# "Sun poisoning": Fact, or crap? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 1, 2004, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sun-poisoning-fact-or-crap/243016 "2004-05-01T17:12:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sun-poisoning-fact-or-crap/243016/1 "2004-05-01T17:12:00Z")
Since I was about 14 or so, I’ve been prone to getting this odd, itchy rash on my forearms the first time I spend a significant amount of time out in the sun. There are strange bumps not on the epidermis, but _under_ it, mixed with the occasional pustule-looking thing on the surface. After a couple of hours, the skin turns a dark, angry red, as though I’d been badly sunburned. With the redness, swelling, and pustules, it looks almost like poison ivy, and it itches unbearably like poison ivy. Before, it was always confined to my forearms (usually the left), and went away after a day or so out of the sun. My mother always called it “sun poisoning” (“poisoning” seems to be her generic term for short-lived, erratic dermatitis caused by extended contact with something.) I know it’s not sunburn, because the rest of my skin is perfectly fine and sunscreen makes no difference at all in whether or not I get the rash. I know it’s not poison ivy, because I get it whether out mucking around in the fields and woods, working in my yard and garden, or lying on a chaise lounge in the middle of my patio. Besides, it heals way faster than poison ivy. It’s more like a localized allergic reaction, but it seems to be getting worse and spreading. It keeps coming back this year, and now I’m getting the itching and subcutaneous swellings on my upper arms and a little bit on the back of my neck. So is my mother right? Is this just a temporary dermatitis caused by getting too much sun too fast? Is such a thing even possible without getting sunburn, too? Is there something else going on, and should I be concerned about it? Could the sudden worsening of the condition be related to my birth control? I know that the pill can make the skin photosensitive, and when I was on it, I tanned much more easily. I’ve got a Mirena, which releases a constant low dose of synthetic progesterone. Could that be making me more sensitive to whatever causes this rash? ---
**Author:** ![Ezstrete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ea924/32.png) [@Ezstrete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ezstrete)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sun-poisoning-fact-or-crap/243016/2 "2004-05-01T20:20:17Z")
> [@CrazyCatLady](#): > > Since I was about 14 or so, I’ve been prone to getting this odd, itchy rash on my forearms the first time I spend a significant amount of time out in the sun. There are strange bumps not on the epidermis, but _under_ it, mixed with the occasional pustule-looking thing on the surface. After a couple of hours, the skin turns a dark, angry red, as though I’d been badly sunburned. With the redness, swelling, and pustules, it looks almost like poison ivy, and it itches unbearably like poison ivy. Before, it was always confined to my forearms (usually the left), and went away after a day or so out of the sun. My mother always called it “sun poisoning” (“poisoning” seems to be her generic term for short-lived, erratic dermatitis caused by extended contact with something.) > > I know it’s not sunburn, because the rest of my skin is perfectly fine and sunscreen makes no difference at all in whether or not I get the rash. I know it’s not poison ivy, because I get it whether out mucking around in the fields and woods, working in my yard and garden, or lying on a chaise lounge in the middle of my patio. Besides, it heals way faster than poison ivy. It’s more like a localized allergic reaction, but it seems to be getting worse and spreading. It keeps coming back this year, and now I’m getting the itching and subcutaneous swellings on my upper arms and a little bit on the back of my neck. > > So is my mother right? Is this just a temporary dermatitis caused by getting too much sun too fast? Is such a thing even possible without getting sunburn, too? Is there something else going on, and should I be concerned about it? Could the sudden worsening of the condition be related to my birth control? I know that the pill can make the skin photosensitive, and when I was on it, I tanned much more easily. I’ve got a Mirena, which releases a constant low dose of synthetic progesterone. Could that be making me more sensitive to whatever causes this rash? It’s for real-----go to keywords—type in sun poisoning---------hit go—you’ve got it Ole EZ ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sun-poisoning-fact-or-crap/243016/3 "2004-05-01T20:30:22Z")
What you have is more along the lines of a hypersensitivity to sunlight, called [photosensitivity, not “true” sun poisoning. I put “true” in quotes, because sun poisoning isn’t a medically-defined term, as discussed [url=http://www.drweil.com/app/cda/drw\_cda.html-command=TodayQA-questionId=3879]here](http://www.numarkpharmacists.com/hn/Concern/Photosensitivity.htm). > [@](#): > > “Sun poisoning” isn’t a medical term. It is an apt layman’s description of the symptoms that can accompany a severe sunburn – nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, headache, and in general, feeling pretty sick. You should seek medical attention if you experience these symptoms. Since you’re not getting a sunburn, let alone a severe one, you’re not experiencing sun poisoning. The symptoms of photosensitivity much more closely match your description: > [@](#): > > **What are the symptoms of photosensitivity?** > > Symptoms may include a pink or red skin rash with blotchy blisters, scaly patches, or raised spots on areas directly exposed to the sun. The affected area may itch or burn, and the rash may last for several days. In some people, the reaction to sunlight gradually becomes less with subsequent exposures. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sun-poisoning-fact-or-crap/243016/4 "2004-05-01T20:33:27Z")
Oops. Sorry about the crappy coding. [Photosensitivity link](http://www.numarkpharmacists.com/hn/Concern/Photosensitivity.htm). [Sun poisoning link](http://www.drweil.com/app/cda/drw_cda.html-command=TodayQA-questionId=3879). ---
**Author:** ![Saturnine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Saturnine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saturnine)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sun-poisoning-fact-or-crap/243016/5 "2004-05-01T20:38:08Z")
Could it be [Polymorphic Light Eruption](http://www.dermnetnz.org/index.html)? It goes by the name ‘sun poisoning’ also. From cite: > [@](#): > > The name ‘polymorphic’ refers to the fact that the rash can take many forms, although in one individual it usually looks the same every time it appears. > > Sometimes the rash looks like dermatitis, i.e. it is blistered and then larger dry, red patches appear. > > Occasionally there are ‘target’ lesions; they look like a bull’s-eye like erythema multiforme. > [@](#): > > PMLE is thought to be caused by an immune reaction to a compound in the skin which is altered by exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The result is an inflammatory rash. It is usually provoked not only by short wavelength UVB but also longer wavelength UVA. This means the rash can occur when the sunlight is coming through window glass, and that sunblocks may not be all that effective at preventing it. More stuff: [Yahoo! Heatlh Directory](http://dir.yahoo.com/Health/Diseases_and_Conditions/Polymorphous_Light_Eruption__PMLE_/) [MDAdvice Health Directory](http://www.mdadvice.com/library/ped/pedillsymp400.html) (Aimed towards parents I think, but might be informative) Unfortunately, the only advice they seem to give is protective clothing, sunblock, or avoiding the sun if possible. I’m sorry to hear your time in the sun is being messed up by something like this, good luck!! ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sun-poisoning-fact-or-crap/243016/6 "2004-05-01T20:41:04Z")
This might sound strange, but did you ever work with produce. I mention this because it rang a bell as soon as you mentioned that it was on your forearms. At the store where I work, most of the people have been afflicted with we call (I don’t know why) [fruit disease](http://www.dermnetnz.org/index.html). The reason I say I don’t know why we call it this, is because you get it from celery. It has pretty much the same symptoms as you mentioned (itchy, rash, itchy, red, photosensitivity, itchy) if you don’t take care of it (cortaid works great) it blisters and leaves a nice big splotchy scar. It can be prevented simply by washing your hands and FOREARMS (which is where most people get it) after working with celery. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sun-poisoning-fact-or-crap/243016/7 "2004-05-02T05:46:52Z")
No celery here, and I’ve certainly not been up to my forearms in other produce. That pretty much rules out fruit disease. So far, PMLE seems to most closely fit what I’m experiencing. That sucks ass, since there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of help for it. Well, short of staying out of the sun, that is, and that’s just not feasible in the summertime in North Carolina. I’ve got some steroid cream, and as **Dr.J** tends to sum up his dermatologic knowledge, red rash gets white cream. It should help with the itching, anyway. If it’s not better fairly soon, I guess I’ll have to break down and see a doctor.