Sunburn and Sun Poisoning (cont.)
Is there any medical treatment for sunburn?
Certain medical treatments have been tried and studied to treat sunburn.
However, in general, most remedies have not shown any clinically proven benefit
as far as speeding the recovery or reversing the damage. Therefore most of the
treatments available are only used to treat symptoms.
Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in oral (ibuprofen, Motrin,
Naprosyn, Advil etc.) or topical diclofenac 0.1% gel
(Solaraze) forms have shown to reduce
redness if applied before or immediately after UVB exposure. This benefit may be
diminished after 24 hours. It should be noted that these medications may also
help with the symptoms of sunburn such as pain and discomfort.
Topical steroid creams were also studied, but these did not show any
significant improvement. Oral steroids such as prednisone did not prove
beneficial and have been associated with some significant side effects.
Applying Aloe Vera gel to the skin has also not been beneficial in treating
the actual sunburn. This, again, may be beneficial in treating the symptoms.
Other advertised remedies such as topical anesthetics (benzocaine) may help
with symptoms of sunburn, however, very little clinical data is available to
substantiate their effectiveness.
Is a follow-up visit with a physician necessary?
A follow-up visit with a physician is not necessary unless the sunburn was severe (sun poisoning). However, every patient
who has suffered a significant sunburn should report the incident to his or her
doctor so that the burn can become part of the patient's medical history. Doing
so will alert the physician, during future check-ups, to look closely for
symptoms of skin cancer and other problems that sunburn can cause.
Next: Why does the skin tan after exposure to UV rays? »
- ibuprofen, Advil, Children's Advil/Motrin, Medipren, Motrin, Nuprin, PediaCare Fever, etc. - Explains the medication ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin, Medipren) a drug used for the management of mild to moderate pain, fever, and inflammation. Article includes descriptions, uses, drug interactions, and side effects.
- Mohs Surgery - Find out about Mohs micrographic surgery, a procedure that removes skin cancer under local anesthetic. Read about complications, reconstruction, recovery, treatment and scarring.
- Lupus - Get information on lupus (SLE) disease treatment, signs, diagnosis, types of symptoms (butterfly, discoid rash), causes, pregnancy flares, prevention and statistics.
Latest Medical News
Skin RSS