Sun Poisoning: What Are the Symptoms?

Thanks so much for your post Sue.  With the summer approaching, it is so important for people to be aware of the sun's potential for damage to one's skin. 

You can review more in our sunburn section as well as material from our sunscreen tips area.

Hope this helps, all the best, sue (moderator)

i got a bad sun burn today. my whole body's red and i can't stop shaking. im freazing and don;t wanna take even my foot from out from under the covers. what is it??? 

Hi, I was at the beach yesterday all day with my boyfriend and his family. It was mostly cloudy all day but if I had known that I could have still gotten burned I would have put on sunblock. That was just my ignorance. Anyways, I woke up this morning and I already knew I had a sunburn, but I was really scared when I noticed blisters. It made me feel better reading your expertise. Your tips really helped me out. Thanks a lot!

This is weak on treatment and long on avoidance, which is useless if you already have experienced sun poisoning.  Needs to be expanded to include treatments, their expected efficiencies and whether there are other more effective methods available from a DR.

the other day i got a really bad sunburn on my face, and on my nose i had blisters. i started to peel last night and now i feel terrible. i have a runny nose, a lot of sneezing, and i am drowsy. it's not my allergies because i took an allergy pill and i am still having these symptoms. what's wrong? 

thanks, my sister just got sun poisoning and i didn't know if it was a really bad thing. i didn't know what to do so i went to google and typed in sun poisoning treatment and it gave me the site  i read a passage and it helped a lot thank you so much and i mean that i really do no joke!!

i got a real bad sub burn on my chest and stomach on friday.  the pain is still real bad and little blisters.  i don't feel sick or anything else just real sore and hurts all the time.  more so when i sneeze or use the rest room.  your thoughts?

LAB Georgia

Ten years ago I return home after swimming with my girls. That night my body burn, itch and sting as if bugs was on my body.  My face, lips and eyes was swollen. For months I couldn't even sit on the porch in the shade without my skin stinging. I was tested for lupus which was and still negative. Doctors said I had sun poisoning and give me steriods to clear up my skin. Now I can go out but I am cover with 70 SPF sunblock and long sleeves.  If I don't wear long sleeves my arms blisters up. What's wrong? Can this be repaired?

I spent the day reading outside yesterday, i was in the sun less than an hour and a half, but I still ended up with the worst sunburn i've ever had.  My legs are swollen and it hurts to walk, it feels like my muscles are burnt!  I read your article and got a big cup of ice water and filled a zip lock baggie w/ ice. I can't tell you how much relief i've gotten just from moving the "icepack" around my legs!  I wish I had read this last night!

Thank you so much!

In 1997 I was vacationing in Mexico in August (I wouldn't suggest it for anyone). I took extreme care not to get sunburned using sunblock, hats, and covering up. And that worked--no sunburn. But one morning I woke up and my face was swollen and large sacks of fluid were hanging under my eyes. I went to a doctor in town and he took one look at me and said, "sun poisoning." He gave me a strong antihistimine (I slept for about 16 hours) and told me to stay out of the sun completely. Ever since then I can't seem to tolerate heat at all, especially sun makes me weak and nauseated, no burns however. Am I allergic to the sunlight? I do take anti-depressants as I did back in '97. Have you ever heard of this kind of reaction?  Angel

two days ago i got a really bad sunburn while i was at the pool with my best friend. Both of us forgot to re-apply but I am the only one with a bad sunburn. I am red all over and am starting to get small blisters on my forehead and some more on my shoulders and back. I could hardly sleep last night because every way i turned i was in pain even my clothes are starting to hurt me. I feel nauseas (spelling?) but i haven't vomited yet. I also have a headache but my mom remains that i have only a sunburn. any thoughts?

I think i have sun poisoning...redness, itching, peeling, blistering, nausea, and dizziness(sometimes)...how do you treat it??? i didn't feel like making an acount...sorry....

I was out on the lake Friday for about 4 hours. Temp about 108. Got burned on face and shoulders. Usually goes away the next day. Did not use sunscreen. Drank alot of beer Thurs night. A little dehydrated early Fri morning. Ok all day Fri. Drank a little Fri night. Outside with sunscreen and hat on at pool for about an hour. Took a shower. All of a sudden I felt nauseated. Began to vomit constantly. Diarrehea followed. Then got severe chills. Had blankets on me. Skin was burning up on my neck, face, and shoulders. Thought it was the burn. Calves started cramping. Chills lasted about 3 hours. When I could finally get up, I got some water and gatorade. Drank little bits. Vomited again. As I was at a hotel, I waited it out. It is now Monday and I still feel nauseated and stomach is bloated.

Could it be from the sun? I have played outdoor sports forever. Got injured and have been on the mend for over a year. Still I have always tolerated the heat.

Hey. My sister got a really bad sunburn, and this is the 3rd day. Yesterday she was crying because it was itching and hurting/stinging so bad!!!!! She has no blister just extreme redness. She is very fair skin... tonight she has a bad headache and feels sick...What should she do? Is it sun poisoining?? Please let me know! Thanks so much   

i got sun poisoning 2 months ago and i still have white peel marks on my skin... will this ever go away??? what can i do to treat it?