New research suggests you may want to leave the alcohol at home next time you head to the beach. It may contribute to painful sunburn.Researchers found those who consumed alcohol at the beach had more severe sunburns than nondrinkers and were more likely to need a pain reliever after the sunburn.
Drinkers also had a significantly greater body surface area sunburned than nondrinkers and were more likely to develop blisters. However, drinkers did not report spending more time in the sun than nondrinkers. Investigators say alcohol use may blunt the immediate sensation of sunburn, which prevents subtle behavioral changes that could decrease further exposure to UV light and additional skin damage.Sunburn could do more than cause pain. Sunburn can be a costly injury. Of the 38 respondents five men missed nine days of work and one woman missed eight days because of sunburn within the year before the study.
