Skin Cancer & The Sun

We all love a little sunshine in our lives…right?  Some of us can’t wait for our yearly beach vacation, while there are some of us that work, or used to work, outdoors in the sun to make a living.  Either way when you expose yourself to the sun, its powerful rays can be dangerous and damaging to your skin.  Although it is easy to put off protecting yourself, the small amount of extra time it takes to put on sunscreen or avoid the hours when the sun is the strongest could make all the difference in your own overall health now and especially in the future.  Like your mother always said, “It is always better to be safe than sorry.”

In simple terms, cancer is the result of an abnormal growth of cells.  With that said, skin cancer is an abnormal growth of skin cells that most often develops on skin that is exposed to the ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays of the sun.  Even though sun exposure greatly increases your risk of being diagnosed with skin cancer, remember skin cancer can still develop even if you’re not exposed to sunlight.  There are three major types of skin cancer including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma – melanoma of course has the worst prognosis. 

You are the one that knows your body the best, so at the first inclination that you notice a change in an area of your skin, such as a mole or an area that keeps peeling off and coming right back...please seek medical attention quickly.  If you are indeed diagnosed with a type of skin cancer hopefully you visited your provider before the damage was too extensive in order for your treatment plan to have the most success.

When you are exposed to the rays of the sun, over a period of time this can begin to damage the DNA of your skin cells.  Excessive time spent in the sun will result in damage to your skin cells and even mutations to the cells that may end up developing a form of skin cancer.  If you think about it, most of us really cannot completely avoid the sun.  Going to work, going to the grocery store, or going to our grandchild’s soccer game can all lead to us being exposed to the sun….whether we like it or not. 

Most of us will be exposed to excess amounts of sun rays during our lifetime, both UVA and UVB.  Here are some facts about these types of rays:

·      UVA rays are more prevalent and penetrate our skin more deeply, but are less intense than UVB rays. 

·      UVA rays also account for a huge percentage of the radiation that reaches the surface of the Earth during all hours of the day, every day. 

·      UVB rays have a shorter wavelength and are not able to penetrate the skin quite as deep, which is a plus. 

From all this information, you should remember that UVA rays are the ones most responsible for causing skin cancer to develop.  Plus, they go hand in hand with the dreaded aging-process…yes, those wrinkles.

UVA rays are the ones that bring out your tan.  A tan happens from injury to your DNA in your skin.  Your skin will appear darker in an attempt to compensate and prevent any further damage to its DNA.  Over time, skin damage from tanning will accumulate, which will increase your risk of skin cancer.  Being tan is something a lot of us strive to be because we think it makes us look and feel better…well it might, but it is worth the risks?  I don’t know about you, but I would rather be healthy than continuously damaging my skin in an effort to maintain a tan.  No matter what the shade, you should learn to love the skin you’re in and protect it at all costs. 

Total Home Health has a program that is right for you and we will strive to promote your health and safety on a daily basis, while preventing future health complications.  Protection of your skin and prevention of excess exposure of sunlight is pretty much up to you though.  However, there are several things you can do to help decrease your risk of skin cancer that we encourage, including:

·      Seeking out the shade

·      Dressing appropriately for the conditions

·      Use sunscreen as directed

·      Tint your car windows per state laws

·      Avoid tanning booths

·      Examine your own skin for changes monthly

·      Avoid getting multiple sunburns

·      Attend regular appointments with your physician

Get into good habits with protecting yourself and share the word with others because life is too short in the first place…there’s no need to help it get any shorter.  By joining Total Home Health today, you will be adding time to your life, because our professionals are always ready to help you lead a long, healthy, fulfilling life.  Let’s get started today!