What is photodermatitis?

Sun rays can not only damage the skin and lead it to premature withering, but can also cause burns and allergic reactions, which are called photodermatitis. Photodermatitis, like the usual running allergy, refers to a disease like urticaria.


Of course, ultraviolet rays are useful for humans, but they also do harm. For the formation and strengthening of bones, our body needs vitamin D, which has an excellent effect on the absorption of calcium, and so, it is synthesized under the influence of sun rays. Especially in this need children to avoid the disease of rickets. Just do not be fanatical to this, because excessive doses of ultraviolet reverse bad influence. It breaks the structure of the dermal fibers, causes it to age, premature wrinkles appear. Moreover, because of excessive sun exposure, tumors can develop.

There are many diseases that are called photodermatoses, these are photodermatitis, which occur under the influence of sunlight. With such gossip, the organism undergoes many reactions: photoallergic, phototractive, phototoxic.

Phototractive reactions occur as a result of excessive sunlight and the first signs of photodermatitis are manifested as a sunburn. At the same time for every person with different types of skin, the time spent in the sun, which leads to a burn, is completely different. So, for example, owners of a swarthy skin can sunbathe for several hours without consequences, and people who have their hair blond and white as sour cream, at the same time will get a severe burn. At the burn, those skin areas that were exposed to sunlight, through some time blush, moreover, there may appear blisters with a watery fluid, pain in places, burning and itching.

Phototoxic reactions occur because of substances that are capable of increasing sensitivity to the culture-violet rays. Such substances can arise when a person suffers from liver diseases or they enter the body from the outside (from drugs, for example, from the use of tetracycline). Thus, in open areas of the skin, even if a person does not stay for long in the sun and its effect is not so strong, bubbles, erosions, red spots appear.

Photoallergic reactions occur in the form of solar eczema, prurigo (sun prurigo). If there is a reaction, then on the exposed skin appear nodules of a reddish color, protruding above the surface of the skin and vesicles.

If you have photodermatitis, then you need to plan a trip to the doctor, because this can be a sign of a disease of the liver, such a disease is called porphyrin disease. Phototoxic reaction can occur due to the administration of many antibiotics (for example, the same antibiotics of tetracycline group), some antifungal agents (eg griseofulvin), some anti-inflammatory drugs (eg ibuprofen). For this reason, you should carefully read the leaflet, which is always attached to the drug, where you can see whether the medicine has increased the sensitivity to culture-violet rays or not.

People who are very fond of sunbathing should be very careful when taking medication: there are a number of medicines that can be used to make photodermatitis. As a rule, doctors warn their patients of this possibility and advise them to stay in the sun as little as possible or use strong sunscreen. Photodermatitis may occur when taking funds with thiothiols and tar, preparations with St. John's Wort, sulfonamides (antimicrobial drugs), tetracycline antibiotics, barbiturates.

Substances that increase sensitivity, unfortunately, are contained not only in medicines, but also in perfumes (perfumes and deodorants), household chemicals, some vidahmyla, products with essential oils. By exposure to sunlight, they cause the body to experience unpleasant reactions. If the juice of some plants (for example, clover, laminaria, buttercups, sorrel) gets on the skin, then, under the action of ultraviolet light, dark spots may remain.

How, after all, to avoid the photodermatitis?

You need less to be in the sun during the day, remember that it is best to burn in the evening and in the morning.

Now there is a bunch of all kinds of sunscreen products that perfectly help to avoid photodermatitis. On each package and on each tube there are figures that indicate how many times they weaken the action of ultra-violet rays.

If you have sensitive skin, then do not advise before going out to the sun to use ointments, perfumes, deodorants, because as mentioned earlier, it can cause an allergic reaction.

They include various substances that increase the sensitivity, they include: polyunsaturated acids, bergamot oil, boric acid, parsley, phenol, eosin, musk, St. John's Wort, mercury preparations, paraaminobenzoic acid, dill juice, salicylic acid, rose, retinoids isandal. It should be said that paraaminobenzoic acid is quite often contained in sunscreens, and eosin is a component of lipstick.

Photodermatitis can cause and just weakened skin, after some additional effects, they include peeling or tattooing, they use cadmium salts.

To develop photodermatitis can and in connection with the violation of the exchange of substances because of a malfunction in the humoral system. Such diseases include xeroderma, polymorphic photodermatosis, solar eczema, porphyria.

How not to blush?

Of course, walking constantly in closed clothes is also an absence. After all, without the sun can not live, it is necessary for us for strong teeth, bones and immunity. It is especially important to walk in the sun in spring, but very carefully. Sunscreen should always be a friend, moreover, remember that if there is fog or clouds, it does not mean that you can relax, it is not a barrier to ultraviolet radiation. After a walk it is useful to soothe the skin of the face of the nematomata or linden.

The nose requires special attention, because he, as a rule, blushes the very first, so get yourself hats or caps with big caps.

If the photodermatitis has already happened to you, then the action is immediate. Initially, you need to rid the skin of an unpleasant itch, in this you can help compress from finely chopped apples, cucumber, potatoes or white cabbage. After this, start taking vitamin E daily, it will help you to remove inflammation. However, if photodermatitis appears for other reasons, for example, because of a disease of the liver or adrenal glands, then you need only medical help.