JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Too much fun in the sun often leads to sunburn. Without protection from sunscreen and clothing, the sun’s ultraviolet rays can burn and damage the skin.
Stay hydrated
According to Joan Tamburro, D.O., a pediatric dermatologist at Cleveland Clinic, there are things parents can do to help soothe and comfort little ones who may have gotten a little too much sun.
She said hydration is key if a child is suffering from a bad sunburn.
“Anytime you have a severe sunburn, you’re going to be dehydrated, so you’ve got to keep fluids going,” said Dr. Tamburro.
Soothing young skin
If a child becomes sunburned, keep them out of the sun until it has healed.
To help soothe stinging skin, Dr. Tamburro recommends relieving discomfort with an age-appropriate over-the-counter pain medication, like acetaminophen.
She added that cool water can also be used to ease the pain.
Some products advertised to help sunburn may contain alcohol or other ingredients that can lead to irritation or an allergic reaction because the skin’s barrier has been damaged by the burn.
Dr. Tamburro said it’s best to avoid these types of creams and lotions because they may do more harm than good.
“If you feel like you need an over the counter hydrocortisone that would be helpful, but I wouldn’t spend a lot of money on the aloe gels and other things that are touted to help sunburn,” said Dr. Tamburro.
When to call the doctor
Be sure to call the pediatrician if a baby younger than 12 months old gets sunburned or if an older child has a blistering, painful sunburn, or develops a fever.
What's Going Around
After the long holiday weekend, there's a good chance that many of you are nursing a sunburn . But that's not all that doctors are treating.
In Duval County at the Care Spot on the Southside: there has been a huge spike in strep throat. Nurses are seeing up to 10 patients each day with strep throat. If you feel an itch in your throat or it's been sore for a couple days, doctors want to make sure you don't ignore it.
In Clay County at the Care Spot in Middleburg: allergies have been leading to pink eye and sinusitis. Strep throat has been going around as well.
In St. Johns County at the Healing Arts Urgent Care in St. Augustine: more cases of swimmers ear have been reported. Strep throat has also been an issue as well as sinusitis.
In Nassau County at the Care Spot in Yulee: strep throat as well as a couple cases of the flu have been reported.