Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital issued the following announcement on May 7.
When April showers turn to May flowers, they do so thanks to the nourishing light of the sun. But for human beings, staying outside in the summer too long will inevitably result in sun-damaged skin. May is Melanoma Awareness Month, making this the perfect time to learn about how to prevent one of the deadliest types of skin cancer.
Melanoma rates are on the rise and have been for years — doctors estimate that 2019 will see another 7.7% increase in diagnoses. Worse, from 2008 to 2019, the number of new invasive cases of melanoma diagnosed annually increased by 54%. But it’s not all bad news. While diagnoses are increasing, deaths from melanoma have been consistently falling, and are expected to drop by 22% this year.
Still, the most effective way to beat melanoma is to avoid it in the first place. Stick to these seven summer safety tips even when it’s cloudy out to keep this dangerous side effect of summer days at bay.
Stay out of direct sunlight during peak sun ray hours (about 10 am to 4 pm). Here’s a handy rule of thumb: if your shadow is shorter than you are, the sun is at its strongest.
Wear protective clothing over as much skin as possible. Make sure that the fabric is either UV-protective or that you can’t see through it when you hold it up to the light.
Learn how to effectively wear sunscreen. While the SPF number is a good starting point (always choose SPF 30 or higher), make sure that your sunscreen is also labeled to protect against broad spectrum rays. Re-apply sunscreen at least every two hours, or after you get wet and dry off with a towel.
Wear a wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun off your face, ears and neck.
Pick out a pair of sunglasses with 100% UVA and UVB absorption to protect your eyes.
Take extra precautions near water, sand or snow — all of these reflect the sun’s rays and increase the risk of sunburn.
Whatever you do, don’t use sun tanning bed or lamps, which can increase your risk of melanoma by up to 75%. Try a self-tanning lotion instead.
We have one final recommendation about wearing sunscreen: toss out your old sunscreen. According to new FDA recommendations announced this February, some chemicals that have long been used to make sunscreen are no longer recognized as safe and effective, and other such chemicals have been found to lack sufficient evidence of their effectiveness. The FDA also raised the maximum SPF number of a sunscreen from 50+ to 60+, reflecting new findings of the benefits of increased SPF. So if you’re reaching for last year’s bottle of sunscreen, you may want to go ahead and pick up a new one.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital
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