Summer brings a special health risk for workers who can't avoid sun exposure. Their jobs require them to be outdoors-- road crews, construction workers, groundskeepers, agricultural and forestry workers, lifeguards to name just a few.
But they can avoid, or at least minimize, sun damage. Here is a quick review of what the sun can do to skin, and what you can do to protect yourself.
Many people--but not nearly enough--have shelved the idea that a suntan is a badge of good health.
'There is no such thing as a safe tan,' says Dr. Alan Moshell, Director of the Skin Disease Branch of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, a component of the National Institutes of Health. 'Even a healthy-looking tan is the result of the skin attempting to repair itself,' he explains.
The redness, pain and blistering of sunburn are the skin's reaction to the effects of ultraviolet radiation. This radiation is made up of ultraviolet A (UVA), ultraviolet B (UVB), and ultraviolet C (UVC).
But it's only A and B that concern us here. Human skin absorbs both UVA and UVB. However, UVB causes the most immediate damage to the skin. The radiation varies in intensity throughout the day and is strongest during the summer months.
For example, it would take about 1,000 times more UVA than UVB to produce redness and sunburn.
Accelerated aging
The sun accelerates the natural aging of the skin, leaving it vulnerable to future damage. Repeated sunburns and prolonged exposure to the sun causes cumulative damage to the skin that may not be noticeable right away.
The premature aging of the skin usually results from overexposure to ultraviolet A, which penetrates the skin more deeply than ultraviolet B. Levels of UVA vary less than UVB. Neither can be seen nor felt.
More than 90 percent of all skin cancers occur on parts of the body exposed to the sun.
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About sunscreens: Some of the newer ones are more effective in blocking both UVA and UVB than those previously available. Nevertheless, it is always wise to limit your time in the sun, if possible. If it's not possible to limit exposure time--if the job keeps you in the sun, for instance--wear sunglasses and lightweight protective clothing, such as hats, long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Add sunscreen to these options.
Always apply a generous, uniform amount of sunscreen with an SPF (sun protective factor) of at least 15. Reapply regularly if you go swimming or get wet with sweat on the job or cannot limit exposure time.
SPF refers to the amount of time required for ultraviolet radiation to produce skin redness with sunscreen protection compared to the time required without protection. This means that with an SPF 15, a person can spend 15 times longer than usual in the sun before developing sunburn. But use common sense. Don't see how close you can come to the edge of your protection without getting burned.
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Don't be fooled by an overcast day. Use sunscreen even on cloudy days, especially if you plan to be outside for any length of time.
Copyright 2002 by Dr. Phillip L. Polakoff and medical writer Jack Tucker/Press Associates news service.
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Summer brings a special health risk for workers who can’t avoid sun exposure. Their jobs require them to be outdoors– road crews, construction workers, groundskeepers, agricultural and forestry workers, lifeguards to name just a few.
But they can avoid, or at least minimize, sun damage. Here is a quick review of what the sun can do to skin, and what you can do to protect yourself.
Many people–but not nearly enough–have shelved the idea that a suntan is a badge of good health.
‘There is no such thing as a safe tan,’ says Dr. Alan Moshell, Director of the Skin Disease Branch of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, a component of the National Institutes of Health. ‘Even a healthy-looking tan is the result of the skin attempting to repair itself,’ he explains.
The redness, pain and blistering of sunburn are the skin’s reaction to the effects of ultraviolet radiation. This radiation is made up of ultraviolet A (UVA), ultraviolet B (UVB), and ultraviolet C (UVC).
But it’s only A and B that concern us here. Human skin absorbs both UVA and UVB. However, UVB causes the most immediate damage to the skin. The radiation varies in intensity throughout the day and is strongest during the summer months.
For example, it would take about 1,000 times more UVA than UVB to produce redness and sunburn.
Accelerated aging
The sun accelerates the natural aging of the skin, leaving it vulnerable to future damage. Repeated sunburns and prolonged exposure to the sun causes cumulative damage to the skin that may not be noticeable right away.
The premature aging of the skin usually results from overexposure to ultraviolet A, which penetrates the skin more deeply than ultraviolet B. Levels of UVA vary less than UVB. Neither can be seen nor felt.
More than 90 percent of all skin cancers occur on parts of the body exposed to the sun.
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About sunscreens: Some of the newer ones are more effective in blocking both UVA and UVB than those previously available. Nevertheless, it is always wise to limit your time in the sun, if possible. If it’s not possible to limit exposure time–if the job keeps you in the sun, for instance–wear sunglasses and lightweight protective clothing, such as hats, long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Add sunscreen to these options.
Always apply a generous, uniform amount of sunscreen with an SPF (sun protective factor) of at least 15. Reapply regularly if you go swimming or get wet with sweat on the job or cannot limit exposure time.
SPF refers to the amount of time required for ultraviolet radiation to produce skin redness with sunscreen protection compared to the time required without protection. This means that with an SPF 15, a person can spend 15 times longer than usual in the sun before developing sunburn. But use common sense. Don’t see how close you can come to the edge of your protection without getting burned.
online pharmacy order norvasc without prescription with best prices today in the USA
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Don’t be fooled by an overcast day. Use sunscreen even on cloudy days, especially if you plan to be outside for any length of time.
Copyright 2002 by Dr. Phillip L. Polakoff and medical writer Jack Tucker/Press Associates news service.