'My £5,000 holiday left me bedbound with sun poisoning'

Shannon Armer's family getaway to Portugal ended with her covered in bandages and confined to bed after just two hours under the sun.

The severity of her burns shocked doctors back in the UK, as she "braved" the vacation without medical help after deciding to not get travel insurance, a decision she's now warning people against.

The 25-year-old was enjoying a five-day all-inclusive break in Albufeira, Portugal with her nan and brother. On the very first day she ventured out into the 30C heat armed with factor 30 sunscreen.

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Speaking to NeedToKnow, she recounted: "I'd only been laying in the sun for two hours and I was wearing factor 30.

"I was just trying to get a tan but ended up burnt instead." The following day, the support worker from Lancashire woke up in excruciating pain.

Ruining her holiday as she became bedridden. Despite getting some cooling spray from a local pharmacy, Shannon had to endure until her return to the UK to consult a doctor, as she lacked travel insurance for her £5,000 trip.

Upon finally visiting a hospital back in the UK, her condition astonished the medical staff. She said: "Even the doctors were shocked.

"They said they'd never seen a case like it." Shannon was diagnosed with severe sun poisoning, an extreme form of sunburn that can lead to additional issues such as blistering, intense pain, swelling, fever, nausea, and dehydration, as detailed by Harvard Health Publishing.

After a harrowing experience that left her swathed in bandages and on antibiotics, Shannon is now urging others to not skimp on travel insurance before jetting off abroad.

She warned: "People should 100% get travel insurance as you never know what could go wrong on holiday. I didn't think anything like this would happen to me which is why I didn't get (insurance)."

Typically, sun poisoning can be dealt with at home using the same remedies one might reach for when treating sunburn, such as cool compresses, slathering on aloe vera gel, keeping well-hydrated and moisturised, or taking pain relief medication.

The NHS cautions against popping any blisters that may form from severe sunburn and recommends steering clear of scratching or peeling off skin that's healing from sunburn.

For those unsure about how to treat their sunburn, pharmacists are on hand to suggest over-the-counter treatments and can guide you on whether it's necessary to see a GP. But if symptoms escalate to include headaches, high temperatures, or muscle cramps, contacting 111 is advised.

It's also important to remember that getting sunburnt can up your chances of developing skin cancer; Cancer Research UK states that 86% of melanoma cases are preventable. Among the most effective defences against harmful UV rays is the diligent application of sunscreen.

The majority of adults need around 30ml of sunscreen to cover their body, and it should ideally be applied around 15 minutes prior to sun exposure.

The SPF level signifies the duration you can remain in the sun; for instance, SPF 20 means you can stay in the sun 20 times longer than without sunscreen, according to Dr Alexis Missick, a GP with UK Meds.