Sun poisoning leaves woman barely able to open her eyes as Met Office and UKHSA issue heat health alert

A Stockport woman’s eyes swelled over two days after she experienced sun poisoning.
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A woman could barely open her eyes after experiencing severe sun poisoning, she has said. Her warning comes as parts of the UK are expected to reach their highest temperatures of the year this weekend, with the first heat health alert of its kind issued in six parts of England by the Met Office and UKHSA.

Orla McGlynn, 22, experienced severe sun poisoning after failing to wear protective cream during a long weekend in Cornwall. The sun poisoning resulted in her left eye becoming badly inflamed.

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Orla, from Stockport, said she wasn’t in pain but had to wear sunglasses at work while the symptoms cleared up. The waitress said: "I wasn't wearing any suncream. I just had moisturiser on with SPF.

"I was a bit stupid, but I've learnt my lesson. But on Friday, it was cloudy and I burnt then, so I just wasn't prepared for it, I think.

"It actually wasn't painful at all, just annoying as I was going out the following weekend and I was stressed about that. I could see fine, my right eye was a lot worse and it was a bit harder to see but it wasn't that bad."

On Monday morning, Orla woke up with swelling, which she said got worse throughout the day. Orla said: “I woke up feeling a bit swollen and I just thought that was normal because of the morning.

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“But I flew home later that day and it just got worse. It took two days to really come up.”

Orla was sent home with antihistamine, ibuprofen and a pair of sunglasses for work after visiting the hospital. She said: “I’m back to normal now, thank god.

“It took about three days to clear up and I had to wear my sunglasses whilst waitressing at the pub! Wear suncream – but I say that, since then I haven’t put it on so maybe I actually haven’t learnt my lesson.”

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