Sunburn First Aid Tips: Don't let the sun burn the fun!

Sunburn is caused by overexposure to harmful UV radiation from the sun. Early signs of sunburn may be apparent after just 12 minutes of continuous exposure to the sun. Vivid sunburn may be present after 30 minutes. After 60 minutes sunburn may cause redness to the exposed skin and pain when it is touched. After 2 hours, swelling and blistering along with redness and pain may be apparent. Fever, fatigue and headache may also be felt because the exposure often affects a large area of the skin.

Sunburn First Aid Tips

• To prevent further exposure and to prevent present burn from worsening, get out of the sun right away.
• Take a cool bath or shower to soothe the pain.
• Apply cold water compress to the affected area of the skin or soak sunburned area to cold water.
• Use moisturizing lotion or cream. Do not apply butter, petroleum jelly, benzocaine, or oil to any burn.
• Apply aloe gel to the affected areas of the skin to help reduce pain and inflammation.
  
  
• Leave blisters intact to speed up the natural healing process of the body. Apply antibacterial cream if they burst on their own.
• Do not wash skin with harsh soap.
• Take ibuprofen or pain relievers to reduce discomfort from pain caused by blisters. Children should not be given aspirin.
• Wear natural clothing like light cotton and silk while the burn is healing. This prevents further skin damage and skin irritation caused by harsh fabrics.

Remember that the best sunburn treatment is prevention. Avoiding overexposure to the sun and using sunscreen if direct expose to sunlight is unavoidable effectively help prevent sunburn.

Also, do not underrate the severity of the burn. Exposure to the sun can cause first and second degree burn. If you think that the burn is serious, do not hesitate to call 911 right away.

When to call emergency help?
• Burns of the face and neck cause difficulties in breathing.
• Swelling cause restriction in blood circulation.
• Swollen feet and hands turn tingly, numb, cold, blue or "fall asleep".
• Pain is unbearable or if it persists for several days.
• There are signs of heat exhaustion, dehydration, shock, or other serious reaction including (but not limited to) fever, chills, nausea, extreme thirst, cool skin, rapid pulse, dizziness, fainting, and painful blisters.