OSEA Safety Blog

Sun poisoning is just a layman’s term used to describe a bad sunburn. It can take days or weeks to heal, even when you take steps to help your sunburn heal faster.

Sun poisoning starts out exactly like a regular sunburn, only gets steadily worse. You may start feeling like you’re coming down with the flu and experience nausea, body chills, headache, fever and vomiting.

With sun poisoning, the skin can become extremely painful to the touch and develop blisters, putting you at risk for infection. If you experience any of these symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.

You can prevent your risk of sun poisoning by limiting exposure to the sun’s SUV rays. Cover any exposed skin with an SPF rating of at least 30 and reapply it frequently.

Symptoms of Sun Poisoning:

When a sunburn is severe to the point that it can be sun poisoning, a person could exhibit these symptoms:

1. Dizziness
2. Facial Swelling
3. Fever
4. Headache
5. Nausea
6. Chills
7. Dehydration
8. Skin Redness and Tightening
9. Pain

If you are exhibiting any of these symptoms get out of the sun immediately and apply aloe gel to the affected areas. Drink cool water and take anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen, if needed.

Seek medical attention if the following symptoms continue:

1. Facial Swelling
2. Fever and Chills
3. Upset Stomach
4. Headache, Confusion or Faintness
5. Signs of Dehydration

If you plan on being out in the sun, plan a head. Use sun screen and reapply every 2 hours and be sure to keep hydrated.

Sources:

https://www.webmd.com/

https://www.healthline.com/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/

https://besthealth.guide/

https://www.insider.com/