Sun, Sun, Go Away

This last week, when Emma, Evelyn, and Laurel were in town, we had lovely weather in St. Louis. I was sick all week. Which is no fun, but at least I have solved two of my most recent medical mysteries. Diagnosis: sun.

You may remember that I spent the week before my wedding popping steroid pills and fretting over the itchy rash on the backs of my hands. I thought (as suggested by my doctor) it was contact dermatitis from some sort of dust I picked up while moving. It reminded me of the itchy rash I got on the backs of my hands three years ago after my wilderness horseback riding date with Dave Marriott. I thought (as suggested by my doctor) it was poison ivy transferred to me from the horse. Again, I have an itchy rash on the back of my hand. Perplexed, I sought an internet diagnosis...and found the following:

"A sun allergy is an immune system reaction to sunlight, most often, an itchy red rash. The most common locations include the "V" of the neck, the back of the hands, the outside surface of the arms and the lower legs...

"[Among] the most common types of sun allergy [is]:

• Polymorphous light eruption (PMLE) � PMLE, which usually appears as an itchy rash on sun-exposed skin, is the second most common sun-related skin problem seen by doctors, after common sunburn. It occurs in an estimated 10% to 15% of the U.S. population, affecting people of all races and ethnic backgrounds. Women are affected by PMLE more often than men, and symptoms typically begin during young adult life. In temperate climates, PMLE is usually rare in the winter, but common during the spring and summer months. In many cases, the PMLE rash returns every spring, immediately after the person begins spending more time outside. As spring turns into summer, repeated sun exposure may cause the person to become less sensitive to sunlight, and the PMLE rash either may disappear totally or gradually become less severe. Although the effects of this desensitization process, called "hardening," usually last through the end of the summer, the PMLE rash often returns at full intensity the following spring." [from Aetna's InteliHealth.com, emphasis added]

Unfortunately, it doesn't stop with the springtime hand rash. I also experience headache, dizziness, and lightheadedness when I spend too much time (sometimes it only takes 10 minutes) in direct sunlight. This has been a chronic and frustrating condition for me for the last few years. This week I decided that it is definately sun related. It was the first time this spring I had spent any time in the sun. I went twice to the zoo, once on a long walk, and once to the botanical gardens). Each time resulted in the old "I want to die and feel like I'm gonna black out and sometimes do blackout just long enough to run into the wall and make my headache worse" cocktail of symptoms. This aspect of my personal photosensitivity has less internet evidence, but I am still determined I am right:

"Symptoms vary, depending on the specific type of sun allergy:

• PMLE � ...In addition, there may be one to two hours of chills, headache, nausea and malaise (a general sick feeling)..." [from Aetna's InteliHealth.com]

"Sun-Drunk is the state of general wooziness that happens when one steps into the shade after excessive sun exposure." [from Urbandictionary.com]

"In addition, there is a syndrome known as “sun drunk” which affects some children who suffer from a sun allergy. In some cases, a child may come in from playing outside and stumble, lose balance, or otherwise display suggestions that something is just not right; hence, causing the term “drunk.” Many come in with glazed eyes and sometimes fall asleep quickly. Once out of the sun, given time to “recover,” (sometimes as soon as 30 minutes), there may not be any other lasting effects." [from Articlealley.com]

I am not a child and and it also takes me much longer than 30 minutes to recover, but other than that it seems like a pretty accurate description of my ailment.

The point is, I AM in fact allergic to the sun.

The other point is, if you want to spend a dark and dismal day at Six-Flags, I am SO there!

p.s. Scroll down. You don't want to miss my restaurant.com post.