Finally the sun is out in the UK and I couldn't be happier! It's so lovely to wake up to the sunshine at the weekends; it seems to lift your entire spirits and make everything seem a little easier. However, the sun also brings with it new adventures with lupus and many other connective tissue diseases......they all fall under the photo sensitivity umbrella (umbrella being the most apt word)
Over the years I have tried many different ways to enjoy the sun and still maintain my health. Some have worked perfectly, others have been utter disasters; either way it's made me aware of my limitations. As I am a self confessed summer junkie, this is a blow that I have found really hard to take. So I've made it my mission to find the best balance and I thought I would share the results with you. Each will be rated out of ten for health and happiness.
Sitting in the shade - health 10/10 - happiness 6/10
The most obvious thing to do when it is sunny is to simply stay out of it. This is the perfect thing to do if you are not a fan of direct sunshine anyway and it doesn't mean that you can't still enjoy it.
Personally I hate to be the only person sitting in the shade at the beach or in a beer garden. I love the feeling of sunlight on my skin...well until I swell up and get covered in a rash. This is by far the best option for my health. I have had very little adverse affects caused by sitting out of the sun. Socially however I have not been as happy as others feel they have to join me in the shade and I love to sunbathe on the beach.
A summer hat - health 7/10 - happiness 8/10
I do love a sun hat! Especially the vintage, floppy, oversized kind. So when it is sunny and I know I am going to be out in it sometimes then this seems the perfect option. They are easy to fit into your handbag for the journey to work or for a stroll in the park, plus they offer you the protection from the sunlight!
I would suggest that a summer hat is best for periods when you are walking, maybe when you are exploring on your holidays knowing that you are going to be in and out of the shade. Although hats do offer great protection for short periods of time I have failed to find one that offers me perfect protection. There have been many times I still end up with the butterfly rash even when wearing a hat and it doesn't protect my hands which are extremely sensitive.
High factor sun lotions - health 5/10 - happiness 10/10
Firstly the health number here is just in terms of stopping a flare up, sun lotion is integral when it is sunny to protect against skin damage and skin cancer! Please always use it.
The result here is just for stopping a flare up and for me it really is 50/50. Sometimes I can lather myself in factor 50 and be perfectly fine for a couple of hours in the sun without a hat or shade. Then other times I have been out for ten minutes and got so ill I have had to go inside. Due to this I would never just rely on suntan lotion on its own to stop a lupus flare. Although it makes me happy to be out in the sun, hence the 10/10 it's not worth the pain afterwards.
Covering up with clothing - health 7/10 - happiness 2/10
I am not sure I need to say more than wearing lots of long sleeved, long legged clothes is not going to make you happy in the sun! You get too hot, too swollen, too sweaty and trust me you do feel a bit odd on the beach (unless this is what you are used to, this is only my opinion).
However there are some cover up tips I have found useful. For example, when I am out in the sea I will always have an extra towel with me to cover my legs or arms once I have had enough sunshine. I will always wear short sleeved cardigans during the day to cover the tops of my arms. There are many ways to cover up the really sensitive areas without making yourself over heated and uncomfortable.
The final option for me is to stay inside...to be honest I won't even mention it as I am an outside loving girl and I will not let the lupus take this away from me!
The last thing to remember in the sun is to drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol which may be harder in the summer and always be aware of the first symptoms of a flare up!
