QNE_p035

QC08042016

health WATCH OUT FOR THE SUN By Ronda Addy Everyone knows that sunburns are harmful to the skin. Fortunately, with a few simple precautions, sunburns are easy to avoid. Sunburns occur because the body cannot make enough melanin to protect the skin. Melanin varies from person to person. Fair-skinned individuals tend to have less melanin than darker skinned individuals and therefore burn easier. A fair-skinned person can develop a sunburn within 15 minutes of exposure, whereas a darker skinned person may take a couple of hours to develop a sunburn. The symptoms of sunburn usually appear within a few hours of exposure, with the skin turning red and warm to touch. Sunburns can be painful and cause the skin to be tender, and in some cases, blisters may develop. In severe cases, sunburns may even be accompanied by headache, chills, nausea, fever and shock. Individuals suffering from these symptoms should see a physician right away. Anyone who has a prior skin injury or recent exposure is more susceptible to sunburn. Repeated sunburns can damage the skin, resulting in brown spots, sagging and wrinkling. They can also cause skin cancer in the affected area, while repeated blistering sunburns can increase the risk of malignant melanoma, a serious type of skin cancer. In order to prevent sunburn, individuals need to be protected at all times when outdoors. They should wear sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 that will protect them from both UVA and UVB rays. They should also wear protective clothing. Ideally, the best type of clothing is a long-sleeved shirt and pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. The American Society has recently developed standards for sun protective clothing, which measure the ability of fabric to block UV rays from passing through to the skin. Clothing with a UPF of 15 to 24 offers good UV protection, clothing with a UPF of 25 to 39 offers very good UV protection, and clothing with a UPF of 40 to 50 offers excellent UV protection. Although most sunburns occur between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., when the sun is at its harshest, that doesn’t mean individuals should go unprotected outside of that time period. Sunburns may occur at any time, even on cloudy days. There are many other factors that can increase the risk of sunburn, including altitude and wind. Individuals should protect themselves from the sun’s rays whenever outdoors. Periodic exposure to the sun produces vitamin D in the skin, which in turn helps create a strong skeleton and regulate skin cell growth. Prolonged exposure, on the other hand, causes skin damage. They say too much of a good thing can be bad for you. In the case of the sun, they are right.


QC08042016
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