By Cristopher Rees
cristopher@newsroom.byu.edu
BYU students are warned against popping sunburn blisters.
'Don't pop em',' said Cami Christensen, BYU emergency medical services. 'You'll get an infection.'
Christensen said breaking the skin opens the body to illness.
Popping the blister does not help the wound to heal, she said.
'The blister and ooze are a healing process, its like a scab,' she said.
Christensen said the liquid forms in the blister because the body is releasing cells damaged by the sun.
Christensen warns BYU students that lying out is a concern in Utah.
'People sunbathing have died due to heat and dehydration,' she said.
Stacy Prince, BYU registered dietician, advised students on how to check for dehydration.
'The best way is to check the color of your urine,' she said. 'It should be clear or very pale yellow and odorless.'
Prince said dehydration can also lead to heatstroke.
Signs of heat exhaustion are headaches, redness, sweating and feeling hot, Christensen said.
Signs of heat stroke are vomiting, shallow breathing, sweating stops, possible seizures and loss of consciousness, she said.
'If you see someone with these symptoms, give them liquids if their conscious,' Christensen said. 'If they're unconscious, don't give them liquids orally.'
Jack Carpenter, BYU emergency medical services, said water and Gatorade are recommended to counter dehydration.
Christensen said the body temperature should be lowered in these cases.
'Apply a wet rag to the groin, armpits and neck,' she said.
Christensen advises students to seek professional help if suffering from heatstroke.
She said a doctor should also be seen if a student has a blistering sunburn over 15-30 percent of their body.
A student with 50 percent of their body burnt without blisters should seek medical assistance as well, she said.