Sunburn in Tibet, Symptoms and Prevention

Sunburn Protection in Tibet

Sunburn is one of the major problems in Tibet. Lying on the planet’s highest plateau, Tibet is close to the sun, this making Tibet a place with strong solar radiation. Besides, Tibet’s thin and clear air allows more of the sun’s harmful UV(ultraviolet) radiation through to the ground, increasing the risk of sunburn.

That is to say, instead of heat, sunburn is caused by high level of UV radiation. It harms your skin and leaves it burned and red, making you feel itchy and irritated. For more details about the sunburn in Tibet, please keep reading our article. Get to know the main symptoms of sunburn, possible solutions for sunburn relief and prevention while your Tibet tour.

Part 1. Symptoms of Sunburn in Tibet 
Part 2. Solutions for Sunburn Relief in Tibet
Part 3. How to Prevent Sunburn during your Tibet Tour

Part 1. Symptoms of Sunburn in Tibet 

Sunburn Symptoms after tour in Tibet

Any exposed part of your body including nose, ears, lips and even eyes can get sunburned. Usually, within a few hours after strong sun exposure, the symptoms of sunburn start to occur. How do you tell if you are getting sunburned? The main sunburn symptoms are listed below for your reference.

• Minor sunburns usually cause slight pinkness or redness of your exposed skin.
• Severe sunburns show the following symptoms:
  Your skin feels warm or hot.
  Obvious pain and itch happen.
  The sunburned area feels swollen.
  Small fluid-filled blisters that may break occur.
  Headache, fever, nausea and fatigue may happen.
• In Tibet’s high altitudes, snow blindness, a mild sunburn of retina, is possible to appear. It is accompanied by dizziness and temporary blindness.

Part 2. Solutions for Sunburn Relief in Tibet 

Sunscreen Spray used in Tibet

While your Tibet tour, once there are any signs and symptoms of sunburn showing, do as the instructions below to relieve it as soon as possible.

• Stay out of the sun to avoid more skin exposure that will cause the sunburn worse.
• Gently wipe the sunburned area with a wet towel.
• Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs for sunburn pain relief such as ibuprofen or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) might help.
• Hydrocortisone cream also helps to reduce inflammation and itch.
• Moisturizer can be helpful, for example the aloe vera gel.
• Drinking more water helps to replenish the moisture in your skin.

You should consult a doctor for treatment if the sunburn is severe. Have a check here:

• There are blisters appearing and covering a large portion of your body.
• The sunburn is accompanied by a high fever, headache, severe pain, dehydration, confusion, nausea or chills.
• Skin infection happens, for instance, the swelling, pus or red streaks resulted by blisters.
• If the above quick solutions for relieving sunburn fail to work, please seek medical advice immediately.

As mentioned earlier, in the high altitudes of Tibet, snow blindness is possible to occur. Snow blindness is a condition caused by bright sunlight reflecting off the whiteness of the snow in Tibet. Here are some tips to relieve snow blindness:

• Immediately cover your eyes and let them rest for at least 10 minutes.
• Wash your eyes continuously with cold water. Then lie down and rest with your eyes closed. Repeat this process several times. 
• If there are symptoms of photophobia, tearing or intense eye pain, please cover your eyes and go to the hospital as soon as possible. 

Part 3. How to Prevent Sunburn during your Tibet Tour

Due to the strong solar radiation in Tibet, you must pay much attention to sun protection. There are some suggestions for you to prevent sunburn during your Tibet tour.  

wide-brimmed hat to prevent sunburn in Tibet

• It is not recommended to wear short-sleeved T-shirts even in summer. Wear loose-fitting clothes that cover your arms, legs and neck.
• Bring suncream with a SPF of at least 30 and apply it to your nose, lips and especially the tops of your ears if you are not wearing a hat.
• A wide-brimmed hat (not a baseball cap) can be helpful, because suncream does not stop the harsher UVA radiation which can cause melanomas and skin cancer. 
• Wear a good pair of sunglasses with a high UV filter can help to protect your eyes.