Ways to Prevent Swollen Feet from Sunburn
The feet are often an overlooked location where sunburn can occur. Besides the obvious discomforts of a sunburn, the skin damage from ultraviolet radiation can increase your risks for melanoma. According to a 2016 study, about 15 percent of all melanomas on the outer skin layers are on your foot and ankle. And melanoma is the most common type of cancer to occur on the feet.
As a result it is best to prevent sunburned feet whenever possible. Ways to do so include:
- Applying sunscreen to your feet and your whole body at least every 2 hours.
- choosing water resistant sunscreen to apply on the feet (even if you aren’t swimming the feet is vulnerable to sweating)
- Apply sunscreen on your feet and wait a for some time before putting on your shoes to ensure the sunscreen has had time to sink into the skin
- Apply sunscreen to the bottom of the feet. The bottom of the feet can also get burned, and the results are much more uncomfortable.
- Wearing SPF-socks or leggings for outdoor activities to protect your feet and legs from the sun. Find some special brands of leggings that are for this purpose.
Protecting your skin from too much sun exposure is also protecting against melanoma [4] and other forms of skin cancer. [5]
Conclusion
Getting sunburned can affect any part of your body. But it is more common on the feet, mostly because it is a part of the body that one easily forgets to apply sunscreen on. Sunburning can vary from mild to severe, ensure to visit your doctor if the pain is severe and difficult to live with.
Reference:
[1] https://www.skincancer.org/
[2] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/10880-fever
[3] https://www.healthline.com/health/itching
[4] https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/melanoma/
[5] https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/skin-cancer/types/common