Take care! This common fruit could give you painful burns and blisters
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With summer in full force, it’s time to start thinking about sun safety and to remind our members here at the Seniors Discount Club about the importance of wearing sunscreen and protective clothing.
But just being aware of sun dangers is not enough.
We must also be aware of all the possible risks of overexposing our skin to the sun’s rays, and this includes a little-known condition called phytophotodermatitis — or, as it’s often called, Margarita Burn.
Margarita Burn is a condition that occurs when a chemical called furocoumarin, found in limes and other citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges, and grapefruits, reacts with sunlight and causes serious burns and blisters.
Recently, an Australian mother took to social media to share pictures of her son's arms and hands which were covered in blisters after he had spent some time juicing limes outside.
The mum said the boy had developed ‘Margarita Burn’ as a result of the reaction of the lime juice with UV light.
Another woman also took to Reddit to share her experiences with the chemical burn too.
‘Squeezed about 14 limes and then went tanning… I never said I was smart,’ she said while sharing a picture of a sunburnt area covering the back of her left hand.
A picture understood to be taken three days later then showed the area had several large blisters.
‘Clearly, this isn’t just a sunburn.’
And early last year, another woman shared her experience with the condition after receiving similar burns over the holidays.
‘I juice limes every day by hand in the bar (as a bartender) around five times a week so it was crazy to me,’ she said.
‘My hands looked like they were 150 years old after they dried out.’
‘Then it peeled off and now it's just kind of fresh skin.’
Apart from citrus fruits, this chemical is also found in parsley, celery, figs, fennel, and several other plants.
‘This chemical (furocoumarin) can become activated by UVA rays. The furocoumarin is absorbed into the cells of the top layer of the skin, your epidermis, resulting in burning, redness, and blisters,’ dermatologist Dr Keira Barr told healthline.
‘The degree of photosensitivity is based on the amount of juice and its concentration.’
‘People who were squeezing a lot of limes or had a drink spilled on them and then had a lot of sun exposure may have significant blistering, like a second- or third-degree thermal burn.’
Those who get Margarita Burns are treated the same as other burn patients, according to Barr.
‘You might need supportive care like you would for sunburn, including cool compresses, anti-inflammatory medication (like ibuprofen), or topical steroids,’ Barr said.
‘People with severe blistering or skin that’s sloughing off will face a risk of secondary infection, so it needs to be treated like a burn.’
‘The bottom line is that you should keep your limes in your glass, and if you do happen to splash some lime juice on your skin while enjoying the sunshine, be sure to wash it off right away so your happy hour stays happy.’
Speaking of enjoying the sunshine without getting a nasty citrus fruit-induced chemical burn, you may want to check out one food blogger’s hack to squeeze lemons without cutting them open.
And of course, one of the most important things to keep in mind during summertime is to stay hydrated, so here are some tips on how to make sure you’re never thirsty amid the sweltering Aussie heat!
So, what are your thoughts on Margarita Burns? Have you ever experienced them? How did you deal with them, if ever?
And maybe you have some proven and tested tips of your own?
Tell us in the comments below!
Source: YouTube/Dr Jen Caudle
But just being aware of sun dangers is not enough.
We must also be aware of all the possible risks of overexposing our skin to the sun’s rays, and this includes a little-known condition called phytophotodermatitis — or, as it’s often called, Margarita Burn.
Margarita Burn is a condition that occurs when a chemical called furocoumarin, found in limes and other citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges, and grapefruits, reacts with sunlight and causes serious burns and blisters.
Recently, an Australian mother took to social media to share pictures of her son's arms and hands which were covered in blisters after he had spent some time juicing limes outside.
The mum said the boy had developed ‘Margarita Burn’ as a result of the reaction of the lime juice with UV light.
An Aussie mum recently took to Facebook to warn other parents of Margarita Burn. Image Credit: Facebook
Another woman also took to Reddit to share her experiences with the chemical burn too.
‘Squeezed about 14 limes and then went tanning… I never said I was smart,’ she said while sharing a picture of a sunburnt area covering the back of her left hand.
A picture understood to be taken three days later then showed the area had several large blisters.
‘Clearly, this isn’t just a sunburn.’
And early last year, another woman shared her experience with the condition after receiving similar burns over the holidays.
‘I juice limes every day by hand in the bar (as a bartender) around five times a week so it was crazy to me,’ she said.
‘My hands looked like they were 150 years old after they dried out.’
‘Then it peeled off and now it's just kind of fresh skin.’
Apart from citrus fruits, this chemical is also found in parsley, celery, figs, fennel, and several other plants.
‘This chemical (furocoumarin) can become activated by UVA rays. The furocoumarin is absorbed into the cells of the top layer of the skin, your epidermis, resulting in burning, redness, and blisters,’ dermatologist Dr Keira Barr told healthline.
‘The degree of photosensitivity is based on the amount of juice and its concentration.’
‘People who were squeezing a lot of limes or had a drink spilled on them and then had a lot of sun exposure may have significant blistering, like a second- or third-degree thermal burn.’
Another woman also took to Reddit to share her three-day-old Margarita Burn which she also got from cutting limes in the sun. Image Credit: Reddit
Those who get Margarita Burns are treated the same as other burn patients, according to Barr.
‘You might need supportive care like you would for sunburn, including cool compresses, anti-inflammatory medication (like ibuprofen), or topical steroids,’ Barr said.
‘People with severe blistering or skin that’s sloughing off will face a risk of secondary infection, so it needs to be treated like a burn.’
‘The bottom line is that you should keep your limes in your glass, and if you do happen to splash some lime juice on your skin while enjoying the sunshine, be sure to wash it off right away so your happy hour stays happy.’
Citrus fruits like limes and grapefruits are known to have furocoumarin. Note that values listed above are in nanograms. Image Credit: Seniors Discount Club
Speaking of enjoying the sunshine without getting a nasty citrus fruit-induced chemical burn, you may want to check out one food blogger’s hack to squeeze lemons without cutting them open.
And of course, one of the most important things to keep in mind during summertime is to stay hydrated, so here are some tips on how to make sure you’re never thirsty amid the sweltering Aussie heat!
So, what are your thoughts on Margarita Burns? Have you ever experienced them? How did you deal with them, if ever?
And maybe you have some proven and tested tips of your own?
Tell us in the comments below!
Source: YouTube/Dr Jen Caudle
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