Apparently this is an allergy that afffects 10-20 percent of us. More if you grew up way north in Minnesota or Sweden or even Northern China.
It affects fair-skinned people. Mostly women. Especially women in their 30s and 40s, as something about menopause stops the allergen.
For the past two days, as the weather has been nice, I've walked to school and back with my child. Today, for the second time this spring, I've broken out into itchy hives and did a bit of research:
Polymorphous light eruption is an itchy rash caused by sun exposure in people who have developed a sensitivity to sunlight (photosensitivity). The rash usually appears as red, tiny bumps or slightly raised patches of skin.Polymorphous light eruption occurs most often during spring and early summer when a person's exposure to sunlight increases. Repeat episodes are less likely as the summer progresses, but polymorphous light eruption often recurs each year after the first incident.
Although polymorphous light eruption usually resolves on its own without treatment, medications may be needed to treat severe or persistent cases. Measures to protect the skin from sun exposure or light therapy may help prevent recurring episodes of polymorphous light eruption
I'm kind of curious if I'm alone in developing these rashes in the sun. I went through this years ago when the Internet was not much, and am curious if I'm just a weirdo or this is widespread.
