| Sunburn | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A sunburned neck | |
| Specialty | Dermatology |
| Symptoms | Initial: Red, hot, tender skin[1] Later: Skin peeling[1] |
| Complications | Dehydration, infection, skin cancer, skin aging, brown spots[1] |
| Usual onset | 2 to 6 hrs after exposure[1] |
| Causes | Sun exposure, tanning salons[1] |
| Risk factors | Lighter skin, living near the equator, high elevation, between 10 am and 2 pm, clear skies, reflection from snow[1] |
| Differential diagnosis | Dermatomyositis, erysipelas, staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome, Sezary syndrome, photodermatitis[2] |
| Prevention | Avoiding the sun around midday, sunscreen, sun protective clothing[1] |
| Treatment | Pain medication (NSAIDs), moisturizer[1][2] |
| Prognosis | Usually good[2] |
| Frequency | 34% per year (USA)[2] |
A sunburn is redness and swelling of the skin from overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.[1] Onset is often 2 to 6 hours after exposure.[1] Other symptoms may include pain, warmth, and blistering.[1] After a few days skin peeling may occur.[1] Complications can include dehydration, infection, skin cancer, skin aging, and brown spots.[1]
It most commonly occurs due to Sun exposure, though can also result from other sources like tanning salons.[1] Those with lighter skin are more likely to sunburn.[1] Other risk factors include living near the equator, high elevation, between 10 am and 2 pm, clear skies, reflection from snow, and certain medications.[1][2] Medications involved may include doxycycline and HCTZ.[2] The underlying mechanism of injury involves DNA damage followed by programmed cell death.[2]
Preventive measures including avoiding the Sun around midday, sunscreen, and sun protective clothing.[1] Treatment involves pain medication such as NSAIDs and moisturizer.[1][2] A severe sunburn may required intravenous fluids such as Ringer's lactate.[2]
Sunburns affected about 34% of the population of the United States in 2015.[2] Young adults are most commonly affected.[2] Before 1820 it was believed that sunburns were due to heat.[3] Sunscreen was initially developed during World War Two.[3]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Sunburn | DermNet NZ". dermnetnz.org. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Guerra, KC; Urban, K; Crane, JS (January 2021). "Sunburn". PMID 30521258.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ a b Wang, Steven Q.; Lim, Henry W. (6 April 2016). Principles and Practice of Photoprotection. Springer. p. 339. ISBN 978-3-319-29382-0. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2021.