Staying Healthy in the Sun Part I

There has been an 1,800 percent rise in malignant melanoma since 1930. One American dies of skin cancer every hour. One in five Americans develops skin cancer. People get 80 percent of their lifetime sun exposure by the age of 18.

It is our intention in this series of articles to make you aware of a variety of facts regarding sun exposure. Knowing why you should be concerned about the real perils of too much sun and knowing what you can do to protect yourself, we hope will make you “sun-safe.”

Part One in this series will introduce you to the ways in which UV (ultraviolet) radiation from the sun can pose a serious threat to your health.

  1. Sunburn: Anyone who has been in the sun too long knows the pain of a sunburn. A sunburn can manifest itself as skin redness and sometimes may also involve tenderness, swelling, blistering, fever, and nausea. Even though some skin types keep people from burning, everyone is at risk for other UV-related health effects.

  2. Premature wrinkling: Too much exposure to the sun can change the texture of your skin. In the extreme, skin gets a tough, leathery appearance. Sun exposure can also cause color changes in skin tone, which may include red, yellow, gray, or brown spots.

  3. Skin cancer: Over time, exposure to the sun and severe sunburns can lead to skin cancer, most commonly on the face, neck, ears, forearms, and hands, which receive the highest “dosage” of sun.

  4. Sun sensitivity: In some people, an allergic reaction to the sun may manifest itself as bumps, hives, blisters, or red blotchy areas You should also be aware that some medications, perfumes, and cosmetics also can make you sun sensitive. Medications that may have this side-effect will generally put that information right on the medication bottle.

  5. Immune system suppression and disease: Sun exposure can actually damage your immune system, making you more vulnerable to infections and cancers. Diseases such as herpes simplex (cold sores), chicken pox, and lupus, can be aggravated by sun exposure.

  6. Eye damage: Excess exposure to UV radiation can cause a painful burn of the cornea. Chronic eye exposure to UV radiation may increase the incidence of cataract and possibly also macular degeneration.

Look for the next article in this series to appear in August.