Does sunburn have an affect anyone’s blood sugar?? i’m light complected so i burn extremely easy. i try to either stay out of the sun for long periods or i wear something like spf 55 to keep from burning. a couple of days ago i was outside mowing a little longer than i expected and ended up getting a moderate burn on my arms and neck. the following day my numbers ran a little high, nothing too bad though. i vaguely remember when i was little the doctors telling my mom to keep me from getting burnt because it could affect my numbers. has anyone ever experienced this or heard of this??
I lived in Africa and have blue eyes and blond hair and VERY light complexion. I have been sunburnt more times than I care to remember. I had no idea then (not testing available) what it was doing to my BG, now I do find that it can put your BG up - I think your body is trying to regulate its thermostat and takes extra fluid to try and cool the skin down…so make sure you drink PLENTY of water and try and “flush” the sugars out of your body…
Sheila
Sun burn can cause dehydration that is probably why your BG is higher. Best to rehydrate and see if they come down. Like a fever your body uses it’s water supply to cool the body. Your body uses it’s water to help keep your skin from damage.
Hope this helps
be loved
interesting…thanks laura!! i wonder if drinking like a fish when you first get burnt would help the burning sensation…maybe??
Well the burning sensation is actually your skin reacting to damage sorry However drinking the fluids will help you heal faster 
Be loved
Sunburns are the visible damage to the skin caused by excess UV radiation. Sunburns aren’t infections, they are UV burns. Edema (swelling, redness, and warmth) is one of the body’s responses to injury and can occur without infection. The dry, itching, peeling skin is what happens when the skin cell’s DNA is damaged and the skin cell dies.
Sorry, no. Try a lotion with a topical pain killer.I used to use an aloe vera based gel with lidocane. It helped a little. Also, don’t forget to keep your shower temperature on the cool side.
I guess sunburn causesa trauma / stress / pain to the skin + anything which causes trauma or stress to the body appears to increase the blood sugars. Maybe Aloe Vera gel or some After Sun Cream might help cool it down a bit.
Yeah I know all of these things-it was just wishful thinking
I never thought of it as a stress to your body. I guess maybe because it’s different from a cold where you don’t want to get out of bed, mild sunburn does really keep you from doing things physically. Oh how I love everything you have to factor in with diabetes!! Someone needs to develop a scientific formula for how much extra insulin you need to take for the severity of the burn…but then everyone is different 
I am learning folks …this maybe off topic …2 things …I need less insulin , when the temp goes approx over 85 F and secondly I used to sunburn, when a teenager …at the beach a lot , getting acquainted with the young tourists from across the border …My Mom would soothen the pain with putting buttermilk all over the burnt area …it helped …all this well before my diagnoses with diabetes
Ya, it sure is gone. I also responded to a comment that sunburns were infection.
Dave, am I correct …the poster can delete any time one wishes ??..
Sunburn can raise BG without it being an infection. Sunburn creates inflamation and inflamation of any kind can elevates BG.
Oh yes Nel - I do agree, I find my blood sugars are lower when the weather is sunny + warm - I think its the ooch! pain factor! of the sunburn that causes the distress on the blood sugars !
- Amandas right- would love a formula to follow to try and counteract the things that make our blood sugars go high! - if anyone figures it out - please send it to me !
Inflamation - Thats probably the reason exactly Joe.
Sunburn really messes with my BS. I have no idea why , but it messes with it and it always shoots it up like a rocket. I am a red head, well when I had hair i was a red head, and it has been a problem for several years, Moral of the story try hard not to get burned, and when I do, use aloe Vera gel. i work hard ot find the gel, it seems ot work the best. Does it help with the BS, nope, but it does heal the burn a little quicker.
rick phillips
The process for inflamation is the same regardless the cause . Cytokines signal the immune system .Histamines are released to diolate blood vessels allowing fluids to pass threw the vessels to the effected area(This is why you may have itching with sunburn).Blood supply is increased for healing . The liver releases glycogen and breaks it down to glucose to feed damage tissue. Then comes remodeling or maturation (the resoring of damage tissue).