Now that summer is almost upon us, your patients and their families are likely to be spending more time outdoors.
Whether it’s backyard BBOs, a day at the beach or their kids’ soccer games, longer hours of daylight during the summer mean more time out in the sun. Unfortunately, this can also mean more chances for sunburn if they don’t take proper precautions to protect themselves from too much exposure to direct sunlight.
Fortunately, if they realize the tell-tale red stinging skin of a sunburn, there are actually a number of ways to naturally treat the symptoms, some of which they can actually find in their own kitchen pantry or fridge.
Read on to find out the ways in which sunburns from excessive sun exposure can damage they skin, as well as information to help you educate your patients on natural ways to provide them and their patients with relief from too much time in the sun.
What are the dangers from sunburns?
There are two different types of radiation that the sun puts out – ultraviolet radiation A (UVA) and ultraviolet radiation B (UVB). Each type of radiation can damage the skin in different ways. The shorter-wavelength UVB tends to damage the skin at the surface level, so is more responsible for sunburns, as well as early aging of the skin due to the sun’s drying effects. Conversely, UVA, which has longer waves, tends to damage the skin at deeper levels and is considered to be responsible for skin cancers such as melanomas.
Symptoms of sunburn
For most people, a mild sunburn usually involves just reddened skin and pain upon touch. By about a week later, the outer layer of skin will start to peel off. More severe sunburns can involve blistering and infection. If your patients complain of headaches and feeling nauseous, this could be an indication of sun poisoning.
They should immediately take a cool (not cold) shower, focusing most of the water on the top of their head. Drinking cool (again, not cold) water will also help rehydrate them.
Natural sun burn relief
Aside from using compresses soaked in ice water, there are several other natural remedies that your patients can try.
1. Bath therapies: Oatmeal baths can help reduce the itching once the skin gets to the peeling phase. Most pharmacies carry oatmeal bath preparations. A cup of apple cider vinegar added to bathwater may help balance the skin’s pH, while baking soda may reduce the redness. Avoid using soap (particularly if it has any perfumes) on sunburned skin, as it can be drying.
2. Aloe vera: There is any number of skin care products at health food stores that contain aloe vera gel. The cooling gel made from the aloe vera plant not only can reduce the stinging sensation from a sunburn, but may also help moisturize the skin once it gets to the peeling phase.
3. Black tea: Black tea bags are high in tannic acids, which can help draw out heat from sunburned skin. Mint can help even more to cool the skin. Apply teabags soaked in cold water to sunburned eyelids.
4. Witch hazel and vitamin E: Both of these are excellent anti-inflammatories that can help relieve some of the symptoms of sunburns. Furthermore, vitamin E contains antioxidants that can actually help repair damage to the skin.
Of course, you should also remind your patients to use a sunscreen with a high sun protection factor (SPF) for the next time that they will be out in direct sunlight for more than 20 minutes. A wide-brimmed hat and wrap-around sunglasses will also help protect delicate facial skin. Summer is a great time to encourage your patients to get more active outdoors, but they also need to be aware of the dangers of too much sun exposure.