A woman could barely open her eyes after she got severe sun poisoning.

Orla McGlynn, 22, failed to wear protective cream during a long weekend in Cornwall.

And she paid the price - when the area around her left eye became badly inflamed.

Orla, from Stockport, says she wasn't in any pain but had to wear sunglasses at work while the problem subsided.

The waitress said: "I wasn't wearing any suncream. I just had moisturiser on with SPF.

"I was a bit stupid, but I've learnt my lesson.

"But on the Friday, it was cloudy and I burnt then, so I just wasn't prepared for it, I think.

"It actually wasn't painful at all, just annoying as I was going out the following weekend and I was stressed about that.

"I could see fine, my right eye was a lot worse and it was a bit harder to see but it wasn't that bad."

Orla woke up with swelling on the Monday morning, which she initially put down to morning tiredness.

She said: "I woke up feeling a bit swollen and I just thought that was normal because of the morning.

"But I flew home later that day and it just got worse. It took two days to really come up."

Following a trip to the hospital, Orla was sent on her way armed with antihistamine and ibuprofen and a pair of sunglasses for work.

She said: "I'm back to normal now, thank god.

"It took about three days to clear up and I had to wear my sunglasses whilst waitressing at the pub!"

And Orla's advice to others: "Wear suncream - but I say that, since then I haven't put it on so maybe I actually haven't learnt my lesson."