Treating Your Sunburn

The warm weather is upon us and while it can be a lot of fun to keep the entire family out in the sun, enjoying the weather for the entire day this can also be a dangerous practice and if you are not careful with your sunscreen application then you might find that one or more of the individuals in your party winds up with a painful sunburn from the sun’s harsh rays.  While this may not be ideal it is important to know what to do if you or a loved one gets a serious sunburn.
 
Sunburn is for the most part extremely uncomfortable and as a result some over the counter pain medications can help to make them a bit more comfortable.  Pain relievers such as those containing acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs tend to work the best on this type of pain. 
 
Other items that may help to reduce sunburn pain include cool tap water, calamine lotion, oatmeal baths, moisturizer cream (which helps to reduce peeling), and sunburn spray or cream can really help take the sting out of the burn.  And while it is important to treat the pain that's associated with a serious sunburn it's also important to realize that there is a tendency for someone who has gotten a semi-serious sunburn to dehydrate and that those with a significant amount of sunburn should drink lots of water to keep hydrated especially during the first 24 hours following the burn. 

In addition to these treatments many discover alternative treatment methods such as aloe and calendula to be extremely helpful to sooth and hydrate the skin as well as to reduce inflammation.  These items can usually be obtained at a health food store in their natural form or at the local pharmacy in a lotion, cream, or gel.

Of course, if a burn is severely blistered or over the counter treatments are not providing relief then you might wish to seek out a physician who can diagnose something stronger for more immediate relief.  Although, caused by nature it is important to realize that a sunburn can have the same serious and long lasting effects of an actual burn and may be something that requires the person to seek out immediate medical attention if serious enough. 

If someone is lethargic, in extreme pain, the skin is severely blistered, of the sunburn covers a large percentage of the body then it is a good idea to take the person to a medical professional just to be sure that they are not going to have a more serious reaction to their overexposure to the sun.