Please call 911 immediately if you are having chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding, sudden weakness or numbness, or if you think you have a medical emergency.
Sunburn Treatment
Self-Care at Home
Home care starts before a sunburn. If you are prepared before going out in the sun, you probably won't need these tips and techniques.
- Immediate self-care is aimed at stopping the UV radiation.
- Get out of the sun
- Cover exposed skin
- Get out of the tanning bed
- Get out of the sun
- Relief of the discomfort becomes important.
- Medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen , and naproxen are useful,
especially when started early.
- For mild sunburn, cool compresses with equal parts of milk and water may
suffice. You may also use cold compresses with Burow solution. You can buy this
at a drugstore. Dissolve 1 packet in 1 pint of water. Soak gauze or a soft
clean cloth in it. Gently wring out the cloth and apply to the sunburned area
for 15-20 minutes. Change or refresh the cloth and solution every 2-3
hours.
- Anyone raised in a beach community knows the secret of aloe-based lotions.
There are many commercially available types. Ask the pharmacist at your local
drugstore. Tearing apart your aloe plant in the yard and applying the cool
jellylike substance inside the leaves is no longer necessary.
- Cool (not ice cold) baths may help. Avoid bath salts, oils, and perfumes
because these may produce sensitivity reactions. Avoid scrubbing the skin or
shaving the skin. Use soft towels to gently dry yourself. Don't rub. Use a
light, fragrance-free skin moisturizer.
- Avoid lotions that contain topical anesthetic medications because you can
become sensitized and then allergic to that medicine.
- Obviously, stay out of the sun while you are sunburned.
- Medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen , and naproxen are useful,
especially when started early.
Medical Treatment
Silver sulfadiazine (1% cream, Thermazene) can be used for treatment of sunburn with appropriate cautions about use on the face.
- If your case is mild and not life threatening, the doctor may simply suggest plenty of fluids, aspirin, or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs).
- Additional topical measures such as cool compresses, Burow solution soaks, or high-quality moisturizing creams and lotions may be prescribed.
- If your case is severe enough (sun poisoning), oral steroid therapy (cortisone like medications) may be prescribed for several days. Steroid creams placed on the skin show minimal to no benefit.
- Stronger pain-relieving medication may be prescribed in certain cases.
- If you have blistering, steroids may be withheld to avoid an increased risk of infection. If you are dehydrated or suffering from heat stress , IV fluids will be given, and you may be admitted to the hospital. People with very severe cases may be transferred to the hospital's burn unit.
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Reviewed on
April 30, 2007
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