In hot summer, sunscreen spray has become a must for many of us. Recently, the discussion about "white lung" caused by improper use of sunscreen spray spread on the Internet. Can improper use of sunscreen spray really harm the lungs? How should we use sunscreen spray correctly? How to protect children's skin in hot summer? A quick look at the article.
Picture/CCTV News
Can improper use of sunscreen spray harm the lungs?
Just this month, the Department of Respiratory Medicine of Hangzhou Children's Hospital transferred two special patients - two children found their mother's sunscreen spray at home, and they played in the room. They sprayed each other for half an hour, and half of the bottle of 120ml sunscreen spray was used at once.
Figure/Hangzhou Children's Hospital
As a result, both children soon developed paroxysmal irritating dry cough, headache and vomiting. The family rushed to the hospital. Chest X-ray showed signs of pneumonia, and the doctor gave timely treatment.
According to the news on the public account of "Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University" on April 29, Duoduo (not her real name), a 9-year-old girl, suffered from chest tightness and shortness of breath one night because she was playing with sunscreen spray at home, during which she vomited once. Mother found out later that the child had sprayed most of the bottle of spray.
The chest X-ray showed suspicious patchy shadows scattered in both lungs, and the chest CT showed symptomatic changes in both lungs. The doctor planned to admit the patient to hospital with "allergic pneumonia". Due to pulmonary exudation, normal gas exchange could not be carried out, oxygen could not enter the blood, and blossoming was once notified of critical illness due to hypoxia.
After admission, further examination was carried out. According to the examination results, the doctor diagnosed allergic pneumonia. After a clear diagnosis, hormone therapy was carried out, and the symptoms were relieved quickly. During the treatment, atomization therapy was also used to accelerate the recovery of the disease. After 5 days of treatment, blossoming recovered smoothly and left hospital.
Video/People's Daily Weibo
According to the People's Daily microblog on April 8, not long ago, a patient came to a hospital in Changsha, Hunan Province for treatment due to dyspnea and cough. CT images showed that both lungs had serious "white lungs". After careful inquiry, the doctor diagnosed that the patient had caused acute allergic pneumonia due to spraying sunscreen spray on his face and inhaling it.
Just spray a sunscreen spray, how can the lungs be damaged?
On April 15, the State Drug Administration issued an article pointing out that improper use of sunscreen "spray" cosmetics has two main safety risks: one is inhalation risk. When using sunscreen "spray" cosmetics on the skin, consumers may unintentionally inhale the spray droplets, which may contain sunscreen, volatile organic compounds, spices, preservatives and other cosmetics raw materials. When used intensively in a narrow confined space, for example, in a car with the windows closed, a large number of droplets may be inhaled in a short time, This may lead to health risks, especially for children with allergic constitution with high airway sensitivity, which is easy to induce severe cough or wheezing. Compared with aerosol cosmetics, aerosol cosmetics have a higher risk of inhalation when used because of the relatively smaller liquid droplets. The second is flammable and explosive risk. As the propellant used in the aerosol dosage form may be butane, propane and other flammable substances, and is in the high pressure state of liquefaction, it is easy to cause deflagration accidents when encountering fire sources. Therefore, attention should be paid to fire and explosion prevention when using and storing sunscreen "spray" cosmetics.
Screenshot/Healthy Zhengzhou Official Account
The doctor said that "white lung" generally refers to the manifestation of severe pneumonia under X-ray or CT examination. The patient's lung presents a large white state, often with dyspnea, respiratory failure, and other organ dysfunction in severe cases.
Infection, diffuse alveolar hemorrhage syndrome, etc. are the most common causes of "white lung". In addition, inhalation of harmful substances such as dust, spray, etc. may also lead to a wide range of white lesions in the lung. That is to say, if the sun spray is not used correctly for a long time, it may lead to "white lung".
The Technical Guidelines for Children's Cosmetics issued by the China Academy of Food and Drug Control on August 31, 2023 pointed out that "children are not recommended to use spray sunscreen cosmetics. If it is necessary to use it, full consideration should be given to the risk of inhalation, and the use method should be marked with such warning words as' Do not spray directly on the face 'and' Avoid inhalation '."
In addition, doctors remind that allergic pneumonia can be divided into three stages: acute, subacute and chronic.
● If you use sunscreen spray on your face in a summer or longer, even if you can hold your breath, the suspended particles filled in the environment will not settle and dissipate quickly, and will still be inhaled into the lungs without knowing it. This is a long-term chronic exposure history, and the lung damage is a sub acute course of disease.
● If the process lasts more than half a year, it can be determined as a chronic disease. There may be no cough or maladjustment during this process, so there is no early warning, and it is difficult to attract the attention of patients, but it will cause irreversible damage to the lungs.
How should we use sunscreen spray correctly?
Figure/IC
▶ Choose mild and non irritating products suitable for your skin. If you do not tolerate alcohol, do not use alcohol based sunscreen spray.
▶ Due to different skin types, a small amount of sunscreen spray can be applied to the back of the ear, the inside of the elbow joint and other parts for a skin test before the first use. It should be kept for 24 to 72 hours. It can be used after confirming that there is no discomfort.
▶ When using sunscreen spray, it is mainly sprayed on the body parts, and at least 15-20 cm away from the skin. When used on the face and neck, please spray it on the hands first, and then apply it evenly with your hands. In case of eye contact, wash with water immediately; If you feel uncomfortable, you should stop using.
▶ Do not use sunscreen spray on abnormal areas such as skin wounds, redness, swelling or eczema.
▶ Do not spray the same body part for more than 3 seconds in a short distance (e.g. within 10 cm). The propellant in the sunscreen spray will volatilize quickly and absorb heat after being sprayed. Long time or close distance use may cause frostbite to the skin.
▶ Do not use it in the bathroom, car and other narrow, airtight and unventilated spaces. Pay attention to ventilation when spraying. Close your mouth and nose tightly when using. Do not deliberately breathe in to avoid a large amount of inhalation of spray.
▶ It should be kept out of the reach of children, and children should use sunscreen spray under adult supervision. It is recommended to choose sunscreen products with mild formula and children's cosmetics "Little Golden Shield".
▶ Sunscreen spray usually contains flammable substances. Please store it in a cool, dry and ventilated environment to avoid direct sunlight. When using, keep away from fire, heat source and static electricity, do not hit the product, and do not pierce or throw the product or used empty cans into the fire.
@Parents, please check this sunscreen guide for children!
Figure/IC
Children's skin is delicate, and the thickness of cuticle is only one third of that of adults. In addition, the connection between skin epidermal cells is more loose than that of adults, and they are more vulnerable to UV damage than adults. How can parents protect children from sun? How to choose sunscreen products for children? Let's see.
★ Outdoor activity time should be appropriate
The period between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. is the period when the ultraviolet rays are strongest. When parents take their children out to bask in the sun or play, they should try to avoid this period. During outdoor activities in summer, if the sun is still strong, you should also try to stay in the outdoor shade.
★ Shielded sunscreen
Fabric products such as sunshade, sun hat and clothes can directly block sunlight. The higher the yarn density, the darker the color, or with sunscreen coating, the stronger the UV absorption capacity and the better the sunscreen effect.
Choose a sunscreen hat with a longer brim, which will have a better sunscreen effect. It is recommended to select fabric products with the UV protection factor (UFP)>25 and UA transmittance<5%. Select sun visors that can cover all UVs to minimize the transmission of blue and purple light. The mirror is wide enough to completely cover the eyes and eyebrows. The lens should be dark, but should not be too dark to avoid affecting vision.
★ Choose the right sunscreen
Sunscreen should be differentiated according to children's age. It is recommended that children under 6 months of age should try to choose physical sunscreen. Children over 6 months old should also focus on physical sun protection. If there is a special need, you can also apply products with low sun protection index to reduce the irritation of products to children's skin. Under 3 years old, SPF15-SPF20 sunscreen products can be selected; If you are over 3 years old and have been exposed to the sun for a long time, sun protection is the main method, supplemented by covering, you can use SPF30-SPF50 products.
When choosing sunscreen for children, avoid unnecessary essences, pigments and high-risk preservatives. The best sunscreen for children is the sunscreen with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as the core. Other chemical sunscreen agents, such as ethyl hexyl methoxycinnamate, may interfere with hormones after long-term use.
★ Precautions for use of sunscreen
Remember to apply sunscreen 15 minutes before going out. The amount of application should be a coin size product of 1 yuan, which should be applied to the overall part. Generally, it should be repeated every 2-3 hours.
Sun protection products can be washed out when out of the light environment. General sunscreen products can be washed with water or facial cleanser. Anti sweat and waterproof products need to be cleaned more carefully and thoroughly, or use makeup removers. After cleaning, pay attention to moisturizing.
★ How to deal with sunburn?
Sunburn is a gradual process, and parents should keep close observation. As long as the child's skin starts to become pink, it means that the process of sunburn has begun quietly.
If the child's skin appears erythema and slight tingling after a long period of sunshine, it indicates that the skin has been sunburnt. When this happens, parents and friends can use medical cotton or a soft towel dipped in cold water to compress the sunburn. If necessary, they should take the baby to the doctor in time to avoid secondary damage caused by indiscriminate use of drugs.
Although excessive sun exposure in children will bring serious consequences, children are in a rapid growth period. More sun exposure can help bone growth and prevent rickets. Therefore, scientific sunshine and effective sunscreen should be combined.
Source: Xinhuanet, CCTV News, People's Daily, Beijing News, Zhejiang Provincial Department of Education, Guangdong Provincial Drug Administration, Healthy Zhengzhou, Digital Beijing Science Center, and public accounts of major top three hospitals
Edited by Ai Zheng, proofread by Xue Jingning
