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SALT LAKE CITY — The world of health and medicine can be confusing to many parents. But Nurse Suzy is here to help clarify some of the issues that are important to you and your family.
This week's question: What is the best way to treat a sunburn?
Question:
Like most families, my kids and I spend a lot of time out in the sun during the summer months. Inevitably, someone at some point gets a sunburn or two every year. I’m wondering, what is the best way to treat a sunburn?
Answer:
There are a few different types of sunburns:
- First-degree burns
A first-degree sunburn manifests itself as stinging or itchy red skin. It can make a person very tired and sick. The treatment is to cool the skin by using creams or cooled aloe Vera, or by submersing the burned area in cool water. The goal is to cool the skin and keep the body temperature down.
Make sure to avoid extreme cold, as it could cause frostbite to the fragile skin or drop the person’s body temperature too low and cause hypothermia.
The other key is to take in plenty of clear fluids like water, Kool-Aid, popsicles, Jell-O, Sprite, etc. Do not drink hot drinks, teas or soups.
Also, mild pain relievers like Tylenol or ibuprophen can be used to relieve pain.
1. Second-degree burns
A second-degree sunburn is identified as red, blistered skin. It can make a person very ill.
Children with second-degree sunburns need to be seen by a doctor. They have the potential to get into severe trouble by body-fluid loss, which is hard to detect. A child’s body size will only allow so much fluid loss before they can have life-threatening results.
Adults with a second-degree burn should treat it as they would a first-degree burn – by cooling down the skin and taking in clear fluids. Another item to consider is to make sure the person adds some kind of salt to his or her diet by eating or drinking items such as Gatorade, saltine crackers, chips, etc. A second-degree sunburn victim will lose a lot of sodium and potassium in their body when fluid leaves the circulating bloodstream, as exampled by blisters or sweating.
Rest is needed as well to recover.
1. Severe burns
Severe burns from the sun are very serious for anyone who receives them. These are burns cover most of the person’s body with a combination of red skin and blisters. In all severe burn cases the person must be seen by a doctor because he or she will more than likely need intravenous fluid replacement (IVs) to replace fluid and maintain their vital signs (i.e. blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature).
A severe burn will be associated with dehydration due to that body fluid loss. When a person gets extremely dehydrated it is very hard for them to take in fluids because they also become nauseous and experience vomiting.
Remember, no matter what kind of sunburn you receive, you put yourself at risk for skin cancer. There is no safe sunburn. There is no safe age to get a sunburn. The skin is the largest organ of your body and when it fails to do its job because damage, you will have complications for the rest of your life.
Suzanne Carlile, "Nurse Suzy," has been a nurse since 1982. Her main focus is critical care and nursing education. She holds a master's degree in nursing, is a Certified Emergency Nurse, and a member of NNSDO Intermountain West Chapter.
