Docs say prevention is the best sunburn medicine

By KRISTY MELLENDORF, Staff Writer Time spent in the sun is not always fun. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40 percent of Americans age 18 and older had at least one sunburn in 2004. Sunburn, an inflammatory reaction to ultraviolet light on the skin, can range from a painful annoyance to a medical emergency. According to local doctors, the best way to handle sunburn is to take preventive measures. “It is helpful beforehand,” said Jappan J. Bhatt, director of emergency medicine at Decatur Memorial Hospital. “Afterward, the damage is already done.” Bhatt recommends applying an SPF of 30 for those with fair skin. SPF, or sun protection factor, is calculated by comparing the amount of time needed to produce a burn on protected skin to the amount of time needed to produce a burn on unprotected skin.... [read full story]