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Symptoms of Sun Allergy

Why do you suddenly feel so itchy all over? Why are there rashes and hives present all over your body? Maybe, you are starting to have sun allergy.

Most of us do experience suffering from sun allergy. The problem is that we do not know. We are often times caught unaware that a simple itch or rash are already some of the common symptoms of having sun allergy.
Usually, these symptoms of sun allergy can be generally minor, most of the time as mentioned earlier it can be in the form of a rash, which can be itchy and usually christened by some people as 'prickly heat', but others experience various kinds of symptoms, which can greatly affect their lives. You might develop having hives that can cause blisters.

In order for you to determine the symptoms of sun allergy, it is usually best to know what causes your sun allergy. Here are some of the causes of sun allergy:

• Do check your shampoo because you might be using the wrong one. If you observe that you have rashes and redness over your scalp and along the sides of your face then it might probably caused by chemicals such as (lauryl sulfate) and (laureth sulfate), which can cause harm to the skin. Switching to a natural shampoo is not a guarantee either because natural shampoo contain loads of irritating ingredients like balsam, avocado, bal mint, eucalyptus, essential oils, horse radish, grapefruit, lavender oil, menthol, lime, lemon, papaya, orange, peppermint, thyme, sage, and rose. You might be having sun allergy because you are using the wrong shampoo.
• Your skin care products may also be a major cause of your sun allergy because of the harmful chemicals present in those products. Such products often make the skin more susceptible to the sun's ultraviolet rays.
• And the greatest cause of all in having sun allergy is sunlight. Sunlight greatly intensifies having a major skin irritation with the use of the wrong shampoo coupled with the use of skin care products.

An unusual symptom in children with sun allergy is the syndrome called 'sun drunk' where it occurs after prolonged exposure to the sun, some children might lose balance and stumble quickly. These children might experience having glazed looks and expressions and most of the time can fall asleep very quickly. Once these children are given time to recover, and once they are out of the sun, there may not be much noticeable effects.

Depending on the type of sun allergy, symptoms may differ greatly. There are usually four common types of sun allergy and they are the following:

• Polymorphous light eruption (PMLE) which is the most common type. Some of its symptoms include experiencing having chills, nausea and headaches. Rashes usually appear on the arms and legs, neck and on the upper chest that often occurs within the first two to three days. Polymorphous light eruption, in rare instances may erupt as small fluid filled blisters and as red plaques, which causes tiny area of bleeding under the skin. Treatment for polymorphous light eruption often includes dousing cold water over the affected area. Itching can be managed by utilizing an over-the-counter antihistamine.
• Actinic prurigo or also known as hereditary polymorphous light eruption where its symptoms have more gravity than the usual type of polymorphous light eruption. Symptoms of actinic prurigo often manifest earlier in childhood and also during adolescence. Also, such symptoms are mostly confined on the face especially over the lips. Treatment for actinic prurigo is usually the same with the classic polymorphous light eruption.
  
• Photoallergic eruptions which are the adverse effect against some of the harmful chemicals applied on the skin. Some forms of medicines often cause photoallergic eruptions. Antibiotics like sulfonamides and tetracycline, some medications that are used to treat psychiatric disorders such as phenothiazines, some oral contraceptives and diuretics utilized in heart diseases and high blood pressure do cause photoallergic eruption. In some rare instances, photoallergic eruptions are also caused by some over-the-counter pain relievers such as naproxen sodium and ibuprofen. Symptoms of this kind of sun allergy are similar to those of polymorphous light eruption, but rashes tend to spread rapidly on the different parts of the body. Skin symptoms from photoallergic eruption usually do not begin after one to two days of sun exposure because this type of sun allergy is also a kind of late hypersensitivity reaction. Treatment for photoallergic eruption should be first to determine which products are the sole cause of allergies, and then once determined to abruptly and immediately stop these products from being used anymore.
• Solar urticaria which is the rarest type of sun allergy that often produces large and itchy hives on the different parts of the body exposed to the sun, which appears within minutes after exposure to the sun. Solar urticaria usually affects more women than men. The remedy for this type of sun allergy is the same with that of polymorphous light eruption.

In any form of allergy, prevention is still better than cure, so as stated above determine the cause of your sun allergy. Bombard yourself with loads of information about sun allergy by knowing the different types and determining the appropriate treatment for each kind. Stay indoors or avoid going outside especially when the sun is most harmful between the hours of 10 am to 4 pm because during those hours your body is most susceptible to reaction. Even inside tanning salons, do not deliberately soak under the sun because the results will be ugly. Do apply liberal amounts of sunscreen, SPF 50 at the least before stepping outdoors. Apply the sunscreen after every two hours. Utilize the sunscreen after swimming and after going to the gym. Cover up yourself by wearing clothes with light fabric. Protect certain body parts prone to sunburn. Treat your sunburn immediately by using topical ointments and by taking oral beta carotene. Use sun glasses and hats.