14.Dealing with sunburn naturally – The sun and sunburn naturally

Sometimes it might be serious…
Having read this far, you know that the best way of dealing with sunburn naturally is to prevent sunburn occurring by staying indoors, keeping out of direct sunlight for anything more than the shortest period of time whilst staying in the shade as much as possible, wearing a suitable hat and a shirt or t-shirt, etc.

So, you know all this and yet there is still a good chance that you will suffer sunburn at some stage because however much we know about ‘sunshine safety’, we all make mistakes from time to time (and I willingly include myself in this group).

For example, whilst it is something of an apocryphal seaside postcard and TV comedy show standby, people really do fall asleep in the sun and there is many an individual who still has the painful memories (and perhaps even in the most unfortunate cases, the scars) to prove it.

This brings us to the first important point about sunburn that you must take on board. Whilst this chapter is going to highlight many natural remedies for mild or minor sunburn, if you suffer serious sunburn, you need to seek medical attention.

As a general rule, the effects of sunburn will start to become painfully apparent anywhere between one hour and four hours after you have come inside and if during that time you begin to notice (or suspect) anything other ‘normal’ sunburn pain, you should get to the doctor as quickly as you can see to seek professional advice.

Whilst it would be possible in a perfect world to treat every medical condition, no matter how severe or serious it is in a completely natural way, it is an unfortunate fact that this is just not the way the world is. There are times when you need to seek medical attention, and if you have reason to suspect that your sunburn could be serious, this would be a perfect example.

If for instance you feel lightheaded, disorientated or dizzy, this may be a sign of serious sunburn or even sunstroke. Similarly, if the burned area starts coming up in blisters very quickly, you have a serious case of sunburn and there is also the risk of infection if any of the blisters bursts or starts to weep, so you must get to the consulting room or surgery as soon as possible.