Cocktails are a risky business in the sun.
The internet is awash with photos of people who had been having a casual drink in the sunlight only to wake up with severe and surprising chemical burns.
The burns occur as a result of the juice or oil of certain fruits, plants and vegetables reacting to UV rays from the sun after coming into contact with the skin. Limes, a common addition to many cocktails and beers, are particularly dangerous.
If you’re heading away on holidays then take note of these images.
https://instagram.com/p/2rweDrGo0B/?taken-by=blondiegrams
The condition is called phytophotodermatitis, but it is also known as ‘margarita dermatatis’, mainly because it’s more likely to happen when you’re drinking a cocktail outside on a sunny day.
Reactions can be mild enough, but some other photos show the worst case scenario. The photo below is described by the doctor as being caused by the patient simply ‘eating something that dripped.’
https://instagram.com/p/rKPOM7lgOX/
Ouch.
https://instagram.com/p/d7PGyBQhwG/
Any citric fruits, as well as parsnips, celery and any wild flowers can bring about the rashes and blisters if combined with your skin and sunlight, so remember to wash up well if you’re cooking or drinking with any of those ingredients on a sunny day like today (this is subject to change, we are in Ireland, after all).
Hat-tip to Futurity
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