I would like to hear from any of you folks who spend a lot of time outdoors. This year since Spring has come so early, I was out in the yard cleaning up and planting, etc. and noticed that the sunlight "stings". It is actually painful. I was wondering if anyone else noticed this. I spoke to a pal of mine in TN who is a landscaper and one of his employees and he both mentioned that they had also felt this.

I looked for some information on the subject and could only find articles about sunburn. I am careful not to get burned, I had melanoma years ago. If you are out only a few minutes, it hurts. I don't remember ever experiencing this before. I'm wondering if it's just me getting old and more sensitive; something common, nothing to fret about, or WHAT!

Pilot

Yes, have noticed it, getting stronger and stronger over the years, increasing in intensity and today, not even in direct sunlight and feeling it penetrate through the house and when I do get in, something that I try to avoid to much in peak hours, feel it for sure, not like it use to be...

Theory is they planet is going to bake and everything on it, part biblical prophetic, as take heaven on earth and turn this planet into hell, is what seems to be happening.

Actually, yes..and I wasn't going to reply because I could not cite anything specific for contrast...but then it occurred to me, of course I can. When I was living in Occupy in October, sunlight was..well.. hell, it was an outdoor camp in a downtown city. Sunlight was there and no problem. It didn't bother me much either way, like it never has. I wasn't wearing sunglasses and I didn't sunburn.

3 weeks ago at the lake nearby, I burned badly after 2 hours moving around and active with the family. My other half burned much worse..and neither of us burn that easily. No one was sunbathing or unsually exposed.. heck, they were fishing and I was off photographing everything around for my college class.

Additionally... I HAVE noticed in the last few months and that day at the lake in particular that I can barely stand to be out in direct sunlight right now without sunglasses. My eyes actually HURT more often than not on sunny days. it vanishes the moment I get into a vehicle or building and behind shielded glass. No problem at all...but outside and without cloud cover?? ...being outside HAS gotten rather uncomfortable.

idk, i usually avoid sunlight

I quite frankly enjoy it! After being in the sun for awhile I feel happier & energetic. When I go run I make sure to wear less as possible. It may be just your skin type or as you've got older you've become more sensitive to sunlight.

i am noticing it is stronger, but my skin can handle it fine. I can still be outside all day and not burn. The sunlight feels good on my skin if anything.

No not really, but I have noticed that the sun seems to be alot brighter but that could just be my eyes.

Thanks for the replies, this is interesting. I can burn easily, so I'm very careful. Will be doing some outdoor work today and when I get home I'd like to try and do some more research on this. I'll post what I am able to find.

Thanks!

Yes, my husband and I definitely noticed that the sun is getting quite strong and it is easy to get sunburned.

I wrote in another post that I got a mild sunburn from 20 minutes in the sun in January, and considering that I have an olive complexion and am not lily white, I find this to be exceedingly weird.

The sun has been so brutal the past few days that it is painful to have it shine on the skin for more than a minute.

Is our atmosphere thinning? Is the sun getting stronger? Something is off and I'm glad to read I'm not the only one who is noticing it.

Hah, coincidence? I mentioned to a co-worker the other day that the sun seems brighter now than it did 3 months ago. When outside I find I am squinting more and more. I spend a lot of recreational time outdoors and during the winter months with snow on the ground it reflects and causes discomfort, but the snow is gone and the sun now seems brighter to me.

Again, this is pure speculation with no hard facts to prove anything, but it is my observation.

The heliosphere has shrunk something like 50% in the last ten years and the sun is now going quadpolar. The earths magnetic field has gone strange too..Maybe that has something to do with it...

Very odd. Just in the last week I was outside doing some work and got a sunburn after a relatively short time and while wearing a ballcap- my scalp still burned.

stinging, sunburn, and uneven permatans happened as soon as i started using sunblocks on the beach some 10 years ago.

i realized some of the chemical in synthetic sunblocks (ie, avobenzone) are altered into toxic species upon absorbing some of the solar radiation.

titanium dioxide and zinc oxide physical sunscreens are the only ones that reduce the stinging and actinic damage, for me.

there are gaping holes in our atmosphere and chemtrails further add to the irradiation.

I don't feel a difference. I've been to a couple of countries around the world, some hot places like Egypt, Tunisia, Sri Lanka over the years - no dfference. Today was also a very warm day. Sunny, no clounds, 26° C i was out in my garden for a couple of hours and it felt like always, actually i was excited, finally, after so many months of a stupid winter and a weird weather it looks like it's getting warmer and warmer, summer's around the corner

Maybe some of you have stuck too much inside your houses for the past couple of months, without sun? Then, getting into the sun is maybe like some sort of drug overdose, too much sun and it's radiation, maybe the skin can't cope with it and gets irritated the first few times?

I've noticed this too! Last week when I was outside, the wind was blowing so I didn't 'feel' the heat but I did notice I burned quick. Then yesterday I literally sat outside for 10 minutes and it STUNG me, just how you described ...I went in and I'm still a little burnt You are definitely not alone on this one. It was like a super quick tanning bed lol

No not at all I work in my yard all day maybe you are a wimp and need to work harder. Or maybe there is a big hole in the ozone just over your house. I live in Michigan and I am a Popsicle. But when it is nice no burn unless my dumb but stays in the sun way to long but I no better. I don't think your a wimp but I really don't think the sun is stinging everyone.lol

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
Aren't there also prescription drugs which carry a side effect of sun sensitivity?

That's true, and it may be related.

The apparently stronger Sun could also be the result of an above average dry atmosphere, with nothing to block it.

Here in Portugal I didn't noticed a thing two days ago (yesterday and today it was cloudy).

UK here. I first noticed the 'sting' in the sun when we had a very sunny 'episode' February last year. I was in my car on my way to teach at local 6th form college. I got stuck at some lights and I had to open the car window all the way. I had my elbow on the door and my arm felt as though it was being singed. It was so bad I had to shut the car window and swelter instead! I mentioned it to my students and some who had been outside during lunch had noticed it too.

So by last summer I noticed it more and more and on some days...I am an avid potterer in my garden...I had to get into the shade or even indoors. The weird thing about that was, that when I went indoors the house was warmer than it was outside! The whole family noticed this 'anomaly' even though we had front and back windows open.

Rainbows
Jane