Safety, sun and seniors

As we get older, our skin gets thinner and more vulnerable to damage from the sun’s harmful UV rays. That means seniors can get sunburn more easily, causing pain, itching, and redness. In severe cases, this sunburn can lead to sun blisters and peeling, increasing our risk for infection.

Be sure you use sunscreen with a high SPF to avoid sun blisters, which are a sign of serious sunburn linked to melanoma – the most fatal form of skin cancer.

If you get a blister from the sun, it’s filled with serum from surrounding tissues. Sun blisters often occur on the lips and other exposed skin. The deeper the blister, the more serious the damage can be.

Tips for treating sun blisters:

• Although it’s tempting, don’t pop a blister; it’s its own way of protecting against infection.
• Don’t apply ice directly to it because that can irritate the skin.
• Do apply cool compresses or cold water, which can help to reduce pain.
• You also may want to apply fragrance-free cream for relief, but don’t use topical steroids.
• An oral anti-inflammatory, such as ibuprofen, can help provide pain relief if your health care provider recommends it.
• If you develop a fever, chills or an infection, or if you have several sun blisters from a recent outing, seek medical attention soon.

Sunburn and blisters also may cause dehydration, which is always dangerous for seniors because it can lead to confusion, a rapid heart rate, or dizziness. Sunburn and blisters also increase the risk of skin cancer, one of the most common types of cancers.

At CHI Living Communities, we offer residents many outings and outdoor activities throughout the year so each can live their best life possible and remain active! In fact, our campuses have shuttle buses so residents can simply sit back and enjoy these trips with their friends.

If you, too, like to enjoy the outdoors, be sure to follow reminders we offer our residents:

• Stay hydrated by keeping water nearby throughout the day, 
• Wear sunscreen with a high SPF (of 45 or 50),
• Wear a hat if you’ll be outdoors longer than about 20 minutes, and 
• Report to your health care provider any bad sunburn or blisters you may get.