Don't be in the dark on sun allergy information

“Whenever I go out in the sun I get hives,” wrote a woman to an Internet health forum. “I get itchy red spots like sun poisoning, mostly on my arms and back of my neck. My eyes become bloodshot, really bloodshot. It’s like the whole white of my eye is filled with bright red lines, and they burn really badly.

She asks the group if she should seek medical attention. What do you think? According to the Mayo Clinic’s website she’s most likely suffering from a condition in which sunlight triggers a skin reaction.

There are several types of sun allergies. Watch out here come the big words. They include polymorphic light eruption, actinic prurigo, chronic actinic dermatitis and solar urticaria.

PMLE is the most common with symptoms starting within minutes or several hours after exposure to the sun. Typically the skin begins to itch before tiny bumps, whitish or yellowish on a red background appear. Sometimes called sun poisoning, PMLE mostly affects the neckline, backs of the arm, face and hands. Symptoms will go away by themselves, after a few days, if the affected areas are protected from sunlight.

Actinic prurigo occurs more commonly in children and young adults. It also can include red, raised patches of skin and itchy bumps but they may extend onto skin that wasn’t exposed to sunlight.

Fluid filled bumps may form and crack open. Actinic prurigo often causes chapped and split lips, and can affect the cheeks, neck, ears, arms and hands. For some children, actinic prurigo can result in scarring.

CAD can cause thick patches of dry, itchy and inflamed skin on the face, scalp, back and sides of the neck, upper chest, and backs of the arms and hands. It’s not uncommon to affect the palms of the hands or bottoms of the feet.

And finally, solar urticaria symptoms start within minutes of exposure to sunlight and can include hives, itching and blisters. Solar urticaria can affect both exposed areas and areas covered by clothes. It occurs most often in older adults. Symptoms usually improve within an hour after covering exposed skin.

So, should you seek medical attention? Yes. Although symptoms will usually go away by themselves if you stay out of the sun, it’s a good idea to see your clinician to eliminate the possibility of a more serious condition.

The medico will probably suggest you use a corticosteroid cream to relieve the itching. If that doesn’t work an oral antihistamine will probably do the trick. For more serious cases the practitioner may prescribe an oral corticosteroid or other medication. At its extreme, ultraviolet light therapy may be recommended.

If you have an allergic reaction to the sun, prevent another episode by — wait, here it comes — staying out of the sun! Actually if you avoid sudden exposure to sunlight by gradually increasing your time of exposure your skin may adapt to the rays.

If not, wear long sleeves a floppy hat and avoid thin or loose weave fabrics that will allow the UV rays to permeate. Then use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with protection of 30 or higher and reapply every two hours.

Finally, if at any time your sun allergy symptoms are accompanied by fever, chills, vomiting or disorientation seek medical attention immediately. Those are not symptoms of a common rash.

Kathy Hubbard is a trustee on BGH Foundation Board. She can be reached at 264-4029 or kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com.