Sunburn – 1

Ultraviolet or UV rays of the sun can cause skin damage referred to as sunburn. Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light scorches the skin and causes redness and pain, followed by appearance of blisters and skin peels.
On exposure to the sun, human skin produces melanin, a pigment which protects the skin from UV rays of the sun. It is this pigment which makes the skin tan or become darker when exposed to the sun. Melanin does protect against sunburn but is not capable of preventing other forms of UV damage like skin cancer and premature skin ageing.
The risk of getting sunburns is higher in people who have less melanin. Fair skin or red-haired people or those who have not had a good amount of sun exposure have low melanin levels. One could also have a specific form of melanin which makes one more vulnerable to sunburns.
Nevertheless, any skin type can get sunburnt, even the ones with high levels of melanin. It is the long period exposure without sun protection that invariably leads to sunburns.
One must bear in mind that sunburns are not attributed just to hot weather; light getting reflected from snow, sunlight on a cool, breezy or cloudy day or sun rays while swimming, can get through one’s skin and cause sunburn.

Symptoms of sunburn

Skin damaged by sunburn appears sore, red and feels warm. It does not even cool-off with splashes of water or being in the shade. In a few days, redness does fade away and skin develops a tan. In fair people who have low melanin levels, skin might become white again. As the time progresses, skin may become flaky and finally peel-off, this is the body’s way of self protection to get rid of damaged skin cells and avoid these from becoming cancerous or multiplying uncontrollably.
All skin types can get sunburnt, even dark skin. The only difference is that dark skin can sustain exposure to sun for longer hours before developing burns, than pale skin.
The immediate signs of sunburnt skin are not quite apparent or visible or felt as it is only after 6 to 48 hours that the serious symptoms of pain start to show up.

Severe sunburn is normally coupled or associated with heatstroke as the reason with over-exposure to dry and hot sun and has the below symptoms:

• Blister-like eruptions, swelling of skin in affected areas and fever, caused due to sunburn
• Headache, nausea and giddiness, caused due to heat-stroke.
• Complications of sunburn
• Severe blisters caused by sunburns can get infected by bacteria.
• Photosensitive people or people sensitive to sunlight can get burnt quickly when exposed to small span of sun exposure. This makes it difficult for them to carry out their daily activities.
• Photokeratitis or snow blindness is another complication which is related to painful sensitivity in eyes caused by severe exposure to sunlight. Wearing sunglasses with UV filters can help prevent this.
• Prolonged and continuous exposure to UV light increases risk of skin cancer.