Many take the opportunity to enjoy the heat wave – but you have to be careful.
Chief pharmacist Annika Svedberg warns because common medicines can cause burns when the sun shines brightly.
– It becomes inflamed and bubbles and blisters can even appear, she says.
In several parts of the country, the thermometer shows between 25 and 30 degrees. The heat brings with it risks, above all for the elderly, the chronically ill, young children and pregnant women – but also for those who use certain types of medicine.
Annika Svedberg, chief pharmacist for Apotek Hjärtat, urges everyone who uses gel for, for example, muscle pain to take it carefully in the sun.
– The area you have smeared in should not be exposed to the sun at all, but you must cover it with clothes. This applies to the entire treatment period but also two weeks afterwards and it is important to remember. Otherwise, you can get very serious skin reactions, she says and continues:
– It can simply look like a burn. It itches and stings, becomes red and inflamed and may even form bubbles and blisters.
Acne medication and antibiotics
It is not only medicines for muscle pain that make the skin sensitive to the sun. The chief pharmacist also warns against various acne products, both tablets and gels, as well as certain antibiotics.
– So if you’ve had inflation and then have to go somewhere to sunbathe and swim, then it’s important to keep an eye on it.
The employees at the pharmacies always inform their customers when they buy medicines that can make the skin extra sensitive.
– Sometimes it is the case that we have to send them back to the doctor so that they can have a dialogue in case it is possible to switch to another antibiotic for the infection, or if it means that you actually have to stay in the shade during your sun holiday, says Annika Svedberg.