Symptoms of sunburn and what to do if blisters appear

After I came back from a trip with my friends, I found a red spot on my arm. Could it be sunburn? What are the symptoms of sunburn?

Symptoms of sunburn

The symptoms of sunburn can be divided into mild and severe. Severe sunburn can cause redness and swelling of exposed skin areas, with small blisters, papules, and papulovesicles on them. Some rashes can fuse, and small blisters can fuse into large blisters. Scratching of the large blisters can cause erosion and exudation. Usually, due to the large area of ​​the rash and poor care, secondary bacterial infection may occur, resulting in yellow exudate and yellow scab. In severe cases, whole body fever may occur, which may reach above 39°C. After the above symptoms appear, you need to immediately apply a 2% boric acid solution wet compress and take the anti-allergic drug levocetirizine hydrochloride granules orally. If the condition is more serious, you also need to give compound monoammonium glycyrrhizinate S sodium chloride injection intravenously. If the symptoms are mild and only a small amount of erythema and papules appear on the exposed parts, then only external application of desonide ointment is sufficient for treatment.

What's the best way to remedy sunburn?

After the skin is sunburned, it mainly depends on the size of the sunburn area and the local symptoms of the skin after sunburn. If acute skin inflammation occurs, such as redness and swelling, you should use normal saline for cold compresses in time and use antihistamines orally. After the cold compress, you can also apply sugar and corticosteroids. Be sure to pay attention not to apply skin care products.

What to do if you have sunburn blisters

If the blisters caused by sunburn are not too large, such as small papulovesicles, you can temporarily use saline solution for cold compresses. You can also use Chinese medicine such as purslane and honeysuckle to boil water and apply cold compresses to the local area. This can clear away heat and detoxify to a certain extent, and at the same time eliminate local blisters. If there is no obvious erosion on the blisters, you can also apply calamine powder or talcum powder externally, which can help dry the area locally and create a dry and refreshing effect. If erosion has already formed, you can apply zinc oxide cream topically, or you can use zinc oxide paste to apply topically. Oral antihistamines are also needed to control the development of local inflammation. Second-generation antihistamines can be taken orally, such as levocetirizine hydrochloride, loratadine, etc. If the inflammation is accompanied by obvious redness and swelling, oral corticosteroids, such as prednisone, dexamethasone, etc., are also needed.

Can I take a shower if I have sunburn and blisters?

You cannot take a shower if blisters appear after sunburn. Try not to get the blistered area exposed to water, as water can easily aggravate the infection. You should also not use shower gel or skin care products as they are irritating. The blisters that appear after sunburn are called solar rash, which is a more serious skin disease and needs to be taken seriously. You need to take good care of it on a regular basis. You can use a towel to wipe the areas without blisters, disinfect the blistered areas with iodine, and then apply cream to relieve the symptoms. If the blisters are broken and infected, you need to use antibiotics to treat them.