Sun Poisoning: What It Is and When to Worry

Sun poisoning is not a real poisoning. It is a common name for two things. One is a severe sunburn that makes you feel ill, with fever, chills, headache or sickness. The other is an itchy sun rash called polymorphic light eruption. Most cases settle with cooling, fluids and rest. Signs of heatstroke need 112.

Dr. Pedro Yelamo Vera is a GP licensed in Spain (Colegiado No. 484814280).

For a medical emergency, call 112 or go to the nearest local emergency department. Do not wait for a video consultation or an online reply.

What is sun poisoning?

"Sun poisoning" is an everyday phrase, not a diagnosis. Doctors use it in two ways.

• Severe sunburn. MedlinePlus says severe sunburn reactions are sometimes called sun poisoning. They can bring fever, chills, nausea or a rash.
• A sun rash. Mayo Clinic lists "sun poisoning" as another name for polymorphous light eruption, also called sun allergy.

In Spain you may hear quemadura solar (sunburn), intoxicación solar or alergia al sol (sun rash), and golpe de calor (heatstroke).

How is sun poisoning different from ordinary sunburn?

	Ordinary sunburn	Severe sunburn	Sun rash
Skin	Red or pink, hot and sore	Painful, swollen, often blistered	Clusters of small itchy bumps or blisters
How you feel	Well apart from the pain	Fever, chills, headache, nausea or tiredness	Usually well; fever is rare
When it starts	Within a few hours of sun	Within hours, worst in the first two days	30 minutes to several hours after sun
Where	Any skin left uncovered	Large areas of uncovered skin	Often chest, neck and arms

On brown or black skin, redness can be hard to see. Pain, heat and peeling are better clues.

What are the degrees of sunburn?

• First degree. Red, sore skin without blisters. This is the usual sunburn.
• Second degree. The burn goes deeper and forms blisters. The Spanish paediatric association (AEP) describes blisters as the sign of a second-degree burn.
• Deep burns. Skin that looks white or leathery and does not hurt may be a deep burn. It needs urgent care.

MedlinePlus explains that pain is worst between 6 and 48 hours after sun. Blisters can appear hours or days later.

What does a sun rash look like?

The NHS calls it polymorphic light eruption. It shows up as small raised spots, blisters or blotchy patches. It itches or burns. It tends to appear on skin that is not often in the sun, such as the chest, arms or legs.

It is most common in spring and early summer, and in women and people under 40. It usually clears in about a week if you stay out of the sun, says the NHS. Mayo Clinic says most rashes go within 10 days without scars.

How do you treat sun poisoning at home?

The NHS advice for sunburn is simple:

• Get out of the sun and keep the burnt skin covered until it heals.
• Cool the skin with a cool shower, bath or damp towel. Do not let a baby or young child get too cold.
• Use aftersun or an unperfumed moisturiser.
• Drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol.
• Take paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain, following the leaflet.

Avoid ice packs, petroleum jelly and tight clothes. Do not pop blisters or pull off peeling skin. MedlinePlus advises against creams with benzocaine or lidocaine, which can irritate the skin. Cover broken blisters with a loose, dry dressing.

For a sun rash, cool compresses and an antihistamine can ease the itch. Ask a pharmacist (farmacéutico) which one suits you.

Could my medicines make me burn more easily?

Yes. In its sunburn guide, Mayo Clinic says some medicines make skin more sensitive to sunlight. Examples include some antibiotics, anti-inflammatory painkillers such as ibuprofen, and some cholesterol medicines. Skin products with alpha-hydroxy acids can do the same. If you burn far more than usual, check your leaflet or ask a pharmacist. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Is it heat exhaustion or heatstroke?

Severe sunburn can come with heat exhaustion, and that can turn into heatstroke. The NHS lists these signs of heat exhaustion:

• Tiredness, dizziness and headache.
• Feeling or being sick.
• Heavy sweating with pale, clammy skin.
• Cramps, a high temperature and strong thirst.

Move the person somewhere cool. Take off extra clothing. Give water to drink and cool the skin with water and a fan. They should feel better within 30 minutes.

Call 112 for heatstroke signs. The NHS lists: still unwell after 30 minutes of cooling, hot skin that has stopped sweating, a fast heartbeat or fast breathing, confusion, a fit, or passing out. While you wait, keep cooling them with a wet sheet or cool water.

What about sun poisoning in babies and children?

Children's skin burns more easily. The NHS advises urgent advice for any baby or young child with sunburn. Cool them gently so they do not get cold. MedlinePlus notes that infants and children are especially sensitive to sun damage. Never give a child aspirin for the pain.

A child with sunburn who is confused, has a fit or passes out needs 112.

How long does sun poisoning last?

The NHS says sunburn usually gets better within 7 days. Peeling starts a few days after the burn. A sun rash usually fades in about a week away from the sun. It can come back each spring.

When should you see a doctor?

See a doctor today, without waiting, if after sun you have:

• Blistered or swollen skin, or large blisters.
• Blisters on the face, hands or genitals.
• A high temperature, or you feel hot, cold or shivery.
• Extreme tiredness, dizziness, sickness, headache or cramps.
• Pus, spreading redness or red streaks (signs of infection).
• Eye pain or sensitivity to light.
• A baby or young child with sunburn.

Book a routine visit if a sun rash is getting worse or not better after a week.

Call 112 for confusion, a fit or passing out. Go to urgencias (the emergency department) without delay for a fever over 39.4°C with vomiting, or signs of dehydration such as very little urine, or cold skin with dizziness or faintness, as Mayo Clinic advises.

How can you prevent it next time?

• Stay in the shade in the middle of the day. In Spain, the AEMPS advises avoiding 12:00 to 16:00.
• Wear a hat, sunglasses and loose clothes that cover the skin.
• Use a sunscreen of SPF 50 or more, as the NHS advises for people prone to sun rash. The AEMPS advises putting it on 30 minutes before going out and again every two hours.
• Drink water through the day.

Talking it through with a doctor by video

Dr. Yelamo is a GP licensed in Spain. He sees adults, children and pregnant patients by video, every day from 07:30 to 20:30 (Spain time). In the visit he will:

• Ask when you were in the sun and how you feel now.
• Look at the burn or rash on camera, including any blisters.
• Check for signs of heat illness and infection, and tell you if you need to be seen in person.

He does not promise any test or prescription before the visit. Where clinically appropriate, following a genuine evaluation. Treatment and prescriptions are issued solely at the doctor's discretion based on evidence-based clinical guidelines.

A prescription is never guaranteed: it is issued only where clinically appropriate after a genuine evaluation, as a private electronic prescription under Spanish law. This service is for urgent, non-emergency care. In an emergency, call 112.

See how the Urgent Care video visit works. It lasts 15 minutes and costs €50.

This guide is general information. It does not replace a consultation with your doctor.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• NHS: Sunburn
• NHS: Heat exhaustion and heatstroke
• NHS: Polymorphic light eruption
• MedlinePlus: Sunburn
• Mayo Clinic: Polymorphous light eruption
• Mayo Clinic: Sunburn
• Spanish Association of Paediatrics (AEP), En Familia: Burns (in Spanish)
• AEMPS: Sun protection and outdoor sport (in Spanish)

Related guides

• Sunburn and blisters care online
• Ibuprofen in Spain: pharmacy or prescription?
• Paracetamol in Spain
• Cetirizine over the counter in Spain
• Emergency numbers in Spain: 112 and 061
• Urgent Care video visit