Sunburn
A radiation burn from UV overexposure causing skin inflammation and damage.
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Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, typically from the Sun, causes a radiation burn affecting living tissue like skin, known as sunburn.[1] Red or reddish skin that is hot or painful, general fatigue, and mild dizziness are common symptoms, while blistering, peeling skin, swelling, itching, and nausea can also occur.[1] Non-malignant skin tumors, which can be life-threatening in extreme cases, are primarily caused by excessive UV radiation.[1]
Quick Facts
- Type
- Medical condition
- Cause
- Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation
- Symptoms
- Redness
- swelling
- blistering
- peeling
- pain
- fatigue
- nausea
- Duration
- Symptoms peak at 24–36 hours, healing within 7 days
- Risk factor
- Lighter skin types
- prolonged UV exposure
- proximity to equator
- Prevention
- Sunscreen, sun protective clothing
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
UVB damages mRNA, which triggers a fast pathway leading to skin inflammation via a protein called ZAK-alpha.[2] The Healthwise account notes that over a third of U.S. adults and nearly 60% of children and teens reported at least one sunburn in a year.[3] UV radiation causes nucleic acid damage in tissue, which then triggers an inflammatory response known as sunburn.[4] UVB-induced skin inflammation and acute sunburn result from RNA damage, not from DNA damage.[5]
Exposure to the sun for under 15 minutes can cause sunburn, yet the initial signs of damage might not be visible for several hours afterward.[6] Individuals under six years old and those over sixty years old have a heightened sensitivity to sunlight.[7] In the United States, approximately three-quarters of adolescents and young adults have had a sunburn.[8]
What the research sources say
The IARC monograph concludes that topical sunscreens are effective in preventing sunburn, but little is known about their protective value against skin cancer.[9] The UF Health source states that sunburn results when UV exposure exceeds the ability of melanin to protect the skin.[10] The American Academy of Dermatology recommends applying moisturizers containing aloe vera or soy to soothe sunburned skin.[11] The CDC notes that severe skin damage from acute radiation syndrome can resemble a bad sunburn, including redness, blisters, or ulcers.[12]
The Healthwise source advises that sunburn treatment aims to relieve reddened, inflamed skin while easing pain.[3] The UF Health source recommends taking a cool shower or bath or applying cool, wet cloths to the burn.[10]
References
- Wikipedia, "Sunburn" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer "Do sunscreens prevent skin cancer" Press release No. 132, 5 June 2000; World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer "Solar and ultraviolet radiation" IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sunburn" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Wurtmann, "RNA under attack: Cellular handling of RNA damage", Critical Reviews in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2009, p. 34–49 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Sunburn – Topic Overview", Healthwise, 15 November 2013. facts only, no text reused. webmd.com
- Wikipedia, "Sunburn" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sunburn" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Vind, "The ribotoxic stress response drives acute inflammation, cell death, and epidermal thickening in UV-irradiated skin in vivo", Molecular Cell, 2024, p. 4774–4789.e9 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sunburn" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Sunburn - UF Health", ufhealth.org; "Ultra-violet Radiation", warwick.ac.uk; Humans, "Exposure Data", Welding, molybdenum trioxide, and indium tin oxide, 2018 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sunburn" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Sunburn – Topic Overview", Healthwise, 15 November 2013 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Sunburn" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Holman, "The association between demographic and behavioral characteristics and sunburn among U.S. adults - National Health Interview Survey, 2010", Preventive Medicine, June 2014, p. 6–12; Tang, "Current insights and future perspectives of ultraviolet radiation (UV) exposure: Friends and foes to the skin and beyond the skin", Environment International, March 2024 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer "Solar and ultraviolet radiation" IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks. facts only, no text reused. monographs.iarc.fr
- "Sunburn - UF Health", ufhealth.org. facts only, no text reused. ufhealth.org
- "How to treat sunburn", American Academy of Dermatology. facts only, no text reused. aad.org
- "Acute Radiation Syndrome | CDC", 23 October 2020. facts only, no text reused. cdc.gov
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Sunburn (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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