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EspañolSun poisoning symptoms: What are the early signs of sun poisoning?
Overview: What does sun poisoning feel like?
Sun poisoning is a common term but not a medical diagnosis. It describes many of the body-wide symptoms of severe sunburn. These problems don’t feel like sunburn symptoms: throwing up, headache, fever, dizziness, and confusion. Most of them feel more like an infection, like the flu. In a way, that’s not far off. Scientists are unsure what causes sun poisoning, but some symptoms are caused by the immune system’s response to the injury. However, most of the symptoms are thought to be due to dehydration and electrolyte loss. That’s because burned skin loses water more quickly than healthy skin.
Extensive blistering due to a sunburn can also dehydrate the body. Heat exhaustion—overheating due to the body’s inability to regulate temperature—is also implicated as a cause of sun poisoning symptoms. Both dehydration and heat exhaustion are fairly serious medical conditions that a healthcare provider should evaluate. However, sun poisoning symptoms often get better on their own without treatment. That’s a dilemma because the cause of sun poisoning symptoms isn’t always obvious.
For this reason, always see a healthcare provider when experiencing the symptoms of sun poisoning, just to be sure. Something more serious than a sunburn could be going on.
RELATED: 6 heat-related illnesses you should watch out for this summer
Key takeaways:
Sun poisoning is a common health condition affecting anyone regardless of age, sex, race, or ethnicity.
Early signs of sun poisoning include red, painful skin.
Serious but rare symptoms of sun poisoning, such as heat stroke or shock, require immediate medical attention.
Sun poisoning is caused by prolonged sun exposure. You may be at risk for developing sun poisoning symptoms if you have fair skin, skin susceptible to sunburn, a family history of skin cancer, don’t wear sunscreen, or are taking certain medications or in the sun at high altitudes.
Sun poisoning is usually self-diagnosable.
Sun poisoning generally does not require treatment, but people with sun poisoning should see a healthcare provider to make sure it is not a serious problem. Sun poisoning symptoms typically resolve without treatment within four days to a few weeks.
Treatment of sun poisoning may include cold compresses, pain relievers, over-the-counter symptom relief treatments, steroid creams, topical antibiotics, or oral corticosteroids. Read more about sun poisoning treatments here.
Sun poisoning could result in complications like infection, permanent changes in skin pigment, skin damage, and an increased risk of skin cancer.
Use coupons for sun poisoning treatments like Cortizone-10 (hydrocortisone cream), Gold Bond Healing Skin (aloe vera), and CeraVe Moisturizing Cream to save up to 80%.
What are the early signs of sun poisoning?
The earliest signs of sun poisoning are mild sunburn symptoms: redness, itchiness, pain, and scaling. These symptoms often appear long before a sunburn becomes severe, so they are good warning signs to get out of the sun.
Other sun poisoning symptoms
Sun poisoning describes all the symptoms of a sunburn that don’t seem related to sunburn. These are the systemic effects of the burn or other problems related to the burn, such as dehydration or heat exhaustion.
The skin symptoms of severe sunburn are:
Redness
Pain
Itchiness
Swelling
Warmth
Tenderness
Scaling
Blisters (at a later stage)
Peeling (at a later stage)
Rash
Systemic symptoms of severe sunburn include:
Most of these symptoms are thought to be due to dehydration, though some may be due to other causes. Technically, any symptom of dehydration like constipation, heartburn, joint pain, muscle pain, or shock could be considered a symptom of sun poisoning if a sunburn is a reason the body is dehydrated.
Sun poisoning should not be confused with skin reactions to the sun, such as sun rash (polymorphous light eruption or PMLE) or sun hives (solar urticaria). These are photosensitivity allergic reactions on the skin, but sun poisoning is directly related to sunburn. These conditions do not increase the risk of sunburn or sun poisoning.
Sun poisoning vs. sunburn symptoms
Sun poisoning describes the body-wide symptoms of severe sunburn. Most are due to dehydration and electrolyte loss, though the body’s inflammatory response or thermoregulation problems may play a role. Sun poisoning, then, is related to sunburn but not necessarily identical. More importantly, sun poisoning can seriously impair a person’s ability to function and even require hospitalization.
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When to see a doctor for sun poisoning symptoms
Like sunburns, most cases of sun poisoning resolve on their own. Getting out of the sun, drinking fluids, and managing the symptoms are enough to get through it. However, some healthcare professionals believe that a healthcare provider should always look at the symptoms of sun poisoning. That’s because the consequences of dehydration or heat exhaustion are potentially severe, and only a healthcare professional can properly assess the severity of the burn and any associated problems.
Seek medical help or go to an urgent care facility if any of the following symptoms are experienced in the hours or days following a bad sunburn:
Large blisters
Severe swelling
Worsening symptoms
Signs of skin infection like pus-filled blisters
Symptoms of heat exhaustion such as headache, exhaustion, sweating, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or muscle cramps
Severe pain
Visual changes
Get emergency medical care if any of the following symptoms are experienced after a bad sunburn:
High fever
Mental changes such as confusion
Signs of severe dehydration, such as dizziness or extreme thirst
Signs of heat stroke such as confusion, slurred speech, excessive sweating, seizures, or coma
Signs of shock, such as low blood pressure, fainting, or severe weakness
Complications of sun poisoning
The most common complications of severe sunburns are:
Permanent changes in skin pigmentation (blotchy skin)
Infection
New sunburn
Skin damage
Increased risk of cancer
How to treat sun poisoning symptoms
Mild to moderate sun poisoning is usually treated with home remedies and over-the-counter treatments. Most treatments focus on the burn itself:
Fluids: because many of the symptoms of sun poisoning are due to dehydration, drinking plenty of fluids and electrolyte drinks will help relieve many of those symptoms
Pain relievers: because swelling and fever are involved with sun poisoning and bad sunburns, healthcare professionals typically recommend OTC nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen
Corticosteroid creams: topical OTC or prescription corticosteroids help reduce the inflammation, itching, and pain of a severe sunburn
Moisturizing creams and aloe vera help restore moisture to the skin and relieve pain and itching
Prednisone tablets may be prescribed to treat some of the symptoms of sun poisoning, such as fever, swelling, or headache
Topical antibiotics may be used to prevent infection
Sterile dressings and silver sulfadiazine may be used to treat blisters
Severe cases of sunburn or dehydration may need treatment in a hospital or burn unit. IV fluids may be required to restore body fluids.
RELATED: What to do for a bad sunburn
Living with sun poisoning
Both sunburn and sun poisoning can be helped with home remedies and treatments:
In the first few days, drink plenty of fluids with electrolytes like Pedialyte to stay hydrated
Stay out of the sun for the next few days or weeks—always cover up if it can’t be avoided
Avoid alcohol because it will worsen dehydration
Over-the-counter NSAIDs can help relieve skin pain, headache, skin swelling, and fever
Get sunburn relief with over-the-counter hydrocortisone creams; aloe vera gels, creams, or lotions; moisturizing creams and lotions; or cool compresses
Avoid skin products with alcohol because these will dry the skin further
Cover any blisters—to prevent infection, avoid scratching the burn or popping blisters
Most importantly, be safe in the sun
The best way to treat sun poisoning is not to get sunburned in the first place. Preventing sunburn and sun poisoning is generally much easier than fixing these problems:
Always use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 30 when going out to protect the skin from both UVA and UVB rays, and make sure you apply it at least 20 minutes before sun exposure
Shield your skin from ultraviolet radiation with protective clothing and hats
Seek shade
Avoid tanning beds
Be aware of any risk factors for sunburn you might have and take extra precautions
Be aware of any medications that may increase sun sensitivity, such as antibiotics, oral contraceptives, antihistamines, diuretics, statins, NSAIDs, and retinoids (acne medications) that may require extra precaution with sun exposure
FAQs about sun poisoning symptoms
Can sun poisoning cause an upset stomach?
Sunburns are not normally associated with an upset stomach, but there is a connection. Like any other kind of burn, sunburns can cause the body to lose water. Some sun poisoning symptoms may be due to dehydration after a severe burn. When the body is dehydrated, acid can enter the esophagus (acid reflux) and cause heartburn. If stomach upset is due to dehydration, the problem will resolve fairly quickly by drinking fluids.
Can sun poisoning cause muscle pain?
Again, sun poisoning is not generally associated with muscle pain, but there is a connection. Both severe dehydration and heat exhaustion can cause muscle aches and pains. Prolonged sun exposure can result in all three: severe burns, dehydration, and heat exhaustion. That’s the connection.
Does sleeping help reduce the symptoms of sun poisoning?
Sleeping doesn’t help sunburns or sun poisoning. In fact, the symptoms can sometimes get worse overnight. That’s because sunburns often take one to three days to develop.
What’s next? Additional resources for people with sun poisoning symptoms
Test and diagnostics
Heat illness, StatPearls
Sunburn, StatPearls
Sunburn—dermatologic disorders, Merck Manual
Treatments
Heat illness, StatPearls
How to treat sunburn, American Academy of Dermatology (AAD)
Sunburn, StatPearls
Scientific studies and clinical trials
The sunburn response in human skin is characterized by sequential eicosanoid profiles that may mediate its early and late phases, The FASEB Journal
More information on related health conditions
6 heat-related illnesses you should watch out for this summer, SingleCare
Heat stress—heat related illness, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)