What to Do If My Child Is Allergic to the Sun?
Your child’s sensitive skin may suffer from exposure to the sun and, as a result, may experience allergic reactions. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about what to do if your child is allergic to the sun in the following article.
There are many mothers who claim that their child is allergic to the sun. They are, quite rightly, concerned about the situation, and yet, at the same time, don’t know what to do. However, we must take into account that all children can suffer reactions to the sun and that sometimes there’s no specific reason why.
Sun allergy is a common term that refers to any sort of reaction that causes a rash on the skin after sun exposure.
Sometimes, a child’s sensitive skin has a bad reaction to the sun’s rays, even when you make sure that he’s well protected with sunscreen. The rashes are caused by a variety of reasons. These range from simple sun exposure, to taking medication or the use of certain products while being exposed to the sun.
What to do if my child is allergic to the sun?
The allergy causes a rash to appear in the area of the skin that has been exposed to the sun’s rays. Reddish and itchy patches or hives can appear just minutes after exposure; they can last for a few hours or even for days. The allergy can become chronic, but the symptoms can be treated.
These are the most common sun allergies your child can experience. In addition, we’ll tell you what you can do to avoid or treat them:
1. Polymorphous light eruption
This is an immune reaction produced by the impact of light on the skin. This itchy rash is the most common of all sun allergies. It appears in the form of multiple spots or blisters.
My child has a sun allergy, what can I do?
If the child suffers a polymorphous light eruption, you should try to expose him to sunlight gradually. Start with only a few minutes a day and gradually increase the resistance. If the rash is mild, it may be useful to expose yourself to soft sunlight in the spring, as this can help acclimate the skin.
If the child has a severe rash, the doctor may prescribe a steroid cream to apply at night.
2. Sensitivity to light because of medication
This rash is also quite common. It’s suffered by children who take certain types of medicine while being exposed to the sun. It affects all parts of the body that have been in contact with solar rays.
Stopping the medication will usually help relieve symptoms, but you should only do this if the medicine you’re taking isn’t essential. If you aren’t sure, we recommend that you talk to a doctor. If the problems persist, the doctor may refer you to a specialist.
Sun allergies refer to a series of reactions which produce rashes on the skin after sun exposure.
3. Contact dermatitis
Contact dermatitis is another allergic reaction that occurs when a chemical reacts with the sun. It produces an allergen, and, because of this, the child’s skin becomes irritated.
It’s less common than the previous two. This rash affects all the parts of the body that have been in contact with certain chemicals such as soaps, perfumes, and other toiletries, and then exposed to the sun. In severe cases, the rash can cause blisters and hives.
You should try to identify the product or the chemical that causes the reaction and stop using it. In addition to that, you should, of course, protect your child adequately from the sun. We also recommend that you take antihistamines, wash the affected areas well and soothe any swelling with calamine lotion.
What are the risk factors if my child is allergic to the sun?
A sun allergy can’t be diagnosed so easily. This is because at first the symptoms are like those of any other allergic reaction.
Skin rashes are the usual sign of this sensitivity; the marks on the child’s skin forever. In fact, they will affect your skin and aren’t easy to treat.
Exposure to the sun is practically inevitable, so treating this type of allergy isn’t easy. Also, medications take time to take effect and allergic reactions begin soon after exposure. In extreme cases, these can cause skin cancer.
In short, you must take into account that children’s skin is very sensitive and can be very susceptible to this type of allergic reaction. For that reason, you must always protect children well with sunscreen and expose them to the sun gradually.