Sun burns ~ Learn First Aid

Thursday, July 21, 2011

If you got burned by the sun , Cool the affected area with clean

towels, cloths or gauze dipped in cool water or take a cool bath

or shower.

Take aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen or naproxen sodium for

pain and/or headache and to reduce fever.

Note:

Do not give aspirin or any medication that has

salicylates to anyone 19 years of age or younger unless a doctor tells you to.

Use an over-the-counter topical steroid cream if the pain lasts.

Note :- Don't use steroids in children without prescription as it has alot of harmful effects

on all body systems.

Rest in a cool, quiet room. Find a comfortable position.

Drink plenty of water.

Don't use local anesthetic creams or sprays that numb pain such as Benzocaine or

Lidocaine. If you must use them, only use a little because they cause allergic reactions in

some people.

Put sunscreen on and cover sunburned skin when you go in the sun again so you don't get

burned more.

Prevention

Avoid the sun's rays between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Protect your skin. Use sun block with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more when

exposed to the sun.

The lighter your skin, the higher the SPF number should be. To work well, sunscreen

should be put on 15 to 30 minutes before you are in the sun, every hour to hour and a half

you stay in the sun and after swimming. You can buy makeup with sunscreen, too.

Wear muted colors such as tan. Bright colors and white reflect the sun onto the face. Some

clothing has sunscreen protection.

Wear a wide-brimmed hat.

Wear sunglasses that absorb at least 90% of UV rays . Labels on sunglasses tell you this.