Too much sun can be painful Published May 19, 2009 By 21st Space Wing Safety Office PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Too much sun can give you painful sunburn, cause heat exhaustion or lead to heat stroke. Too much sun may also cause long-term skin damage - even skin cancer. You can reduce the risks of too much sun by taking these measures: - Build up your exposure to the sun gradually. - Use a sunscreen product. They're rated by skin protection factor. - Re-apply sunscreen after swimming. - Try to stay out of the sun when it's the strongest - from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Wear a hat and clothing that cover as much of your body as possible. Heat Exhaustion You may have heat exhaustion if you're weak, dizzy, sweaty, nauseous, pale or have cramps after being in the sun. To treat heat exhaustion, lie down in the shade, loosen clothing and apply cool wet compresses. Drink plenty of water. Heat Stroke Heat stroke is a serious condition that requires immediate medical help. Left untreated, victims will die. Symptoms include hot, dry skin, headache, mental confusion, rapid pulse and breathing. Treat those suffering from heat stroke by moving them to a shaded area. Loosen clothing, cool the person off immediately with a hose, cool bath or wet cloths. Slightly elevate the person's head and shoulders. Sunburn Try to avoid sunburns by protecting your skin with sunscreens. What does the SPF stand for on a product and how is it determined? SPF stands for sun protection factor. In the United States the SPF of a product tells how long you may stay in the sun without burning from UVB light. SPF is only a sunburn meter allowing tanning with enough sun exposure. UVA light has not been formally tested to acquire a SPF rating but, many manufacturers commonly include them in a broad screen sunblock. The SPF factor is a guide which helps determine sun exposure. - The time you would normally burn in the sun without protection. Normally, 20 minutes on light skinned individuals will produce redness. - Multiply that number by the SPF factor of your product. This will tell you how many minutes you may stay in the sun without burning. How SPF is determined? In a controlled indoor laboratory eliminating any effects of environmental change, including wind, heat and cold, untanned test subjects are put through a two day test. - On the first day the lower back is protected except for the test site and exposed to UVB light until mildly red. - On the second day sunblock is applied to a new test site and exposed to UVB light until the same mild redness occurs. The amount of time to achieve redness with the sunblock applied determines the SPF. However because people vary as does the environment, this time is not exact and the lotion may need to be reapplied sooner. If you do get sunburned, rinse or soak in cool water or use cold compresses. Use a mild non-medicated cream only on mild sunburns with no blisters. See a doctor for bad sunburns.