An Unexpected Sunburn: When Lemons and Sunlight Collide

An 8-year-old from Australia squeezed limes from his backyard tree and ended up hospitalized with severe burns. Here's what you need to know about preventing this unusual reaction.

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Eight-year-old Otis Kerr from Australia picked limes from a tree outside his house and squeezed fresh lemon juice. Days later, he was rushed to the hospital with large blisters on his arms. Otis was suffering from what's called a "margarita burn," which occurs when chemicals found in certain fruits react with sunlight.

Catherine, Otis's mother, told local media she had never heard of such an occurrence. "It wasn't something that happened immediately; it was a progressive effect over several days," she explained.

At the hospital, Otis was examined by the medical team, who diagnosed the blisters as contact dermatitis. The staff asked Otis if he had come into contact with anything unusual, but his mother didn’t even think to mention the limes. "I felt pretty silly not connecting the dots," she admitted.

Otis was sent home, but when the blisters continued to spread, he was taken back to the city's main hospital. "There was a nurse there who had seen a similar case, I think just a week earlier, and she immediately recognized it as a margarita burn," said Otis's mom. "I simply had no idea lemon juice and sunlight exposure could do something like this."

Dr. Herbert-Chan, the hospital's dermatologist, explained that margarita burns happen when chemicals found in certain fruits and vegetables react with sunlight. "Limes contain chemicals called furocoumarins, which, when exposed to UV, will damage the skin. People can be exposed to limes indoors and see no reaction, but if they go outside, they can develop a phototoxic response."

Dr. Herbert-Chan said he has seen similar cases happen due to homemade cleaning solutions with citrus. "It can be a very painful condition. Blisters start forming quite quickly, within minutes of exposure to sunlight, but the maximum number of blisters takes about two days."

Dr. Herbert-Chan noted that the chemical causing the burn is found in various fruits and vegetables, including limes, celery, and figs. He advises that the painful reaction can be avoided by washing hands after exposure to these chemicals..

Otis's mother mentioned that her son is expected to make a full recovery in the coming weeks and is handling the situation well. "I just really want to let other parents know to be careful when their kids are playing with limes," she stated.

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