SUMMER IS HERE and many of us are looking forward to spending days by the beach and under the sun.
While we all need some sunshine to help our bodies produce Vitamin D, too much sunshine can cause premature skin aging, eye damage, immune system suppression, and skin cancer. Even young people can develop skin cancer.
Most individuals get 25% of their total lifetime exposure to sunshine before the age of 18, and just two blistering sunburns are enough to double our lifetime skin cancer risk.
Repeated sun exposure can cause the skin’s outer layer, the epidermis, to become thick and leathery, with wrinkles and furrows, particularly on the face.
Compare the skin on your upper forearm with the skin on your lower forearm, and you’ll see the effects of prolonged sun exposure. Notice the difference in texture and skin thickness?
Not all individuals burn at equal rates. White and fair skinned individuals are in greatest danger of burning; their skin is unable to produce enough melanin even after several days of sun exposure. These are individuals whose skin quickly turns red, without tanning.
Darker skin produces enough melanin to offer some protection, but will still burn, dry, and peel off with too much sun exposure.
The culprits are the three types of ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun: UVA, UVB, and UVC.
UVA rays are not blocked by the ozone layer and account for most of our sun exposure. UVB, and UVC rays are mostly blocked by the ozone layer, but if you’re visiting countries in the north and south, note that the ozone layer has been thinning, resulting in increased cases of skin cancer.
Remember, sunlight,and the UV rays still get through even in winter and colder climates.
Here are some basic tips to protect yourself:
Limit your exposure between the hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., when the sun is strongest. Play golf, tennis, and swim in the early morning or late afternoon.
Use a broad spectrum sunblock, with SPF of 15 or greater, particularly for children, who tend to stay out in the sun for longer periods.
Apply sunblock 30 minutes before venturing out into the sun and reapply every hour or so, particularly if you are swimming or perspiring heavily.
Use a higher SPF sunblock on areas that need extra protection like the tip of your nose, your ears, your shoulders and upper forearms and your back.
Babies below one year of age should stay out of the sun— period. Their little bodies cannot tolerate high-SPF sunblock lotions whose chemicals may be absorbed through the skin, so the best protection is to keep them out of the sun, and have them wear a small hat if you need to carry them under the sun.
Wear a good pair of sunglasses, one that specifically provides UV protection, to protect your eyes and wide-brimmed sun hats to protect your face and provide some shade from the heat.
Polarized sunglasses offer extra protection from glare, but should not be used for driving.
(The Polarization interacts with the glass of your car’s windshield creating false rainbows)
Encourage children, in particular, to wear hats when playing in the sun.
Check with your physician if you are taking certain drugs such as tetracyclines, diuretics, and tranquilizers which may increase your sensitivity to the sun. Birth control pills are also known to increase sun susceptibility.
Take multivitamins and extra doses of antioxidants a few days before planned sun exposure to increase sun tolerance.
An additional five hundred milligrams to one gram of Vitamin C , 400 I.U. of Vitamin E, and 5,000 I.U. of Vitamin A (or lots of carrots) a day for three days before, during, and after your beach trip will increase your sun tolerance and help healing of mild sunburn.
If despite these measures, you’ve developed some form of sunburn, estimate the extent of the injury with this guide:
If skin is deep pink, with sensations of heat and burning, the sunburn is mild and should be treated by applying cool towels and a cool bath.
If skin is red, with itching and stinging, with visible strap lines, the sunburn is moderate.
Aside from cooling down with cool towels and a bath, take an aspirin every four hours, and apply an aloe vera (sabila) based cream.
If the skin is bright red with blisters, and the patient is running a fever and nauseous, the sunburn is severe. Seek medical attention.
While waiting, cool down the patient with cool towels or a cooling bath. Pat skin dry, do not rub sunburned skin. Take an aspirin every four hours, and apply aloe vera gels. Cooked oatmeal also makes an effective balm for severely burned skin.
Excessive sun exposure may also result in sun stroke, a severe life threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body’s heat regulating mechanism breaks down or is unable to cope with excessive solar heat.
Young children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable, as are diabetics, and individuals under the influence of alcohol.
Symptoms of sunstroke include: hot, dry, flushed skin. A lack of sweating (due to the breakdown of the body’s heat control system).
Rapid breathing and/or pulse. High body temperature and headache. Mental disorientation, ranging from agitation to lethargy and stupor.
Severe sunstroke victims may convulse, lose consciousness, and even die if corrective steps are not taken immediately.
The primary treatment goal is to bring down the body temperature by immersing the victim in a cooling bath, applying cool sheets and towels, or sponging down the victim with cool water.
Apply ice packs, if available to the neck, armpits, and groin areas. Call a doctor or emergency medical services at your location.
Fan the person to increase air flow and evaporation. When some body heat has been dissipated, gently elevate the feet to increase blood flow to the head. Massage the arms and legs to encourage blood flow throughout the body.
If the person is conscious, have him sip a glass of cool water or soft drink. Do not administer liquids to an unconscious victim.
Continue monitoring the body temperature until medical help arrives.
The body temperature of sunstroke victims may fluctuate and rise again even after a cooling bath.
To avoid sunstroke, drink plenty of fluids and pace your exposure to the hot sun, particularly if you’ve spent most of your time in the office shielded from the sun.
With sun safety consciousness and awareness of emergency procedures for sun and heat related injuries, we can all safely enjoy the abundant summer sunshine.
