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- $Unique_ID{BRK02347}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{What Are Causes of Terrible Skin Reactions?}
- $Subject{skin reaction reactions sun photosensitive photosensitivity sunlight
- burn burns solar light lights photochemical overexposure lupus erythematosus
- LE sunscreen sunscreens topical corticosteroid corticosteroids oral
- hydroxychloroquine dermatomyositis dm inflammatory rash rashes porphyria
- cutanea tarda pct}
- $Volume{L-20}
- $Log{}
-
- Copyright (c) 1992,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
-
-
- What Are Causes of Terrible Skin Reactions?
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-
- QUESTION: Just when I thought I had gone through a summer without any health
- problems, I came down with a terrible skin reaction after but a few minutes in
- the sun. My whole body turned flaming red. Can you figure out what caused
- this?
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- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- ANSWER: You had a "photosensitive" reaction. That's the simple answer, but
- finding out why takes some evaluation by a doctor who is familiar with such
- problems.
- There are different reasons a person may have a very bad reaction to
- sunlight. Several medications cause people to react badly to the sun. Then
- there are skin diseases within the body that can cause your skin to burn with
- only a small amount of exposure to sunlight. Solar energy in large enough
- quantities can burn anybody, but in some individuals absorbed light in any
- amount may trigger a photochemical reaction, resulting in tissue damage.
- When you speak to a doctor and he or she rules out "normal" overexposure
- to the sun (think back, you might have been outside longer than you realized)
- it is time to start investigating further. The physician should get a full
- history of what medications you are on, did you drink alcoholic beverages
- while in the sun or just before exposure, did you wear perfume that could have
- triggered an allergic reaction? If there isn't a simple answer to what caused
- your severe burn, then it's time to do testing for diseases within the body
- that make the skin react.
- Lupus Erythematosus is a systemic disease that has been found to affect
- about 1 in 800 people in the United States, occurring primarily in women.
- Exposure to sunlight is a factor that seems to contribute to the development
- or onset of this disease. This chronic inflammatory disease can cause injury
- to the skin, joints, kidneys, nervous system and mucous membranes. It is
- possible to have flare-up periods and remissions with this disease, and LE
- patients are instructed to avoid exposure to sunlight as much as possible to
- minimize relapses.
- Naturally, it is impossible to avoid sunlight altogether, so it is
- imperative that LE patients use a sunscreen daily with a sun protection factor
- of at least 15. Patients are also treated with topical corticosteroids and,
- in rare cases, with oral hydroxychloroquine.
- Dermatomyositis (DM) is another inflammatory disease, characterized by
- skin rashes. DM may be complicated by lung disease, esophageal problems,
- cardiac conditions and arthritis. Myositis may cause progressive muscle
- weakness and tenderness. DM is also associated with an increased risk of
- cancer. Lab tests that should be done on DM patients include evaluation of
- blood in the stool, mammography and chest films.
- Another skin disease, porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is associated with
- alcohol abuse. PCT patients often show a striking improvement when they stop
- drinking. Estrogen therapy in postmenopausal women may also exacerbate this
- disease.
- If you haven't already been to a doctor about your strange reaction to
- the sun, go. As you can see, the skin rash could be a warning sign of a much
- greater problem. But if you are like many of my patients (and family), you
- probably just underestimated the time you spent sunbathing, and probably took
- your exposure when the suns rays where at their highest intensity. Let's hope
- so, for then your doctor's visit will be a fine educational visit, and you
- will have no serious worries to concern you.
-
- ----------------
-
- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
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-