How to treat a Sunburn? - Doctor Explains

In this video we will cover how to cure a sunburn, but before we do so I thought it would be important to explain exactly what a sunburn is.

A sunburn or a radiation burn is causes by over exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
It can cause a red skin, blistering, itching, a rash and a skin that is hot to the touch. It can cause pain, fever, nausea, fatigue and dizziness.
However, a sunburn is no joke and it should be dealt with seriously. You see, in extreme cases a sunburn can be life threatening. Like any other burn. On the longterm extensive UV exposure will increase your risk on skin cancer. In fact a single sunburn can increase your risk on skin cancer threefold.

So for those of you who want to learn how to check yourself for skin cancer check out this video:
youtu.be/bdWKG-NysJ4

Now you know how dangerous a sunburn can be, we will discuss how to treat it!
- First of all get out of the sun, preferably get indoors. And when going out into the sun again make sure you put on sunscreen and you are wearing clothing to cover your sunburned skin. This will protect it from further damage.
- Next you can take a cool shower or a cool bath. This will decrease the pain and itching.
Afterwards gently pad yourself dry. Don’t scrub or rub your skin. As this might worsen your symptoms.
- Apply a moisturizer for a nourishing and cooling effect. Do this as often as you can. You see in a burned skin the skin structure is damaged. Therefore you lose more moisture than you normally would. And this is where the moisturizer comes in.
- For this reason you should also increase your water intake. Otherwise you might experience dehydration.
- If all of the previous steps are insufficient than your could use painkillers or anti-inflammatory medication, like aspirin, ibuprofen or steroid creams. Though always discuss this with your prescribing doctor.

If you are looking for some tips on how to prevent a sunburn in the first place than check out this video here: youtu.be/caCaGg4W8Ao

- Disclaimer: this video and the comments are meant purely informational! This is not medical advice! If you are looking for medical advice always contact your own doctor. -

I want to give special thanks to my sponsors on Patreon:
- Sebastian Houwing: Investor
- Roel: Supporter

Literature:
1: American Academy of Dermatology. (2020). How to treat sunburn.
2: Skin Cancer Foundation. (2019). Sunburn & Your Skin.
3: Farmacotherapeutisch Kompas. (2020). ibuprofen.

* The images in this video are used for educational purposes only. Most of the images and video material in this video come from canva.com/.

Music:
1. Verified Picasso, Fish Room
2. Patrick Patrikos, Good Times

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Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry Seventh Edition, amzn.to/2PFGidh
Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology 14th Edition, amzn.to/3inL6jM
Human Anatomy & Physiology (12th Edition), amzn.to/2DHlHCT
Oxford Handbook of Clinical Specialties, amzn.to/3fU854s
Oxford Handbook of Emergency Medicine, amzn.to/31LfMVg
Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine, amzn.to/3ky73hZ
Janeway's Immunobiology, amzn.to/3gLZW3e
Atlas of Human Anatomy (Netter Basic Science), amzn.to/3afFe9c
Netter's Anatomy Flash Cards, amzn.to/2XSAMIN
The House of God, S. Shem, amzn.to/31I7HAU

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