Diagnosis
For the diagnosis of a sun allergy it is important that the child or his parents describe the symptoms and how they develop. On the other hand, the pediatrician or family doctor will look closely at the skin symptoms and, based on his trained eye, will assess whether this is typical for a sun allergy or whether another disease may be the cause. In most cases, these two steps make it possible to make a diagnosis.Other measures such as a blood test usually have no benefit for the child and should therefore not be carried out.
If necessary, a provocation test can be carried out by exposing an area of skin to UV light to confirm the diagnosis. In most cases, however, this is unnecessary. Also, an allergy test is usually not necessary, since sun allergy is not an allergic reaction in the medical sense. An allergy test can be considered if there is a suspicion that an allergy to certain substances such as grasses or food could be responsible for the symptoms. This topic might also be of interest to you: Prick test
What is the prognosis?
The skin symptoms of a child allergic to the sun usually appear with a time delay of a few hours to days after the first exposure to the sun. If protection against further exposure to the sun is then provided, the symptoms usually subside on their own after a few days. Normally there is no permanent damage to the skin.
Only if the child scratches very strongly, can there be longer lasting damage to the skin. The prognosis of a sun allergy in children varies. The symptoms often reoccur every year, especially in spring, when the skin is not yet accustomed to the sun.
As the child grows older, the symptoms are often less severe. In adulthood, however, many people also suffer from an allergy to the sun. Women are more frequently affected than men.
