7 Of The Best Ways To Cure Sun Poisoning

Despite the name sun poisoning, this condition doesn’t actually mean that you’ve been poisoned by the sun.

Instead, you are suffering from severe sunburn – and you’ll no doubt be feeling its painful after-effects.

Typically caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation emitted by the sun, sunburn can take hold as quickly as 15 minutes. It inflames your skin so it becomes unbearable and induces various other unpleasant side effects.

Knowing what causes sun poisoning and how to cure it can go a long way to protecting your and your family’s health – so let’s find out more.

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What is Sun Poisoning?

Due to how similar this condition is to sunburn, it isn’t always obvious you’re suffering from this condition straight away.

Nevertheless, sun poisoning, which may also be called photodermatitis, is a relatively uncommon and unknown condition. And more worrying still, it can have long-term and serious effects if it isn’t treated properly at the time.

As mentioned previously, sunburn can occur within 15 minutes of being outside in the sun, but you might not notice this until hours later. That’s why it’s important to be vigilant of the signs and symptoms of sunburn and sun poisoning so you can act quickly. You are also more likely to suffer from sunburn if you have fair hair and light skin.

Sun Poisoning vs. Sunburn and Sun Rash

It’s also important to differentiate sun poisoning from sunburn and sun rash as these will need to be treated differently.

A sun rash (also known as an allergy to the sun) develops from sun poisoning, sun exposure, or exposure to certain outdoors plants. In some cases, it can be hereditary but will often develop into a red rash that spreads around your body becoming incredibly itchy. You may also develop small bumps which take on the appearance of hives.

These tend to occur when you’re exposed to the sun on a regular basis, hence, why you may need ongoing treatment from a specialist dermatologist. However, if the rash occurs as part of sun poisoning, this is more of an isolated occurrence and will require medical attention.

Mild sunburn can also cause swelling, pain, and redness. But this will eventually heal on its own without any long-term or serious complications. Aloe Vera, over-the-counter pain relievers, and cool baths may also help alleviate your discomfort.

Acute vs. Chronic Sun Poisoning

Sun poisoning can vary from acute to chronic. Acute is when your symptoms are temporary and mild and pass with some of the treatments we mention below. Chronic is when the symptoms are more serious and don’t disappear with treatment.

Therefore, if you believe you have sun poisoning and it isn’t easing, you should visit your doctor straight away.

How Have We Chosen These Different Ways to Cure Sun Poisoning?

To ensure you’re going to find maximum relief from those painful symptoms, we’ve trawled through professional advice and tips to locate the best and most effective treatments.

From cold compresses to rehydrating, we’ve made sure the treatments and remedies suggested are proven to work, are safe to use, and are revered by industry leaders.

The 7 Best Ways to Cure Sun Poisoning

1. Hydrate Yourself Thoroughly

Even if you think you’ve only got sunburn, hydration is crucial in helping your body recover.

Drinking plenty of water helps your body replenish those lost electrolytes (e.g. essential minerals like magnesium, phosphate, chlorine, potassium, calcium, and sodium) that carry out a number of important roles in your body.

From moving nutrients into your cells to balancing how much water there is in your system, your body needs electrolytes to function properly. So you need to replace these as quickly as possible.

In some severer cases, it may be better to drink a sports drink that’s infused with electrolytes or an over-the-counter sachet that’s designed to help with dehydration. These will help get them back into your system promptly. But if your symptoms don’t improve and you aren’t urinating, you should seek medical advice as soon as possible. You may need to visit the emergency room for intravenous (IV) fluids.

2. Take a Cold Bath

A cold bath (do not use ice) may help soothe the burning sensation and calm your skin down, while also helping ease other painful symptoms associated with sunburn.

Don’t put any product in the water, e.g. perfumes, oils, or salts, as these may irritate your skin further, causing sensitivity reactions. Also, avoid shaving or scrubbing the skin, and don’t rub your skin dry – just gently pat it with a clean, soft towel to remove any excess moisture.

3. Apply a Cool Compress

These tend to work for milder cases of sunburn, helping to soothe the skin and provide some relief from the burning.

You can create these compresses yourself using equal parts water and milk, or you may want to buy an over-the-counter compress, such as Burow, which just needs dissolving in a pint of water.

Whichever mixture you use, you’ll need to soak a soft clean cloth or gauze in it before gently wringing it out and applying to the area. Leave for 15-20 minutes, changing the solution and cloth every 2-3 hours.

4. Look After Blisters Correctly

If you do develop blisters where you’ve burned your skin, it’s important to treat these with care. As tempting as it may be, don’t pop or burst them unless they’re in a particularly painful area or are causing discomfort because they’re so big.

When left alone, the majority of blisters will break naturally. That’s why they’re best left uncovered so nothing is rubbing against or restricting them, causing you even more discomfort. If you do need to cover them to stop clothes rubbing, use a medical dressing and apply it loosely.

Once the blister breaks, keep this clean by washing regularly with water and soap. Keep cleaning any loose skin that’s left over, too, until this falls off on its own.

In the majority of cases, broken blisters will heal by themselves. But it’s always wise to use topical ointments to prevent the risk of infection.

Equally, if your blister is particularly large or you feel as though it’s aesthetically unappealing, you can break it carefully. Before piercing with a sterilized needle, clean the area thoroughly with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. Once there’s a hole, gently encourage the liquid inside the blister to come out by pushing it toward the hole.

Clean and dress the area again afterward, covering with a loose dressing. Again, use topical antibiotics to keep infections at bay.

5. Use the Right Medication

There are different medications available for various different aspects of your sun poisoning and investing in the right one will help speed up your recovery period.

The majority of medications that are designed to treat sunburn will be targeted at reducing itching, inflammation, pain, blistering, burning, and peeling. Here are some examples:

These types of medication may also help reduce those body aches and headaches that are also induced by sunburn. However, if you’re pregnant you should seek the advice of your doctor first before taking.

5. Try Home Remedies to Soothe Your Skin

If you want to have a go at treating sun poisoning naturally, there are a number of different products you can try which will help alleviate the pain and discomfort (in milder cases). These include:

These are just some of the remedies you can find at home, but you might also want to try apple cider vinegar, baking soda, an Epsom salt bath, an oatmeal bath, green tea bags (as a cold compress), or honey.

6. Visit a Dermatologist

Regardless of whether or not you’ve managed to treat your skin at home, it’s still important to seek the advice of a professional.

A dermatologist can help with all conditions relating to the skin and can properly assess how much damage your sun poisoning has caused. They will also be able to treat damaged skin on an ongoing basis, looking out for any potential signs of skin cancer (which can be increased following severe sunburn/sun poisoning).

For example, they could treat skin spotting by prescribing you with topical steroids, or may offer pain-relieving medication in severer cases. They can also use specialist techniques, such as Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), to encourage your skin to regenerate and renew itself.

7. Use a Sunless Tanner for Skin Discoloration

If your skin has discolored or has sunspots following your sun poisoning, you may become self-conscious about the appearance of your skin.

In that case, you may wish to try sunless tanner to help even out the color of your skin. Available in lotion, wipe, spray, or cream form, it can help mask any damage, giving your skin that gorgeous sun-kissed glow but without the risk of skin cancer or sun damage.

And according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, sun tanner is generally recommended over tanning booths or sunbathing for its safety.

Preventing Future Episodes of Sun Poisoning

If you’ve suffered from sun poisoning but have been lucky enough not to develop any long-term effects, you should take every step to prevent any future cases of it.

You can do this by minimizing your exposure to UV rays, wearing sunscreen every day regardless of the temperature or outlook, wearing cool cotton clothing and hats, and staying indoors from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM when the sun’s rays are at their strongest.

Ultimately, sunburn can lead to the severe complication of sun poisoning – and if you don’t treat it straight away, it can get worse. Typically, your sunburn should heal over the course of a week although it may take several weeks to disappear completely.

Using the aforementioned cures should help keep those unwanted symptoms at bay, but you should always seek medical advice, especially if you’re showing any of the severer signs of dehydration.

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