Trying to Beat the Heat? You May Be at Higher Risk of Sunburn if You're on These Medications

As the country's heat wave continues, know which prescription and over-the-counter medications can increase photosensitivity and risk of sunburn

• Some medications — both prescription and over-the-counter — can make you more prone to sunburn

• Certain antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications can increase your photosensitivity, causing sunburn in a shorter amount of time

• Experts advise people to know their risk, avoid long periods in the sun, stay hydrated and, of course, to wear sunscreen

Common medications — prescription and over-the-counter — can make you more prone to sunburns.

“These medications are increasing your chances of getting sunburns because they make you more sensitive to the sunlight,” Dr. Fred Davis, associate chair of Northwell’s Long Island Jewish Hospital Emergency Department, tells PEOPLE.

The biggest culprits, he says, are short-term medications.

“The ones that you might take for a short period of time that you're not used to are the ones to be more concerned [about],” he explains. “People that are on chronic medications probably have already had some exposure to this.”

Accutane, for example, is a long-term acne medication that's widely known for causing sensitivity to the sun, he explains.

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But with short-term medications, people may not think about the effects. "We try to remind people about antibiotics," Davis tells PEOPLE, pointing to doxycycline and the fluoroquinolone class of medications — for example, ciprofloxacin — that he says can “lead particularly to this photosensitivity.”

Anti-inflammatory medications can also cause photosensitivity, he says, and patients may not know about these side effects because they don't have to visit their doctors for a prescription.

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“They might be buying this over-the-counter and not realizing it. Especially this time of year, they're walking around a little bit more, their joints might hurt and they're taking a naproxen to help with that,” Davis explains to PEOPLE.

If you’re on these medications, it’s better to take precautions, he says, as “there’s no way to really tell just how much more sensitive the medication will make you.”

He adds, “Everyone's a little different as far as their pigmentation and how much direct sunlight they're getting," and even minimal sun exposure could cause an issue.

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Diuretics, often prescribed for high blood pressure, can also increase someone’s risk of sunburn. And, Davis says, they put people at risk for another health issue: dehydration.

Those pills, he explains, “make you urinate more. Their effects can make you more prone to dehydration with direct heat, because you're sweating a little bit more when you're walking around in the heat. You might be more prone to dehydration, dropping your blood pressure and almost passing out from those medications and the heat exposure — not just sunlight alone.”

But if you do get a sunburn, Davis says, treat it as if you would any other sunburn.

“Make sure that the area is clean. In many cases, they don't necessarily require any intensive care, especially if it's just some redness to the skin. You can do things like Tylenol or Motrin to help with the pain.”

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“So [make] sure you stay well hydrated to help with the healing process,” he says. And “reduce your outside exposure, wear a hat — and wear sunscreen.” 

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