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Title : Facts About Sunburn
link : Facts About Sunburn

Facts About Sunburn

Sunburn is a form of radiation burn that affects living tissue, such as skin, that results from an overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, commonly from the sun. Common symptoms in humans and other animals include red or reddish skin that is hot to the touch, pain, general fatigue, and mild dizziness.

Excessive UV radiation is the leading cause of primarily non-malignant skin tumors.Sunscreen is widely agreed to prevent sunburn and some types of skin cancer. Clothing, including hats, is considered the preferred skin protection method. Moderate sun tanning without burning can also prevent subsequent sunburn, as it increases the amount of melanin, a photoprotective pigment that is the skin’s natural defense against overexposure. Importantly, both sunburn and the increase in melanin production are triggered by direct DNA damage. When the skincells’ DNA is overly damaged by UV radiation, type I cell-death is triggered and the skin is replaced.

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Signs and symptoms-

Typically, there is initial redness (erythema), followed by varying degrees of pain, proportional in severity to both the duration and intensity of exposure.

Other symptoms can include edema, itching, peeling skin, rash, nausea, fever, chills, and syncope. Also, a small amount of heat is given off from the burn, caused by the concentration of blood in the healing process, giving a warm feeling to the affected area.

Variation : Minor sunburns typically cause nothing more than slight redness and tenderness to the affected areas. In more serious cases, blistering can occur. Extreme sunburns can be painful to the point of debilitation and may require hospital care.

Duration : Sunburn can occur in less than 15 minutes, and in seconds when exposed to non-shielded welding arcs or other sources of intense ultraviolet light.After the exposure, skin may turn red in as little as 30 minutes but most often takes 2 to 6 hours. Pain is usually most extreme 6 to 48 hours after exposure. The burn continues to develop for 1 to 3 days, occasionally followed by peeling skin in 3 to 8 days. Some peeling and itching may continue for several weeks.

Skin cancer : Ultraviolet radiation causes sunburns and increases the risk of three types of skin cancer: melanoma, basal-cell carcinoma and squamous-cell carcinoma.

Causes-

Sunburn is caused by UV radiation, either from the sun or from artificial sources, such as tanning lamps, welding arcs, or ultraviolet germicidal irradiation. It is a reaction of the body to direct DNA damage from UVB light. This damage is mainly the formation of a thymine dimer. The damage is recognized by the body, which then triggers several defense mechanisms, including DNA repair to revert the damage, apoptosis and peeling to remove irreparably damaged skin cells, and increased melanin production to prevent future damage.Skin type determines the ease of sunburn. In general, people with lighter skin tone have a greater risk of sunburn. Age also affects how skin reacts to sun. The skin of children younger than six and adults older than sixty are more sensitive to sunlight

Prevention-

Skin : The most effective way to prevent sunburn is to reduce the amount of UV radiation reaching the skin. The strength of sunlight is published in many locations as a UV Index. The World Health Organization recommends to limit time in midday summer sun (between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.), to watch the UV Index, to seek shade, to wear protective clothing (including a wide-brim hat), and to use sunscreen.

Research has shown that the best sunscreen protection is achieved by application 15 to 30 minutes before exposure, followed by one reapplication 15 to 30 minutes after exposure begins. Further reapplication is necessary only after activities such as swimming, sweating, and rubbing.

Sunscreen is effective and thus recommended for preventing melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma. There is little evidence that it is effective in preventing basal cell carcinoma. Other advice to reduce rates of skin cancer includes: avoiding sunburning, wearing protective clothing, sunglasses and hats, and attempting to avoid sun exposure or periods of peak exposure. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that people between 9 and 25 years of age be advised to avoid ultraviolet light. Typical use of sunscreen does not usually result in vitamin D deficiency, but extensive usage may.

Eyes: The eyes are also sensitive to sun exposure at about the same UV wavelengths as skin; snow blindness is essentially sunburn of the cornea. Wrap-aroundsunglasses or the use by spectacle-wearers of glasses that block UV light reduce the harmful radiation.

Diet: Dietary factors influence susceptibility to sunburn, recovery from sunburn, and risk of secondary complications from sunburn. Several dietary antioxidants, including essential vitamins, have been shown to have some effectiveness for protecting against sunburn and skin damage associated with ultraviolet radiation, in both human and animal studies.There is also evidence that common foods may have some protective ability against sunburn if taken for a period before the exposure.

Treatment –

The primary measure is avoiding further exposure to the sun. The best treatment for most sunburns is time. Most sunburns heal completely within a few weeks.

Home treatments that may help the discomfort include using cool and wet cloths on the sunburned areas. Applying soothing lotions that contain aloe vera to the sunburn areas was supported by one review. Others have found aloe vera to have no effect. Aloe vera has no ability to protect people from sunburns. Another treatment includes using a moisturizer that contains soy.

Source :http://www.healthynaturalcures.org/