She's deathly allergic to the sun. Here's how she gets through the day.

For most people, the arrival of spring and summer means picnics, beach trips and other fun in the sun. For Jennifer Linares, it means taking extra precautions to avoid triggering her life-threatening sun allergy.

"The lake and the beach or the pool are things that I haven't done since before my diagnosis, primarily because I'm terrified," Linares, 24, told USA TODAY.

Though it's worse in the sunnier seasons, Linares' sun sensitivity is a year-round challenge of checking the UV index and preparing her body to face the elements.

When the UV index is above a 2 − which is typical from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. where she lives in Virginia − she avoids being in sun or even sitting next to a window with sunlight.

"Otherwise, it will just completely cause my skin to burn and peel off," she said.