The Symptoms of a Sun Allergy

Many people suffer from some sort of sun allergy. Symptoms can be relatively minor, usually presenting as a minor rash that can be itchy—some people call it “prickly heat.” However, others suffer different symptoms, which can affect the way they live their lives. Some people develop hives that can blister and spread, even to areas that weren’t directly exposed to the sun.

It is unclear what causes sun allergy and why some people react differently than others. Young children and babies are particularly vulnerable; welts can occur that seem to cover an entire area forming a ring around the arms or legs. What starts out looking like an irritated mosquito or insect bite can quickly swell to alarming proportions.

In addition, there is a syndrome known as “sun drunk” which affects some children who suffer from a sun allergy. In some cases, a child may come in from playing outside and stumble, lose balance, or otherwise display suggestions that something is just not right; hence, causing the term “drunk.” Many come in with glazed eyes and sometimes fall asleep quickly. Once out of the sun, given time to “recover,” (sometimes as soon as 30 minutes), there may not be any other lasting effects.

There are various types of conditions under the title of sun allergy.

These include polymorphous light eruption (PMLE), actinic prurigo (hereditary PMLE), and photo allergic eruption. Solar urticaria is a rarer sun allergy that generally affects women; it produces large, itchy, red bumps or hives. While it is a rarer form of sun allergy, it is far more common than may be thought.

PMLE is a sun allergy that produces an itchy rash and is quite common, and hereditary PMLE occurs in people with an American Indian background. Photo allergic eruption is a sun allergy that sometimes takes a while to diagnose and occurs when sunlight has a reaction with a chemical on or in the body, such as sunscreen, lipstick, medication, etc. It is important to know whether any medication you are taking can have an adverse reaction to the sun. If in question, ask your pharmacist.

To prevent or lessen possible sun allergy symptoms, it is imperative to use a sunscreen of SPF 15 or greater. For children or others with solar urticaria, it is more advisable to use SPF 45 . In addition, sunscreen must be applied liberally and often. Whether or not someone has a known sun allergy, sunscreen should be applied all over including the lips.

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