![]() ![]() Of course, the best thing to do is always put on plenty of broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 when you are outside, and perhaps even wear sun-protective clothing. You can also create tears in your skin that can be a portal of entry for bacteria and could lead to infection." Piliang noted, "Be really careful not to scratch the itch because it doesn't relieve it at all and often makes it worse. Instead, antihistamines like Benadryl help, as does ibuprofen, as well as a soothing oatmeal bath. As for what to do if you get it, most people suggest not putting aloe or anything topical on it, as it tends to make it worse. The good news is it only appears to affect a small percentage of people, and mostly on their shoulders and upper back. Melissa Piliang, who explained, "Anyone who has a sunburn could get it, but it seems to be more common in fair-skinned people and people who have been at higher altitudes where the sun is more intense, like in the mountains." As for what in the body causes it, doctors don't know but think it "may be due to damage in the nerve endings" at the site of the burn, "triggering an overreaction." However, as one doctor wrote in the Journal of Travel Medicine, "The true nature of Hell's Itch is still a conundrum, though it appears to be a brief self-limited epiphenomenon producing considerable discomfort." The Cleveland Clinic wrote about it though, quoting Dr. Unfortunately for those with it, there hasn't been too much research into the phenomenon. this is the worst pain I've ever had, and that includes breaking my collarbone." One went so far as to say, "I want the sweet relief of death. One sufferer described it as "being stabbed by the sharp point of a thousand compasses, while lemon juice and itching powder was rubbed into the wounds," while another, on the subReddit dedicated to the condition, stated, "I feel as if there are fire ants crawling underneath my skin and they are pissed off. For some people, sunburn clears up after a few uncomfortable days, but for those who wind up with "Hell's Itch," after 48 hours or so, the burn explodes into an incredibly intense itch that, when scratched, is remarkably painful. What is known is that it comes from sunburn. It's called "Hell's Itch" and as if the name weren't bad enough - doctors aren't really sure what causes the painful condition. It was not a pleasant experience.So many headlines over the past many months have been about COVID, but there are other health concerns out there affecting Americans, and one of them that seems to be afflicting many people this summer has a very disturbing name. I don’t think what I went though is was as bad as being tortured, but I can see why people would make big claims about it. When I looked it up on the internet (which was a mistake) they talked about “hell’s itch” or “hell itch”, with people telling stories about it causing sleep deprivation, depression and torture. The itching continued for several days, but it didn’t stop me going to work on Friday, nor sleeping on the Friday night. Luckily, by this point, it was starting to subside. I tried after sun, anti-itch cream, even antihistamines. I spent some more time trying to sleep, then set off for Boots to clean them out of itch cream. At 6am I finally managed to drift off: only to be woken up by Elina’s alarm at 6:10am. The itching occurs in brief, intense pulses and usually begins 24 to 72 hours after exposing your skin to excessive UV radiation from the sun (without proper sunscreen protection), leading to sunburn. Somewhere between 3-4am I gave up on making it into work the next day and sent a message in to say I would not be in. Also known as suicide itch or devil’s itch, hell’s itch is an acute, intolerable, painful itching sensation that can occur as a result of a sunburn. Every hour, on the hour I would go to bed and spend 15 minutes twitching, before getting up, watching some TV and repeating the cycle. I couldn’t sleep because I was involuntarily twitching every twenty seconds. ![]() Then, on the Wednesday afternoon, it started itching. By this point, we’re on Wednesday and heading home. This happened on Monday, and it started looking better the next day and continued to improve the day after. You have to give the store credit: they really do have “everything you need and more…”. It was a little sore but some after sun that we found at 1011 (an Icelandic supermarket chain) did the trick. It was noticeably red, but it wasn’t that burnt. It looks worse in the photo than it actually was. ![]() In my post about the weather I shared this photo of my sunburn: ![]()
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