A 67-year-old woman from Zhejiang, China, heard that sunbathing her back could dispel dampness and cure diseases, so she lay face down in the noon sun for two hours. Unexpectedly, she fell into a coma after returning indoors and had to be rushed to the hospital.
According to Chinese media reports, 67-year-old Aunt Wang heard that 'sunbathing your back can dispel dampness and cure diseases', so she went to an open area outside at noon and sunbathed for two hours. After being sent to the hospital, doctors diagnosed her with aneurysmal cerebral hemorrhage and also found that a dangerous brain herniation had occurred. She underwent emergency craniotomy to remove the accumulated blood, but she remained in a coma.
Professor Ye Xiangming, Director of the Rehabilitation Medicine Department at Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, told the family that the brain hemorrhage had caused severe brain tissue damage and affected normal brain functions, which was why she was in a coma. Due to being bedridden for a long time, she also faced risks such as lung infection, deep vein thrombosis, bedsores, and muscle atrophy.
The rehabilitation team developed a personalized awakening and complication prevention rehabilitation treatment plan for Aunt Wang. After treatment, she regained consciousness, but a follow-up CT scan revealed worsening hydrocephalus — her cerebrospinal fluid could not be drained, which compressed the brain and affected her recovery. Subsequently, neurosurgeons performed cranioplasty and hydrocephalus drainage surgery for her and created a meticulous rehabilitation plan. Aunt Wang finally began to recover gradually.
Doctors pointed out that the saying 'sunbathing your back can cure all diseases' has no scientific basis. Long-term exposure to high temperatures is extremely dangerous for elderly people and those with hypertension or cardiovascular and cerebrovascular problems, possibly triggering heatstroke, stroke, and other issues. The sun is most intense from 10AM to 4PM, so it’s best to avoid going out during these peak temperature hours in summer.