As the summer months come into full swing I’d like to take a moment to talk about something that everybody gets exposed to – the sun. Mild sun exposure is actually good for your health, but it is also important to prevent things like sunburns and heatstroke. Here are some things you can do to help your body heal if you do end up with a sunburn.
It is important to be outside, because as much as it is good for your mind, sun exposure is vital to keep your body healthy. It is well known that sun helps our bodies to produce an optimal level of vitamin D, which is good to help keep your bones healthy, (1) but more recently it has been determined that it is also important in immune function, cancer prevention, and hypertension prevention. (2)
As the sun moves closer to the northern hemisphere, the days get longer and the sun’s rays get stronger, which can make it easier to get things like a sunburn or heat stroke. Sunburns are caused from exposure to UV radiation. Heat stroke typically occurs when a person’s core body temperature goes over 104 degrees due to exposure to high heat. (3) It is extremely important to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids and avoid drinks with too much sugar or alcohol, which can cause dehydration. (3)
If you do unfortunately end up with a sunburn, try to get the exposed skin out of the sun’s rays as soon as possible to avoid it from becoming worse. Applying aloe vera cream to a sunburn can help to cool the skin but it has not been shown to actually heal a sunburn any faster than normal. (5) Lavender oil has shown benefits with improving wound healing, (6) but always avoid putting any citrus oils on your skin if you will be in the sun as they can cause blistering.
Although there are ways to help you feel better after getting a sunburn, the best thing to do is to avoid getting a sunburn to begin with. As always, check with your Dermatologist regularly and especially if you’ve sustained an injury to your skin.
At Solutions Chiropractic, we care about your whole health.
Stay safe out there!
In health,
Dr Wendy
References
- Raman, Ryan. How to Safely Get Vitamin D From Sunlight. 2018. Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-from-sun.
- Khazai N, Judd SE, Tangpricha V. Calcium and vitamin D: skeletal and extraskeletal health. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2008 Apr;10(2):110-7. doi: 10.1007/s11926-008-0020-y. PMID: 18460265; PMCID: PMC2669834.
- Peiris AN, Jaroudi S, Noor R. Heat Stroke. JAMA. 2017 Dec 26;318(24):2503. doi: 10.1001/jama.2017.18780. PMID: 29279936.
- Gustorff, B., Anzenhofer, S., Sycha, T., Lehr, S., & Kress, H. G. (2004). The sunburn pain model: the stability of primary and secondary hyperalgesia over 10 hours in a crossover setting. Anesthesia and analgesia, 98(1), . https://doi.org/10.1213/01.ane.0000093224.77281.a5
- Puvabanditsin, P., & Vongtongsri, R. (2005). Efficacy of aloe vera cream in prevention and treatment of sunburn and suntan. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet, 88 Suppl 4, S173–S176.
- Samuelson, R., Lobl, M., Higgins, S., Clarey, D., & Wysong, A. (2020). The Effects of Lavender Essential Oil on Wound Healing: A Review of the Current Evidence. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 26(8), 680–690. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2019.0286
