{"id":16280,"date":"2023-08-10T18:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-10T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/sunburn-causes-symptoms-diagnosis-treatment\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T07:13:44","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T07:13:44","slug":"sunburn-causes-symptoms-diagnosis-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/sunburn-causes-symptoms-diagnosis-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunburn – Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is sunburn?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Sunburn is the damage caused to our skin due to excessive exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun. We can also get sunburn from artificial UV light sources like tanning beds. Sunburn is actually a radiation burn that damages the skin. Multiple instances of sunburns can result in skin aging as well as skin cancer.<\/span><\/p>\n

The risk of sunburn can be heavily reduced by protecting your skin against UV rays. The easiest way to do this is to wear sunscreen on a daily basis.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the types of sunburn?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Sunburns are broadly categorized into two types, depending on the severity of damage to the skin. The two types of sunburn are:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • First-degree sunburn: <\/strong>When the outer layer of the skin is damaged due to sun exposure, it is known as first-degree sunburn. This usually heals by itself within a few days or weeks.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Second-degree sunburn:<\/strong> When the inner layers of the skin get damaged due to sun exposure, it is known as second-degree sunburn. You may get blisters that take weeks to heal. This type of sunburn may require medical treatment.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    What Causes Sunburn?<\/span><\/h2>\n

    We already know the primary reason behind sunburn. Exposure of skin to the sun’s UV rays for an extended period causes it to burn, get irritated and turn red. However, things get more complicated under the skin. The sun emits three wavelengths of UV rays:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • UVA<\/span><\/li>\n
    • UVB<\/span><\/li>\n
    • UVC<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      The UVC rays don’t reach the earth. The other two rays penetrate into the skin and cause damage. The ultraviolet rays can even alter your DNA, and lead to premature aging and pigmentation, including tanning; and over time, it may even result in skin cancers, such as melanoma.<\/span><\/p>\n

      How soon your skin starts burning depends on a number of factors, including:<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      • Your skin type<\/span><\/li>\n
      • The length of time of sun exposure<\/span><\/li>\n
      • The intensity of the sun’s rays varies depending on the cloud coverage, time of the day, closeness to the equator, and altitude.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Certain medications, such as antibiotics including Bactrim and doxycycline, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), heart medications, and retinoids.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Ozone depletion, depending on the part of the world you live in.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        What are the Symptoms of Sunburn?<\/span><\/h2>\n

        The symptoms of sunburn that you experience depend primarily on the severity of the burn. The common symptoms include:<\/span><\/p>\n

        Symptoms of First-Degree Sunburn<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        • Pain or tenderness<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Redness<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Skin feels hot or tight.<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Swelling<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Blistering<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Peeling of the skin (after several days).<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Fever<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Fatigue<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Headache<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Nausea<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Symptoms of Second-Degree Sunburn<\/strong><\/p>\n

            \n
          • Extreme Redness of Skin<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Swelling and blistering over a larger area<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Pain<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Wet-looking skin<\/span><\/li>\n
          • White discoloration of the skin within the burnt area.<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Dizziness<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Confusion<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Fever<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Fast Breathing<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Exhaustion<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Headache<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Nausea<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Shivers<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Muscle Cramps <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            How to Get Relief from Sunburn?<\/span><\/h2>\n

            The treatment for sunburn involves attacking the burned areas on two different fronts. The goal is to relieve redness and soothe inflamed skin while easing the pain. The common self-treatment options that may help you get relief from sunburn include:<\/span><\/p>\n

              \n
            • Cold compress:<\/strong> Applying a cold compress to the affected part of the skin will help soothe the burn.<\/span><\/li>\n
            • Gels or creams:<\/strong> To relieve the sting caused due to the sunburn, rub gels or creams containing ingredients life aloe, camphor, and menthol to the affected areas. Aloe is one of the most popular treatments for sunburn as it is anti-inflammatory, soothes the burn, and prevents it from deepening.  <\/span><\/li>\n
            • Stay Hydrated:<\/strong> Drink lots of water along with other fluids to prevent your body from getting dehydrated.<\/span><\/li>\n
            • NSAIDs:<\/strong> Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as naproxen or ibuprofen, can help relieve the pain and swelling associated with sunburn.<\/span><\/li>\n
            • Vitamin D:<\/strong> Taking up to 200,000 IU of Vitamin D every day may help improve the damage and inflammation associated with sunburn.<\/span><\/li>\n
            • Avoid further sun exposure till you get relief from sunburn.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              Cost<\/span><\/h2>\n

              The doctors, with the help of a physical exam, diagnose the severity of sunburn. They may ask you several questions about the symptoms you are experiencing, your history of sunburn, and the UV exposure details.<\/span><\/p>\n

              If you get sunburn consistently or after minor exposure to the sunrays, your doctor may advise you to go for photo testing. This is a test that involves exposing small areas of your skin to controlled amounts of UVB and UVA rays and trying to mimic the issue. During the test, if your skin reacts to the UV rays, you may be diagnosed as photosensitive (sensitive to sunlight).<\/span><\/p>\n

              Agilus Diagnostics, a subsidiary of Fortis Healthcare Limited<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Sunburn is the damage caused to our skin due to excessive exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16760,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[204],"tags":[482,483],"class_list":["post-16280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diseases","tag-sunburn-causes","tag-sunburn-symptomos"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16280","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16280"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16280\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16759,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16280\/revisions\/16759"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16280"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16280"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16280"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}