They go to the pharmacy to find out what’s wrong with them. Nothing serious, but his skin reacts to the sun like never before. Cold sore, itching, redness in some parts of the body, red spots, peeling, blisters, pimples. What could it be?
Many people worry if the reaction indicates the first appearance of a skin disease. The common knowledge that sun exposure accumulated over the years is a risk factor for skin cancer greatly influences the subconscious of older people. When in doubt, consult pharmacists or dermatologists.
“More and more people are approaching the pharmacy with these questions. The answer, in many cases, is skin changes due to a combination of the sun and medication,” says Antoni Torres, president of the Catalan Pharmacies Federation (Fefac). He adds that it is often overlooked that some very common medications, such as topical anti-inflammatory cream after a fall, can interact badly with the sun if the skin is not properly protected.
“The sun is healthy, essential for the synthesis of vitamin D and good for mood,” says Vicente García Patos, head of the Biomedical Melanoma Research Group in Vall d’Hebron. “We need it and it’s good to enjoy the summer for many reasons,” he says. But “consciously, without forgetting to protect the skin. And if they take medication, it’s for a bigger reason.”
Adverse reactions are usually mild, but you should be prepared and avoid sun exposure.
It is estimated that between 3% and 10% of people who take the drug may have a reaction, usually mild and temporary, such as redness, itching, or blisters. Sometimes treatment is necessary or ongoing.
Torres explains that the drugs that cause this reaction can be of many types, most of which are common, such as anti-inflammatories or painkillers, whose consumption has doubled in recent years.
In fact, it is estimated that there are more than 300 medications whose active ingredients can produce an abnormal skin reaction to UV radiation.
They combine poorly with antibiotics and sun, for example tetracyclines (between 10%-20% of interactions) or fluoroquinolones. Diuretics (thiazides 5%-8%). Treatments for fungal and ringworm. Some antidepressants, antipsychotics and antiarrhythmics. More commonly used, such as the above-mentioned painkillers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or contraceptives (1%-5%).
In our country it is easy to reach very high levels of UV intensity during peak heat.
You also need to be careful when using retinoids, which are widely used by teenagers to fight acne and are easily available without a prescription. They affect between 5% and 10% and can cause burns. According to health professionals, it is advisable to consult a doctor. “Nothing happens if you stop the treatment for a few weeks and then resume it,” says García Patos.
Experts specify that the proportion of people who suffer from these reactions can vary not only depending on the type of drug, but also on the dose, the duration of exposure to the sun, the time of exposure during the day and the characteristics of each person. One of the keys is the phototype of each skin, its ability to adapt to radiation. It is not so much a matter of the type of skin (light, dark, freckled…) as of the way it reacts. As an example, you can observe areas of the body that are not constantly exposed to the sun (above the ankles, behind the knee or the inner area of the forearm).
In skin reaction, the time and sequence of sun exposure also contribute as a risk factor (the occasional summer bather is not like a fisherman who goes out fishing for hours every day).
The level of solar radiation danger is considered high starting from 3 on the UV intensity index of the sun on the Earth’s surface on a scale starting from 0, and not exceeding it. In summer, in Catalonia, levels 6 and 7 can easily be reached during the peak of heat.
If there is a reaction, it is recommended to use burn treatments and avoid sun exposure.
García Patos recommends always taking the medication at night and avoiding sun exposure as much as possible if the medication is taken between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Use clothing with UV protection, hats, sunglasses and creams with an SPF of 50 or higher. The best creams, in his opinion, are those called “broad spectrum,” because they protect against the two types of sun rays that can cause skin damage, ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB).
If a reaction occurs, your dermatologist will recommend treatments that work for burns, such as water and vinegar (one tablespoon of vinegar to one quart of water) and a soothing after-sun moisturizer (which can be left in the refrigerator to dry to increase comfort).
Finally, it is imperative to consult a pharmacist or doctor if corticosteroid creams are needed. It is also advisable to visit a doctor if spots, redness or itching persist, which will rule out other disorders, such as lupus erythematosus (an autoimmune disease that can manifest itself through the skin).
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