Do You Also Have Sun Allergies?

Filed in archive Skin Allergies , Sun Allergies on November 10, 2006

One of the most visited in this blog is my entry on actinic prurigo, a skin disorder that is triggered by photosensitivity or an allergic reaction to exposure to sunlight/UV light.

I'd like to bring out another comment left in that entry, in the hopes that more people will get to read it. raven Lovecraft wrote:

I'm always been sensitive to light and heat, though until I was 14 it wasn't more than that. For 6 years now (14 till present) I've had an allergy to light. Until recently no one believed me, not even doctors. I now have a new doctor who has seen the effects, and now at 19 I'm hopefully going to be getting somewhere.

No one is sure exactly what it is I have, but my symptons are reddening skin which quickly turns purple if the exposure is continued, my skin begins to flake and peel off, I bloat out, and I also break out in spots/blisters, though the above symptons is what I commenly get as I'm not exposed long enough for the blisters to come. I avoid light, at most I'm in it for a couple of mintues, and the burning is very apparent.

The sun is the worst, and even thick with clouds it makes little to no difference. Floresent lighting also effects me, I redden in less than a minute, as does lightbulbs, though it takes longer for the same amount of pain to overcome me. I also get drained of strengh, and my mind seems to shut down. I just basically get very tired.

I am interested in speaking with others who share light sensitivity. I've never met anyone like me, or been in any type of comunication.

If you'd like to chat, my e-mail is fearfulshadow@hotmail.co.uk

It makes me feel bad that I cannot offer much information about sun allergies, as I have no personal experience with it, nor have I ever met anyone who suffers from such a disorder. But judging from the number of people landing on that particular entry of mine, I see that while photosensitivity doesn't seem to be that common a condition, there are a considrable number of you browsing the web.

Talking or chatting to fellow patients might not ease your allergic symptoms physically. But simply sharing and comparing notes do help us cope, whatever ailments we suffer from. If you suffer from photosensitivities, or some form of sun allergy, do drop Raven a note.