4 Steps To Treat Sunburn

Preventing sunburn is better than a cure, even though we should be avoiding becoming sunburnt in the first place. In bright conditions, it can be tricky to identify whether you or someone with you is becoming burnt. One way to tell if things are heading the wrong way is by pressing your finger on the skin. Normally, it should take 3 to 4 seconds for the colour to return when you remove your finger, but sunburnt skin will tend to return to red immediately. Here are some tips if we or someone we know does get sunburnt? 1. Remove the casualty from the heat source. Remove the casualty out of the sun, if this isn?t possible, they should have sun cream applied to them and be covered up in loose-fitting clothes. However, you should be aware that the UV rays can penetrate most fabrics so covering the casualty up might not be enough. The longer the casualty stays in the sun the more damage it could cause their skin. 2. Cool the burn. As First Aiders we tend to avoid lotions, so like any heat burn, cool running water is the best way to cool the skin. In the case of sunburn, which is often over a large area, a cool shower or bath can be very effective. If a cold shower or bath is unbearable, then lukewarm water is fine as long as you are still cooling the burn, rather than warming it up. Stay under the water until the heat has gone from the burn, this may take a long time, but patience is worth it. It?s important to put the sunburnt area under cold water as soon as you notice the hot red & burnt skin to help the skin recover and to prevent blisters or scar tissue forming. Recent studies have shown that even if treatment is delayed for between one to three hours, running the burn under cool running water is still beneficial, improving new skin growth and decreasing the amount of scar tissue. 3. Rehydrate Dehydration can occur in any climate and means your body loses more fluid than you take in to sustain the body. Mild dehydration will present as thirst and inability to concentrate, alongside fatigue and loss of performance and can usually be easily cured by taking on appropriate fluids to rehydrate. Excessive dehydration can cause nausea, headaches, severe fatigue or Heat Stroke, which is a more serious illness. Sunburn is a serious illness mainly in a small child or baby compared to an older child or adult. The NHS recommends that we drink at least 1.2 litres of water a day just to keep us normally hydrated. This amount should increase on hot days or when we have sunburn as we sweat out a large amount of water trying to keep cool. 4. Consider medical attention. The size of the burn can result in medical attention, burns that are larger than 5% of the casualty?s surface area should be checked out in a hospital. The casualty?s palm of their hand is considered to be equal to 1% of their body surface area. A burn across their shoulders may be more than 5%. This is important as 5% is the point where this level of burn will seriously impact your health. Any baby or young child with sunburn should be seen immediately by a medical professional. Children?s reactions to heat and cold can fluctuate much more than an adult?s and the impact of sunburn is much more serious in a young child or baby. Any sunburn that is blistered or split should also go to the hospital as it is a deeper, more serious burn that carries the additional risk of infection. Do not burst any blisters, and try and keep the area cool and moist with wet towels or similar on the way. You should seek medical attention if you have any of the following symptoms: Your temperature is very high You feel hot and shivery, tired, dizzy or nauseous You have a headache or muscle cramps Serious burns can lead to shock symptoms and become a medical emergency, so if in doubt seeking medical attention is always safest. Go out and enjoy the summer, but remember prevention is better than a cure, so make sure you use a good quality high factor sunscreen, cover up your skin when it?s very hot and wear a hat.

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