6 Silent Signs Your Sunburn Is Actually Sun Poisoning

You feel like you have the flu

Summer isn’t exactly flu season, so if you feel achy or have other flu-like symptoms after a long day in the sun, you (and not a virus) may be to blame. “When the skin is damaged by UV rays, it releases chemicals that basically turn on the immune system and make you feel terrible like you’ve got the flu,” says John Anthony, MD, dermatologist at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. Sun poisoning isn’t technically poisoning, it’s a layperson term for a super severe sunburn that has systemic effects. So, when you turn the corner from uncomfortable redness to a deep rouge so severe it triggers an immune response that makes you feel sick, that’s a sign you’ve had way too much.