Sunburn and sunstroke
Sunburn is a burn of the skin from UV radiation: get out of the sun, cool with damp cloths, drink plenty, do not open blisters. Sunstroke occurs when the head and neck have been unprotected in the sun for too long: headache, red hot head, dizziness, nausea. Then move into the shade, lie with the head raised, and cool the head and neck. With altered consciousness or a seizure call the emergency number at once (112 in the EU). If the whole body is overheated, the entry on heat exhaustion and heatstroke applies. This text does not replace a first-aid course.
- Immediately; recovery takes hours to days
Explained simply
The sun is lovely, but too much of it does harm. With sunburn, the invisible UV rays burn the skin: it turns red, hot and painful. Then you get out of the sun, cool the skin with damp cloths and drink plenty. Blisters stay closed.
With sunstroke, the sun has shone on the head and neck for too long. You get a headache, a red hot head, feel dizzy and sometimes sick. Then get into the shade, lie down with the head a little raised and cool the head and neck with damp cloths.
If someone becomes confused, drowsy or has a seizure, you call the emergency number at once (112 in the EU). This text does not replace a first-aid course.
How it works
UV radiation penetrates the skin and damages its cells. The skin reacts with inflammation: redness, warmth, pain, sometimes blisters. The full extent often only shows hours later. Every sunburn increases the long-term risk of skin cancer.
With sunstroke the sun acts directly on the unprotected head and neck, and the membranes around the brain can become irritated. Typical are headache, a red hot head, dizziness, nausea and sometimes a stiff neck. The body as a whole does not have to be overheated.
Sunstroke or heatstroke?
With heatstroke the whole body is too hot, usually after exertion in the heat. It is life-threatening and often shows with confusion, staggering, a seizure or unconsciousness. There is a separate entry on heat exhaustion and heatstroke for this.
For lay people the two are often hard to tell apart. The rule is simple: with confusion or altered consciousness, always act as for heatstroke – call the emergency number and cool with every means available.
Safety and limits
Medical help is needed for extensive sunburn with blisters, with fever, chills or feeling very unwell, and always for infants and young children. No ice directly on the skin, do not open blisters.
Call the emergency number (112 in the EU, in Austria also 144) with confusion, altered consciousness, a seizure, repeated vomiting or a markedly stiff neck with fever. This text names no creams or medication.
Prevention
Avoid the midday sun, seek shade, wear a hat, sunglasses and clothing, and apply sunscreen generously and again and again. UV radiation is strong even when it is cloudy, in water, in snow and in the mountains.
Infants do not belong in direct sunlight, and children's skin is especially sensitive. Anyone who keeps an eye on others – on outings, at the beach, on a building site – spots warning signs early.
Step by step
- 1
Into the shade
Get out of the sun into the shade or a cool room at once.
- 2
Assess the condition
Is the person alert, clear and oriented? With confusion, altered consciousness or a seizure call the emergency number at once and cool as for heatstroke.
- 3
Sunstroke: lie with head raised
With sunstroke, lay the person down with the head and upper body slightly raised and loosen tight clothing.
- 4
Cool
Cool the head and neck with damp, cool cloths. Cool sunburnt skin with damp compresses or lukewarm water, no ice directly on the skin.
- 5
Drink if alert
Let alert people who can swallow safely drink water in small sips.
- 6
Monitor and rest
Stay with the person; if they get worse, call the emergency number. Avoid the sun for the next few days and protect the skin; do not open blisters.
Common mistakes
- Staying in the sun "because it's only a bit red"
- Popping blisters
- Putting ice directly on the skin
- Underestimating sunstroke in children
- Mistaking confusion for tiredness
Quick view
Materials
Cotton cloth / T-shirt
Damp, cool cloths
Removes coarse particles only – no disinfection.
PET bottle (clear, max. 2 litres)
Water for drinking and dampening
Do not heat or place in a fire.
Suitable for
- Long periods in the sun: beach, outdoor pool, hiking, gardening
- Children and people with little or no hair
Not suitable for
- Heatstroke with confusion or altered consciousness – that is an emergency, see heat exhaustion and heatstroke
- Extensive sunburn with blisters, fever or chills – then medical help
Prerequisites
- Shade or a cool room within reach
- Water available
Safety
- This text does not replace a first-aid course. First aid is learned through hands-on practice under instruction. In an emergency always call professional help – via the local emergency number (112 in the EU) – and follow the dispatcher's instructions.
- Get medical help with extensive sunburn with blisters, with fever, chills or feeling very unwell, and always for infants and young children with sunburn or sunstroke.
- No ice directly on the skin, no home remedies on open blisters. Do not open blisters.
How it works
With sunburn, UV radiation damages the skin – it becomes red, hot and painful, sometimes with blisters. The skin can recover, but every sunburn increases the long-term risk of skin cancer. With sunstroke the sun acts directly on the unprotected head and neck; the membranes around the brain can become irritated. Typical are headache, a red hot head, dizziness, nausea and sometimes a stiff neck, while the rest of the body is not necessarily overheated. With heatstroke, by contrast, the whole body is too hot – a different, life-threatening emergency.
Advantages
- Simple measures, possible almost anywhere
- Prevention is easy
Disadvantages
- Sunstroke and heatstroke are hard for lay people to tell apart
- Sunburn often only shows its full extent hours later
Deep knowledge
Background
Red Cross organisations in Germany and Austria teach sunstroke as a separate condition distinct from heatstroke: with sunstroke it is mainly the head that is affected, with heatstroke the whole body. When in doubt – especially with confusion – act as for heatstroke: call the emergency number and cool.
UV radiation is strong even when it is cloudy, in water, in snow and in the mountains. Children's skin is particularly sensitive; sunburn in childhood is considered an important risk factor for skin cancer later in life.
Variants
- Prevention
- Avoid the midday sun, seek shade, wear a hat, sunglasses and covering clothing and apply sunscreen generously and repeatedly. Do not expose infants to direct sunlight.
Common mistakes
- Staying in the sun "because it's only a bit red"
- Popping blisters
- Putting ice directly on the skin
- Underestimating sunstroke in children
- Mistaking confusion for tiredness
Limits and risks
- Does not replace a first-aid course
- No medication, creams or dosages
- If heatstroke is suspected, the entry on heat exhaustion and heatstroke applies
Sources
Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (DRK): Erste Hilfe – Informationen und Kurse
Sunstroke: shade, head raised, cooling; distinction from heatstroke
Österreichisches Rotes Kreuz: Erste Hilfe – Informationen und Kurse
Sunstroke and sunburn as first-aid topics
World Health Organization: Heat and health (fact sheet)
At-risk groups and warning signs in heat