the teacher’s husband, had to take a 6-week leave of absence from work in order to get better and be able to walk again. Some cases can be very serious and we need to be aware of signs. Allergies to food or fabrics can be relatively easy to live with for many of us but the sun’s rays are not something we can avoid, no matter how we cover up. Taking precautions can not only ensure a great vacation but can also save us from a very painful and serious condition.
I’ve never had this kind of allergic reaction known as photodermatis/sun poisoning. Have you?