In summer, every person wants to relax: go on a trip to the sea, to exotic countries, or to a country house, to the country house and, of course, at the same time get a lot of pleasant emotions and positive. After all, swimming in the sea, warming up in the sun, being outdoors brings a lot of joy.
But all these pleasant moments can be overshadowed by an allergy to the sun, which occurs in people with increased susceptibility to ultraviolet radiation.
Such an allergic reaction can develop either instantly or after a couple of hours, or a couple of days after sunbathing. In the medical encyclopedia, such an organism's reaction to excessive exposure to radiation is called photodermatosis, a phototoxic reaction. Manifestations of photodermatosis in many people begin to occur from the month of May. Very often, such an allergy occurs in children who go on vacation to hotter climatic zones. So, an excessive amount of ultraviolet radiation can provoke the development of an allergic reaction in a person who suffers from diseases of the internal organs.
Photodermatosis occurs in almost 3% of the total population. People with dark skin are less susceptible to this disease, and children whose skin is very sensitive are much more likely to succumb to the negative effects of sunlight. Photodermatosis is often confused with urticaria due to the similarity of symptoms.
Varieties of solar allergies
When the sun's rays affect the human body for a long time, it may experience the following responses called photosensitivity:
- phototraumatic reactions are considered the body's natural "response" to prolonged exposure to the sun. So, any person, when receiving a large dose of ultraviolet radiation, suffers from sunburn. To prevent this, it is necessary to observe the time of safe tanning, and not to sunbathe when the sun is at its zenith.
- phototoxic reactions also appear in the form of sunburn, swelling, blisters, erythema. They are caused by oral or injectable intake of certain medications, herbal preparations, products that contain photosensitizers.
- photoallergic reactions are considered a painful process that occurs in those people whose body does not perceive sunlight, namely their ultraviolet spectrum, and their skin, mucous membranes react negatively to the rays of the sun, take them for foreign, toxic substances. Similar reactions occur in people whose immune system is weakened, and therefore the appearance of papules, weeping, vesicles and skin lichenification is possible. the last symptom manifests itself in the form of a rash with a clear pattern, accompanied by thickening of the skin, a violation of their structure, excessive pigmentation).
Those people with diseases of the endocrine system, liver and kidneys, disorders of the immune system are susceptible to get sick.
As soon as the first symptoms of allergy have arisen and clearly manifested, it is necessary to begin treatment. First of all, we exclude the factors that provoke such a reaction, after which you can take pills for allergies to the sun, which relieve swelling and itching. When taking these drugs, you must strictly observe the time and dosage. If a person has manifested solar urticaria, it is worth immediately taking measures to eliminate it, because in the future such a disease can turn into eczema.
Folk remedies for the treatment of allergies
Wormwood and celandine are able to eliminate a rash, redness of the skin, severe itching. In the spring, it is worth picking wormwood, pouring them with alcohol, insisting for three days. Wipe areas with rashes with this tincture. Also, baths are made with infusions of celandine. Soon, the allergy disappears without a trace.
Oil with celandine helps to get rid of red blisters, severe itching. We fill a jar with a capacity of one liter with celandine flowers, without crushing them, fill it with oil, and insist for three weeks. We adjust a napkin with this medicine on the skin that has been exposed to ultraviolet radiation, after wiping it with hydrogen peroxide, and fix it with adhesive tape. In the morning, this compress is removed, they also wipe the skin with peroxide, and the next night they repeat the same procedure again. Allergy symptoms go away after the third treatment.
A decoction of wormwood is prepared by the following method: boil it for ten minutes. With this decoction, you can treat the affected areas of the skin, the itching will gradually subside, the disease will disappear forever. The more often you wipe the skin with a decoction, the faster the symptoms disappear.
In order to get rid of itching, chamomile decoction is made, in the proportion of one tablespoon of flowers per glass of boiling water. Lotions and compresses made from them are applied to the affected areas of the skin and additionally add such a decoction to the bath. Chamomile is an excellent antiseptic. It has anti-inflammatory, analgesic properties.
Photodermatitis is treated similarly to the treatment of urticaria. To eliminate it, doctors recommended taking diuretics that remove toxic substances from the body. For these purposes, use celery juice, take it orally 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.
A drink from a series is drunk instead of tea or coffee, always only fresh, when the color of the broth is golden. Do not take such an infusion inside if its color is green or with turbidity.
Herbal preparations help a lot to prepare which use buckthorn bark and St. John's wort, aspen buds. These herbs are mixed and poured with 500 ml of boiling water, insisted for twenty minutes, filtered and taken 1 teaspoon a couple of times a day.
Herbal baths are also effective, they can eliminate itching, redness, swelling. To do this, brew birch leaves, linden, walnut, viburnum, celandine grass, mint, lemon balm, clover, chamomile, tansy, yarrow. Dry herbs are used in the spring, and fresh herbs in the summer.
To prevent sun allergies, remedies such as horseradish juice, which is mixed in a one-to-one ratio with honey, and taken one teaspoon three times a day, will help. Peppermint prepared as an infusion also helps with allergic rashes. Take two tablespoons of mint and insist in two cups of boiling water for an hour.
Hop infusion is also considered useful, which is drunk instead of tea, 70 ml three times a day.
It is also necessary to eat fresh cabbage and parsley, which are rich in vitamins C and PP, which reduce sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation.
Manifestations of sun allergy
Allergy symptoms can be very different and vary depending on what factors cause them, what age the patient is, and what is the reason for their appearance. So, the most common symptoms of solar allergies are:
- redness of the skin, rashes, an abscess in the area where the skin was under the influence of direct sunlight;
- allergic manifestations on the limbs, chest, face, which are present in the form of small skin irregularities. They hurt, itch, sometimes merge into reddened foci;
- from time to time on the skin there are crusts, bleeding;
- very common sun allergy in the form of eczema, hives, blisters.
Symptoms can appear not only on those areas of the skin that have been directly affected by sunlight, but also on areas closed from ultraviolet radiation.
When a person's health is good, he will not be allergic to the sun. And for people with weakened immune systems (babies, children after illnesses, the elderly, those who suffer from chronic diseases), the chances of getting photodermatosis increase significantly.
A symptom of photodermatosis is also considered an increase in body temperature, sometimes up to 39 degrees. If the case is severe, photodermatosis manifests itself in the form of bronchospasm, loss of consciousness, swelling of the mucous membranes. When these symptoms begin to appear in a person, he should be immediately taken to the hospital.
In order for any allergy to occur, a person must have reduced immunity, chronic latent and overt diseases, vitamin deficiency, impaired metabolism, and reduced liver function.
Sometimes a rash that is caused by a sun allergy is confused with insect bites. A sharp change in climate also greatly affects the well-being of a person with a weakened immune system, and contributes to the occurrence of allergies.
It is forbidden to take barbiturates (sleeping pills), tetracycline, sulfonamides, birth control pills.
Causes of allergies
Special substances - photosensitizers or photoreactive agents cause an allergy to the sun, the signs of which directly depend on the strength of the exposure and its amount. When the human body is affected by natural or artificial ultraviolet radiation, the photosensitizer provokes allergic reactions.
These substances are contained in many means that surround us in everyday life, namely, they are filled with:
- hygiene products - antibacterial gels;
- cosmetics - lotions, perfumes, colognes, deodorants, lipsticks. Some creams are saturated with essential oils of citrus, cumin, dill, nut oil;
- sunscreens - creams, which include para-aminobenzoic acid, benzophenones;
- individual food additives - sweeteners;
- tattoos - for which an auxiliary substance is used - cadmium sulfate;
- household chemicals - naphthalene balls;
- medicines - even if you do not take them for quite a long time, there is a risk that an allergic reaction will occur due to the accumulation of previously introduced substances in the body. Therefore, susceptibility to sunlight can persist for months, and sometimes years.
Internal factors contributing to the development of any type of allergy are:
- tonsillitis;
- failures in pigment metabolism;
- decreased immunity;
- period of pregnancy;
- autoimmune disease;
- long-term use of anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agents;
- taking hormonal contraceptives;
- light color of the skin;
- imbalance of hormones;
- rhinitis;
- otitis;
- caries;
- chronic inflammatory diseases of the liver, stomach, kidneys, pancreas.
A great danger to the immune system is chronic colitis, intestinal dysbacteriosis, which are most often asymptomatic, but very strongly affect the development of skin manifestations.
People who have a weakened immune system, such as during puberty or pregnancy, are very susceptible to allergens. The development of allergic reactions occurs under the influence of bad habits, such as alcohol and smoking.
Stress is also considered an important factor that affects a person's predisposition to allergies. In combination with any of the above factors, it is converted into a disease.
Allergy to the sun begins to manifest itself after infectious diseases have been transferred, and the body is not able to resist allergens.
Sensitization
A true allergic reaction is characterized by one distinctive feature: it has the same clinical picture of the disease, both at the first contact and at subsequent ones. So, if a person takes an analgin tablet for the first time and nothing happens to him, and then after a few days he takes it again and he develops severe itching, rash, swelling of the skin, and sometimes even anaphylactic shock. This reaction of the body is explained by the fact that it has accumulated a sufficient amount of antibodies that would react to a foreign agent. When it enters the body again, the reaction manifests itself in the form of the above signs.
False allergic reaction
Along with the development of the science of allergology, various types of allergic reactions were discovered, including false ones. With their development, the immune system does not work in any way, and the body responds to the irritant with a large amount of histamine, which causes a rash, swelling, and itching.
So, if a person without a hereditary predisposition has never suffered from allergies in his life, he will eat not one, but five oranges at once, his body will be covered with a rash, red spots, it will begin to itch a lot. This is due to the fact that he eats a lot of allergenic foods and therefore a lot of histamine is produced in his body, a clinical picture appears that is very similar to an allergic reaction.
Sometimes there are situations when a completely healthy person suffers from an allergy to the sun. This allergic reaction is called idiopathic photodermatosis. According to doctors, it provokes the development of a protein allergen, which acts as an antigen to the sun's rays.
Treatment of photodermatitis
Before starting treatment, it is worth determining which factor provokes an allergic reaction. As mentioned above, it can be a cosmetic product, a drug, hair removal, deep peeling, and other factors that increase the skin's susceptibility to sunlight. Depending on what exactly caused the allergy to the sun, the necessary medications are selected, and certain folk remedies are used.
As mentioned above, the influence of the trigger is immediately excluded, and then the treatment is carried out in a certain sequence:
- make wraps with a damp cloth of skin areas that are affected by ultraviolet radiation;
- do not take sunbathing for several days;
- drink plenty of fluids;
- wear closed clothes on the street;
- when a person has severe skin rashes, he is recommended to take 30-minute baths with soda;
- after such baths, the body is wiped with oils (for example, menthol) or tomato juice.
- areas of the skin that have been exposed to sunlight can be lubricated with aloe juice;
- blisters are eliminated with chamomile compresses;
- they can also be lubricated with salicylic acid and zinc paste;
- very helpful to eliminate symptoms decoction and infusion of oak bark, juniper;
- such ointments: advantan, loriden, oxycort, fluorocort, flucinar effectively lubricate the affected areas of the skin;
- you can relieve skin inflammation thanks to aspirin, indomethacin;
- taking vitamins B, C and E contributes to a speedy recovery;
- allergy sufferers can take special antihistamines (like diphenhydramine, suprastin, tavegil, claritin, fencarol).
When a person is prone to sun allergies, they need to use creams that protect the skin from ultraviolet radiation types A and B. This should be done after consulting a specialist.
Means for the skin
There are simple and effective remedies for eliminating skin inflammation that help with sunburn. So, a cabbage leaf, circles of potatoes and cucumbers are applied to inflamed areas of the skin to soften and moisturize it. Geranium infusion is also effective. It is prepared as follows: pour two tablespoons of leaves with two glasses of water, insist for a while, and make lotions or rub them on the inflamed areas.
Photodermatitis is also eliminated with lotions from horse chestnut gruel, which must be ground in a mortar to a mushy consistency. You can also use gruel from grated carrots, make lotions from it, which relieve itching well.
To prevent allergies to the sun, they rub the body with strong brewed tea, or make cold tea compresses on damaged areas of the body. A similar procedure can be done several times a day for half an hour each.
To quickly eliminate the symptoms of sun allergies, you can use the following tips:
- Before going to the sea, consult a doctor and find out which antihistamines can be used for you. If during the trip you will take antibiotics, hormonal drugs, you need to read the instructions very carefully and see if there is a note “causes photosensitivity” in it. If it is present, such drugs should not be used.
- Limit time spent in the sun;
- Support the liver with special means that can establish its normal functioning, improve metabolism, and restore the skin. These substances include vitamins B, C, E, nicotinic acid, claritin, antioxidants.
- If the skin is very inflamed, it itches, it is necessary to use ointments containing zinc, methirulacil, lanolin. Fenistil gel, Zirtek drops will be effective.
- Be sure to start treatment immediately after symptoms are detected, because delaying time can contribute to the appearance of eczema, which is much more difficult to eliminate;
- If you are at a resort, you must immediately contact the doctor for help, he will prescribe medications that will relieve inflammation. Thus, you can continue to rest further.
Sun allergy is not permanent, once you identify the cause and treat it properly, you can once again spend time on the beach, swimming in the sea and sunbathing in the sun. Children can outgrow allergies altogether.
The role of the immune system in human life
The immune system, first of all, must protect the body from various agents, substances, foreign bodies, and diseases. When this protection is in place, special antibodies (immunoglobulins) are produced in the body. They fight various infections and defeat them, contribute to the recovery of the body. So, when a cold occurs, the body specifically raises body temperature, provokes significant sweating, and thus eliminates the virus. When the immune system is strong, a person is quickly cured, otherwise, this process will be delayed in time.
When a person is allergic to any substance, their immune system reacts even to seemingly harmless substances. They can be various plants, dust, pollen, food and other substances that become foreign to the body. The reaction is manifested due to the production of various protective substances by the cells of the mucous membranes of the nose, eyes, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract. One of the main substances is histamine. With the accumulation of such substances under the skin, tissues swell, in which leukocytes are sharply sent to a certain area of the human body.
The consequences of such a reaction are:
- swelling of the skin;
- rashes of various kinds;
- red skin color;
- tearing;
- allergic rhinitis.
Failure in the body's defense system can occur for many reasons. One of the decisive factors is the genetic predisposition to allergic diseases. In most people who suffer from allergies, relatives are also susceptible to this disease.
First aid for sun allergies
When the symptoms of an allergy to the sun appear suddenly, and the person begins to feel very unwell, you should immediately call an ambulance. While she is traveling, you need to provide first aid, which will alleviate the patient's condition.
- First of all, it is worth giving plenty of fluids to drink so that there is no dehydration. You can not give a person milk, coffee, tea;
- the skin must be covered with clothing;
- if the patient's body temperature has risen, he must be given an antipyretic drug;
- cold compresses are applied to areas of the body that have been strongly influenced by the sun;
- if you have an antihistamine, you should give it to the patient.
Very often, solar allergies are accompanied by gastric disorders, they are accompanied by nausea and vomiting. That is why the patient is best settled on his side to prevent vomit from entering the respiratory tract.
After a person has been exposed to sunlight, the symptoms of sun allergy may disappear in a few days (2-3 days). But when the human body is weakened, it can experience bronchospasm, lower blood pressure, and even faint. When skin rashes appear frequently, eczema may occur.
Treatment of photodermatitis with pharmaceutical preparations
To eliminate an allergy to the sun, you need to use various remedies that will affect both the cause of the disease and the symptoms. Doctors most often prescribe the following treatment using the application:
- non-hormonal creams and ointments.
When such a reaction does not depend on taking any medications, then the reasons must be sought in internal malfunctions of the organs and their systems, as well as the immune system as a whole. Fenistil-gel has an effect against itching, reduces the intensity of irritation, and has a local analgesic effect.
Indications for use are skin itching, insect bites, sunburn and other burns.
It can be used by people of any age, except for babies up to one month. Gistan is a non-hormonal topical cream that contains lily of the valley oil, birch bud extract, lupine, euphorbia, veronica spiky, string, violet, calendula.
It is used in the event that bubbles, hives appear on the skin, severe itching occurs.
It is used for eczema and atopic dermatitis, insect bites. Skincap is a cream-gel with antibacterial, antiproliferative, antifungal properties.
It contains activated zinc pyrithione. It is used for dry skin, seborrheic and atopic dermatitis, psoriasis. Elidel is a cream whose main active ingredient is pimecrolimus.
It is also used to eliminate the symptoms of atopic dermatitis, eczema. corticosteroid drugs. They are used only if a person has a severe form of the disease. The duration of their use should not exceed five days, because with an overdose and accumulation in the skin of this remedy, reverse skin processes appear: erythema, vasodilation, cosmetic skin defects. - other ointments. They contain zinc, methyluracil, hydrocortisone, and can be dispensed in pharmacies without a prescription.
- antihistamines;
- vitamin therapy, immunotherapy;
- enterosorbents. The fastest cleansing of the body from allergens and toxins can be carried out using various sorbents - Polysorb MP, Filtrum STI, Polyphepan, Enterosgel. It is necessary to take a lot of liquid (2-2.5 liters), so harmful substances will quickly leave the body.
- hepatoprotectors;
- anti-inflammatory drugs.
The course of treatment is determined by the attending physician. Often it ranges from a couple of days to a month.
When an allergy occurs in children and adults, special attention is paid to the amount of allergens, that is, the more allergens enter the body, the more pronounced the allergic reaction. To reduce the risk of developing allergies, you need to minimize contact with chemical additives in food:
- when buying household chemicals and baby care products, they pay special attention to the composition of these products, a large amount of fragrances, the presence of formaldehydes, methyl acrylates, propylene glycols, the risk of developing childhood allergies greatly increases;
- you need to pay special attention to the washing powder, which is used to wash children's clothes. The high content of surfactants in washing powder has a very bad effect on health. All these negative substances accumulate on clothes, which badly affect the skin of children;
- you need to purchase food products that contain a lot of flavors, additives, dyes, preservatives;
- when introducing exotic foods into the child's diet, it is necessary to give them to him in small doses and for one meal.
You can learn more useful information about the treatment of sun allergy with folk remedies from our consultants.
