Sunburn is skin injury brought on by excessive UV (ultraviolet) radiation exposure. Your skin might also become burned by UV rays coming from artificial sources like tanning beds. An actual radiation burn to your skin is a sunburn.
Multiple sunburns can cause skin cancer and accelerated ageing of the skin. In India, skin cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer.
By protecting your skin, you can reduce your risk of getting a sunburn. When spending any amount of time outdoors, it's crucial to be aware of your sun exposure.
Too much ultraviolet (UV) light exposure results in sunburn. Sunlight or man-made sources like sunlamps and tanning beds both produce UV light. The wavelength of light known as UVA can damage skin over time by penetrating to its deepest layers. Sunburn is brought on by UVB rays, which penetrates the skin more superficially.
Skin cells are damaged by UV radiation. Erythema, or inflamed skin, or sunburn, is a result of the immune system's reaction, which involves boosting blood flow to the injured areas.
On chilly or gloomy days, sunburn is still possible. UV rays can reflect off of water, sand, and other surfaces, and they can also burn flesh.
According to this 2005 study, a sunburn is an inflammation that results in an erythema (rash) and edoema (swelling) because of a fluid buildup. Skin cells also undergo alterations as a result. It causes mast cells, which are important for the immune system, to decrease in number and the growth of sunburn cells, which have the potential to develop into cancer.
People react to sunburn in different ways. Anyone can get a sunburn, but people with lighter skin are more vulnerable.
Following exposure, the skin may become:
Light skin may turn red. Darker skin may change to a darker tone.
Symptoms of severe sunburn can affect the whole body. They include:
A person with severe sunburn may need medical attention.
Heat exhaustion or, more seriously, heatstroke can happen in extreme circumstances. Anyone experiencing any of the following symptoms ought to get emergency medical help:
When the core body temperature is higher than normal after sun exposure but not more than 104°F (40°C), a doctor will diagnose heat exhaustion. A person suffering from heatstroke will have a core body temperature of more than 104°F (40°C). Heatstroke is a potentially fatal illness that requires immediate care.
A doctor will identify heat exhaustion when the body's core temperature is higher than usual after sun exposure but not more than 104°F (40°C). The core body temperature of someone experiencing heatstroke will be higher than 104°F (40°C). Heatstroke is a potentially lethal condition that needs to be treated right away.
The third degree of sunburn may require a skin graft. A surgeon transplants healthy skin from another area of your body after removing the dead skin. These burns have serious effects and take weeks or longer to cure.