What Is Phototoxicity?

Ultraviolet rays in strong sunlight can cause severe solar dermatitis and even skin cancer. Many drugs do not cause harm to the human body, but under the action of ultraviolet rays in sunlight, these drugs that penetrate into human skin proteins will chemically react, which will cause skin allergies. The strong sunlight can activate the drug, directly destroy or kill skin cells, and make the skin exposed to light produce a mild phototoxic reaction within minutes or hours after sun exposure, with symptoms similar to sun spots or Solar dermatitis. And the risk of skin cancer is greater than that of ordinary people.

Phototoxicity

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In the strong sunlight

There are quinolone antibiotics, ibuprofen, glibenclamide, glipizide, tetracyclines, minocycline, sulfa, doxycycline, dimecycline, hydrochlorothiazide, chlorpromazine, etc.

The main clinical manifestations are redness, swelling, fever, itching, and herpes in the lighted skin. The larger the amount of medicine taken, the longer the exposure time in the sun, the more severe the allergic reaction, and the itching of the skin will last for 24 to 48 hours, or even longer.

The frequency and severity of this photosensitivity reaction varies from person to person. Some patients may develop blisters after a short exposure to light, but most people have only mild or even difficult to detect reactions. It can happen even if taken orally once. Even in cloudy weather, these drugs can cause varying degrees of allergic reactions in the skin of some patients. Compared with ordinary people, phototoxic reactions are more likely to occur in people with delicate skin, children who are being treated with antibiotics for acne, the elderly, women, and patients with human immunodeficiency disease, lupus erythematosus, and immunocompromised patients. Therefore, these people must take appropriate protective measures when using drugs such as flax antibiotics to avoid

1. During the use of quinolone and other drugs and within 5 days after discontinuation, avoid exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet rays. If a phototoxic reaction or skin damage occurs, stop the drug immediately and go to a dermatologist for treatment. So as not to delay the illness.

2. Patients who have had phototoxic reactions cannot receive sunlight or ultraviolet radiation when the symptoms do not disappear and within 5 days after the symptoms disappear, so as to prevent phototoxic reactions from happening again.

3. Patients with a history of phototoxicity should use these drugs with caution.

4. Susceptible people should pay special attention to skin protection during the use of drugs with phototoxic reactions. When going out, they can choose sunscreen with a sun protection index of 15 or higher, or use sun umbrellas. At present, the use of sunscreens, sunscreen oils or sunscreens can only partially protect the skin from UV rays.