One of the most favourite activities for people during the summer is lying down under the sun hoping for a lovely holiday tan. And while getting a good dose of sun shine and fresh air can do wonders for your body, too much sun exposure could be dangerous.
Listed below are 5 of the most common skin issues caused by the sun that can easily be avoided by gearing yourself with sun protection in Australia.
Short Term Damage of the Skin
Did you know that standing under the sun for just 15 minutes can cause a sunburn? A sunburn is a radiation burn caused by overexposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays.
This might not be obvious immediately, as it takes two to six hours to be visible. The symptoms of a sunburn are skin reddening, blistering, pain, etc. Most of the time, you can treat sunburns easily.
Long Term Damage of the Skin
Suppose you are someone who does not get sunburnt quickly. Could overexposure to UV rays still harm your skin? Yes, absolutely!
These issues take a long time to appear, unlike sunburn that can be seen after 6 hours of sun exposure. Long term skin damage includes premature skin ageing, dryness, wrinkling, sagging, etc.
In some cases, the pigment of your skin may also appear, and this can cause skin cancer.
Heat Strokes
A heat stroke starts with minor symptoms like exhaustion, tiredness, fainting, etc. However, as it advances, the fatal signs of heatstroke begin to set in, and this might damage your internal organs, including the brain.
If proper help is not given at this stage, the effects of heatstroke could be detrimental, and the person might succumb to their death.
The effects of a heat stroke become even more severe with dehydration. Without water to regulate the body’s temperature, the core body temperature might start to reach incredibly high levels.
Listed below are the common signs of heatstroke that you need to look out for:
- A feeling of lightheadedness
- Severe headache
- Muscle cramps
- Nausea and vomiting
- Visible confusion, seizures, staggering, etc
- Shallow breathing and rapid heartbeat
Dehydration
Yet another common problem that occurs with too much sun exposure is dehydration. This usually happens when the amount of water leaving your body is greater than what you drink.
When this happens, the body becomes severely unbalanced and can even cause death. The best way to see whether or not you are dehydrated is to check the colour of your urine. If it is yellow, there is a good chance your body might be dehydrated.
Here are a few signs of dehydration
- Increased sense of thirst
- Decreased urination
- Not sweating enough
- Feeling weak and dizzy
- Dry mouth
- Heart palpitations
- Confusion and fainting
This is why drinking water while playing under the sun is essential. But, whether it is a sports drink or even water, taking a few small sips in between can keep dehydration at bay.
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Hives
Last but not least, you have hives.
Several reasons can cause hives. However, if it results from overexposure to the sun, you can refer to them as solar urticaria.
These are easy to identify as they appear as big, itchy dots on the skin and can appear after just 5 minutes under the sun. However, they typically disappear on their own after an hour or two.
People with this condition can have nausea, headaches, and vomiting. In addition, because they are difficult to diagnose, they can even be life-threatening to the individual.
The best way to protect yourself against the harsh effects of the sun is by wearing sun protection in Australia. This way, you can stay safe while having fun under the sun. However, as you can see, prolonged exposure to the sun can cause many health issues.
