Definition
Like adults, children can also suffer from sunburn after too long exposure to the sun. In sunburn, UV radiation causes inflammation of the skin, which is accompanied by pain, redness, swelling and sometimes blistering of the affected skin areas. Especially the sensitive skin of children is much more susceptible than the skin of adults. Therefore, it is important to protect children especially well from the sun and to avoid sunburn as completely as possible, also with regard to premature skin aging.
These are the causes of sunburn
Sunlight consists of different types of radiation. Ultraviolet radiation (UV radiation) is particularly important for sunburn. It consists of light of different wavelengths.
Especially the UV-B radiation causes sunburn, i.e. a burning of the upper layers of the skin. It can overcome the ozone layer of the earth and penetrates into the so-called epidermis, the uppermost layer of the skin of humans. The longer-wave UV-A radiation can also cause sunburn.
It penetrates even deeper into the skin layers, but has less energy. In the epidermis, skin cells are damaged by the radiation. This damage causes an inflammatory reaction of the skin, which can also spread to deeper skin layers.
This is where the typical symptoms of sunburn occur. Especially children are at risk of getting burned by UV radiation. Their skin is usually only weakly pigmented and not used to sunlight. The dark pigments of the skin can absorb the UV radiation, which is why light-skinned people are more susceptible to sunburn than those with darker skin.
The treatment of a sunburn
A light sunburn heals by itself within a few days. In the case of pain, cooling is often sufficient. Care should be taken never to place cooling pads directly on the skin, but always wrap them in a thin cloth or washing glove and only then place them on the skin.
Severe sunburns, especially those associated with blistering, require professional therapy by a pediatrician. The pediatrician will decide on the treatment after examining the burned areas of skin. Especially extensive burns can also be accompanied by fever and other general symptoms such as malaise and circulatory problems, as the body shows a general inflammatory reaction.
If a child develops a fever after sunburn, a pediatrician should be consulted immediately. In such a case, it cannot be ruled out that the child also suffers from heat stroke or sunstroke. In this case, a hospital stay may even be necessary.
While adults with severe sunburn pain can take painkillers such as ibuprofen, a pediatrician should first be consulted when a child is suffering from sunburn. If the pain cannot be alleviated by cooling and protection, the pediatrician can decide together with the parents whether a painkiller juice can be given. For minor burns, ointments containing aloe vera can be used in addition to home remedies.
These have a cooling effect, but also have an anti-inflammatory effect. Moisturizing creams also help the skin to regenerate. A stronger sunburn, especially with blister formation, is treated by the doctor with antiseptic ointments.
These prevent pathogens from spreading in the wounds. Ointments containing fat can also be used. However, these should never be applied without consulting the pediatrician.
All articles in this series:
