Sunlight may cause annoying and painful burns if a person is exposed to it without taking preventive measures. So what should you know about sunburn?

What Is a Sunburn?

Sunburn is one of the types of burns that may affect you during the summer, in particular. The skin usually suffers a sunburn when exposed to the sun for prolonged periods without taking the necessary precautions, and the cause of these burns is the harmful rays coming from the sun. 

Sunburn Symptoms

The symptoms of sunburn do not appear until several hours after exposure to the sun, and when they begin to appear, this is what you should expect:

1. Minor sunburn symptoms

Here, the matter may not be more than a slight and clear redness, which reaches a maximum within 12-24 hours after the burn injury.

2. Symptoms of severe and severe sunburn

In this case, the apparent symptoms include the following:

  • Blisters and ulcers with pus.
  • Severe pain in the affected area.
  • Severe redness of the skin.
  • Weakness and fatigue.

The skin may begin to peel off after the injury, usually within 3 days, and depending on the severity of the burns, the peeling process may continue with the patient for several weeks before the burn heals completely.

Sunburn Treatment

When exposed to sunburn, there are many things and treatments that may help relieve burns and heal quickly, and this is a list of the most important:

1. Natural recipes

There are a group of natural ingredients that greatly speed up the healing of sunburn, such as:

  • Soak the burn area with a bath of water containing a little oatmeal.
  • Essential oils: dissolve a few drops of them in water and use the mixture as a lotion for the burning area.
  • Natural aloe vera gel 
  • Boiled and mashed potato:  apply it to the burn site to speed up its healing.
  • Milk or yogurt: apply it to the skin to help relieve discomfort and itching that may be caused by sunburn.

2.Medication and other instructions

It is possible to speed up the healing process of sunburn and reduce the pain and discomfort resulting from it by following the following tips and instructions:

  • Take an over-the-counter pain reliever.
  • Drink enough water.
  • Cooling the burn area with cold water compresses.
  • Moisturizing the skin with appropriate ointments and creams.

Prevention

In order to avoid sunburn completely and reduce your chances of getting sunburn, here is a set of important preventive tips in this regard:

  1. Avoid neglecting sunscreen or wearing sunglasses every time you go out in the day.
  2. Try to cover your skin as much as possible when going out and getting exposed to the sun.
  3. Avoid direct exposure to the sun between 10 AM – 4 PM as much as possible.

When is Sunburn a Medical Emergency?

If any of the following symptoms appear, you must see a doctor immediately. Also, the child’s sunburn calls for consulting the doctor immediately without delay, regardless of the severity of the burn.

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