You or your children accidently stayed in the sun too long and now you have sun poisoning.  Chances are you're pretty miserable - you might even feel like you have the flu and you likely have chills.  It hurt to sit, and anything that touches your skin causes pain.  Here are some sun poisoning treatment tips to help you get over the pain:

First, know that most cases of sun poisoning don't require the treatment of a physician. Yes, it's uncomfortable and probably extremely painful, but unless you have an extreme case, there isn't much a doctor can do for you.  

~ Take Tylenol to help reduce the pain.  If you have a fever, Tylenol will help to bring down the fever as well.

~ Take cool or luke warm baths.  Don't use any bath salts, or scented soaps as they can irritate your skin further.  When you get out of the bath, be very careful about drying off with a towel as severely subburned skin is sensitive to just about everything!

~ Use an aloe based lotion on your skin to help keep the skin cool and to reduce pain. Try the lotion on a small area to make sure that it does not cause additional pain.  If you happen to have an aloe plant, use that instead

~ To stay comfortable, lay a soft sheet down before you sit or lay anywhere.  A sofa that has never bothered you before can feel scratchy and irritate your skin.

~ Stay out of the sun until you are completely healed as additional sun exposure will only cause you more pain.

<strong>When to go to the Doctor</strong>

If you have a high fever that won't come down, have multiple open blisters, or are in severe pain, you may want to consider a trip to the doctor.  Sun poisoning treatment that a doctor may prescribe include prescription topical creams and oral medication to help with both the pain and the symptoms.  People with severe sun poisoning have even been admitted to burn units; if you feel that you or your children have a severe case, don't take chances.  See your doctor!

It's important to remember that even after the sunburn is gone and you are feeling better, the sunburn that you had can affect you years down the road in the form of skin cancer. Children who have severe burns before they are 18 are at a much higher risk of developing skin cancer so prevention is key.  

Here are some sun safety tips to help you prevent sunburn.

If you aren't sure if you have sun poisoning, read this article to learn more about the symptoms.