Showing posts with label Photosensitivity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Photosensitivity. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Photosensitivity And The Effects Of UVR

Photosensitivity And The Effects Of UVR
It is ingrained in humans to love light and, indeed, since mankind's first wanderings

from the caves, worship of the sun has been a fundamental tenet that many

societies hold even to the present.



The properties of the sun that have inspired such reverence include its light (visible

radiation) and its warmth (infrared radiation). Additional portions of the solar

spectrum that cannot be perceived directly by the senses (ultraviolet) are capable of

evoking both physiologic and pathologic events in the skin.



Sunlight is the ultimate source of energy and is vitally important to life as we know

it. However, absorption of incident solar energy by components of the skin can

cause a variety of pathological sequelae.



Despite the undeniable importance of cutaneous exposure to ultraviolet radiation for

vitamin D homeostasis, there is little evidence to indicate that there are additional

beneficial effects of such exposure. Indeed, overwhelming evidence exists to support the

concept that the skin is damaged in many different ways by its direct exposure to natural

or artificial UVR. Some exposure is virtually unavoidable over a lifetime and is

dramatically dissimilar in different populations depending upon climate, geography,

occupation, and recreational activities. The consequences of this exposure are also

influenced by factors such as the degree of melanin pigmentation. The effects of UVR can

be divided into two general types, acute and chronic. Acute effects include sunburn, and

chronic effects include, among others,

the development of certain forms of skin cancer. In addition, the skin is a major site of

immunologic activity, and UVR is capable of affecting the immune system via its effects on

the skin. The skin is also susceptible to degenerative changes evoked by chronic UVR.

These changes are a major component of the constellation of physical changes perceived as

skin aging but, which in reality, are due to chronic photodamage.



Expanding knowledge about the hazards of exposure to sunlight and UVR has been

accompanied by improved approaches to photoprotection, including the development of more

effective sunscreen formulations. In addition, there is increasing interest in

pharmacologic agents such as the retinoids that may be capable of inhibiting the

development of or possibly even reversing certain chronic effects of cutaneous sun

exposure.



Marked morphologic changes in all parts of the skin, except perhaps the subcutaneous

tissue, are recognized as consequences of exposure to UVR. These changes underlie the

clinically observed sagging, wrinkling, leathery texture, and blotchy discoloration of

skin typically associated with actinic damage. It is unclear how much exposure and how

much time is required to effect these changes, although it is evident that clinically

normal appearing skin can show pathologic signs of sun damage upon histologic and

ultrastructural examination. It is known that individuals with fair complexions are more

susceptible to this damage.



In addition to certain genetic and metabolic disorders that are precipitated by UVR,

there are many photosensitive diseases of unknown cause. These include lupus erythematosus

and polymorphous light eruption, which are elicited by certain wavelengths of the UVR

spectrum. Photosensitivity disorders may also occur due to the interaction of UVR with

many commonly used drugs, as well as chemicals used in industry and consumer products.



There is extensive epidemiological evidence supporting the direct role sunlight plays

in human skin cancer. Basal cell carcinomas (BCC), the most common skin cancers in

Caucasians, are found primarily on sun-exposed areas such as the head and neck where a

dose-response relationship exists. Furthermore, patients with skin cancer generally have

decreased melanin pigmentation and associated photo-protection; people with light

complexion and who sunburn easily have a higher incidence of tumors. There is even

stronger evidence for the role of sunlight in causing SCC's. Although both BCC's and SCC's

are more prevalent in geographic

areas of high sun exposure, there is a much greater increase in SCC with decreasing

latitude and increasing sun exposure. A reasonable correlation exists between sunlight

exposure and melanoma, but the relationship is not as clear as with NMSC. It should be

emphasized that the incidence of NMSC and melanomas has been steadily increasing. Unlike

NMSC, melanomas occur most frequently on the upper back in males and lower extremities in

females. Melanoma incidence does not follow a pattern of increased risk with cumulative

UVR exposure whereas the incidence of NMSC does.



There is evidence that vitamin D synthesis is inhibited by the use of sunscreens. In

the United States, this does not represent a health hazard for the pediatric population

that receives adequate vitamin D supplementation in milk. In other countries this may not

be the case. Deficiencies in elderly populations may exist.



Susceptibility to damage by UVR may be influenced by genetic and acquired disorders,

genetic traits, age-related factors, and the use of some medications.



Genetic abnormalities can increase the susceptibility to UVR damage. These include

disorders manifested in utero that may be lifelong or that may appear shortly after birth.

Among them are disorders of keratinization and pigmentation. Several inherited disorders

in which there is marked susceptibility to UVR in early childhood include xeroderma

pigmentosum, Bloom's syndrome, Rothmund-Thomson syndrome, the porphyrias, phenylketonuria,

dysplastic nevus syndrome, and the basal cell nevus syndrome.



There are also numerous and diverse acquired diseases that manifest increased light

susceptibility. Examples include persistent light reaction, photosensitive epilepsy,

actinic reticuloid, polymorphous light eruption, solar urticaria, hydroa aestivale, hydroa

vacciniforme, actinic prurigo, lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, Darier's disease, and

disseminated superficial actinic parakeratosis.



Significant factors that influence susceptibility to UVR damage include race, ethnicity,

eye and hair color, and the tendency toward formation of freckles and nevi. One approach

to categorizing humans in terms of susceptibility to UVR is typing according to history of

sunburning and tanning. Six skin types have been defined. Type I individuals always burn

and never tan; type VI individuals always tan and never burn. The age of an individual may

be correlated with factors that influence the susceptibility to UVR. These may include

age-related structural differences in the skin, behavioral differences (e.g., adolescent

risk taking) and, hypothetically, age-related immunological differences.



Numerous systemic medications may augment UVR susceptibility. Increased UVR damage may

occur with the use of oral antibiotics, antihypertensives, psoralens, immunosuppressive

agents, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and numerous other agents. In addition, a

number of topical medications and industrial chemicals may increase the susceptibility to

damage by sunlight. These include topical psoralens, tretinoin, and other photosensitizing

and depigmenting agents.




Studies show that tanning-bed light can burn both skin and eyes, alter immune system

function, cause skin to age prematurely (photoaging) and produce non-melanoma skin

cancers. Tanning beds also bring about various forms of photosensitivity, including

photo-drug reactions involving many commonly used medications, and polymorphous light

eruptions, commonly known as "sun poisoning." Even short-term indoor tanning may produce

redness, itching and dry skin.



Photosensitive epilepsy is the most common form of stimulus induced epilepsy.

Photosensitivity is sensitivity to radiant energy, light. Light flickering, flashing or

reflecting triggers a seizure. Types of seizures caused by photosensitivity are:

tonic-clonic, absence, complex partial and mixed epilepsy in which several types of

seizures occur at various times. The diagnoses of photosensitive epilepsy (PSE) must be

confirmed by an abnormal EEG induced by intermittent photic stimulation (IPS).



Fast paced screen changes, bright screens, flickering patterns all have been shown to

trigger seizures. Current television commercials and programs use one or a all of these

effects. These effects are also used in movies.



The longer the exposure to these triggers, the greater the chance of inducing a

seizure. Flash rates, brightness and screen change rates, in television and movies, all

contribute to this trigger. In general, flash rates above 5 per second, screen changes

above 3 per second are risky. Changes in contrast & luminance are always risky.



Until the 1970's there were no large drug studies in photosensitive epilepsy. Sodium

Valproate (Valproic Acid) was shown to be effective in treating photosensitivity. Sodium

Valproate should be avoided during pregnancy. A connection between Sodium Valproate and

spina bifida was confirmed in 1984. Consult your doctor!



Suggestions for dealing with photosensitivity are:







  • watch television in a well lit room




  • if you are exposed to an unexpected "light" trigger, cover one eye with the palm of your

    hand




  • polarized sun glasses (blue or green) provide some protection outdoors; ordinary sun

    glasses are useless




  • limit exposure to flourescent lighting




  • Only two drugs have been shown to be effective in treating PSE. Clonazepam is usually

    too sedative. Since Sodium Valproate is relatively free from side effects and highly

    effective in reducing photosensitivity, some form of this drug should be used. Discuss

    this with your neurologist.