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Prevent Skin Cancer This Summer

June 30, 2016 By Dean Lamori Leave a Comment

Skin cancer has spread because of sun exposure.

The percentage of skin cancer cases has increased this summer, due to excessive exposure to sun’s UV rays. According to Dr. Rogers, a dermatologist at Spohn South, over 30 people developed skin cancer and other four four were diagnosed with melanoma.

These statistics are based on the medical analysis of around 330 patients over the past six weeks. This critical number comes from the fact that people spend too much time sunbathing. Doctors recommend people to purchase a healthy sunscreen product and reapply it during the time they spend on the beach.

Experts believe that just a small percentage of the individuals going to the beach use sunscreen to protect themselves from the ultraviolet rays. People over 45 years old are more likely to develop skins cancer after an extended period in the sun.

Beachgoers should check their bodies all the time to spot any rash or mole of an unusual color and shape. Everyone should make an appointment with their doctors to make sure that they are 100 percent healthy. There are three types of skin cancer, but only melanoma can be deadly.

The safest sunscreen product must have a good sun protection factor. SFP 15 sunscreen blocks 93 percent of the UV rays, whereas an SPF 30 product blocks 97 percent of them. Scientists recommend an SPF 30 sunscreen because everything that is higher than this does not provide too much of additional protection.

Regarding sun radiation, UVB rays are more common but not as dangerous as the UVA rays which can penetrate the skin deeper than the others, meaning that they can lead to skin cancer faster. Therefore, doctors recommend people to look for sunscreen products with the ‘broad spectrum’ label.

There are certain ingredients which might lead to allergic reactions, so if you want to make sure that using a product will not result in severe consequences, rub just a drop of sunscreen on your wrist and wait 24 hours to see whether any rashes appear or not.

Regardless of the fact that some products might be labeled as waterproof, doctors say that sunscreen should be reapplied at every two hours, after excessive sweating, or swimming. Skin cancer might also be prevented by avoiding the hottest hours of the day, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. as well as by wearing long-sleeved shirts, sunglasses, and hats.

Image Source:Pumping Iron

Protect Your Eyes This Summer

June 11, 2016 By Tom Hager Leave a Comment

Eyes need protection this summer.

The fact that the sun is intense is no joke. People must be aware of the fact that not just our skin is vulnerable to the UV rays, but also our eyes. Thanks to the fact June 6-12 is the Sun Awareness Week, the Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) and the Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA) started a collaboration which aims to raise awareness regarding the consequences of sun exposure.

From now on, these agencies will verify whether the glasses on the market are effective against sun rays. Furthermore, ophthalmologists warn people that excessive sun exposure increases the risks of many types of eye diseases, such as growths on the eye, cancer, and cataract.

According to Dr. Allan Slomovic, Canadian Ophthalmological Society President (COS), eyes need the same level of protection as skin, so we should protect ourselves from the UV rays if we want to avoid developing eye conditions, including the eyelid, cancer, macular generation and clouding of the eye lens.

Moreover, children and teenagers are the most vulnerable to UV rays because they do not have mature ocular lenses capable of filtering the UV light as the same extent as adults, meaning that the retina could be harmed.

Sunglasses are part of the sun protection package that every person should have during summer. Customers will know if the glasses they buy are effective against sun thanks to a unique logo that will be the proof of the fact that these glasses meet the requirements of the Eye Sun Protection Program.

According to Dr. Vince Bertucci, CDA President, the Sun Protection Program began in 1989 and proved to be very effective since then. Thanks to the officials efforts most people are aware of the fact that UV rays can cause several types of skin cancer and damage the eyes.

It is worth mentioning that along with this initiative, citizens will receive a better education and crucial information regarding the risks and the measures of protection that they should adopt so that they can enjoy the summer and remain healthy.

Regarding the skin, shade is our best bet. Experts advise people to avoid the hottest hours of the day, wear protective clothing and use healthy sunscreen with good SPF.

In addition to this, people can protect their eyes by also wearing wide-brimmed hats that will provide enough shade and will prevent the sun rays from damaging the eyes. Plus, consumers are advised to purchase only prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses with UV- protective lenses.

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Sun Block Blocks Cancer

June 2, 2016 By Tom Hager Leave a Comment

Skin cancer is easy to prevent.

Everyone knows the basic skin cancer prevention methods, such as avoiding sunburns, tanning beds and using SPF 15 sunscreen.

These suggestions and others are given to every adult by the National Skin Cancer Foundation to increase awareness during the summer. They are a good reminder of the fact that skin cancer is the most common but still the most preventable form of cancer in the US. Around 3.3 million people receive treatment while one in five Americans develops this disease every year.

In spite of all this information, a survey from 2004 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established that 27 percent of Caucasian adults from Kentucky suffered sunburn damage in the previous year.

Plus, the rate of melanoma diagnoses increased in Kentucky with 14 percent above the national average and 1,260 citizens developed skin cancer in 2009. In addition to this, 136 people die annually because of melanoma.

Russell County from the south-central Kentucky is one of the top 2 percent counties in the U.S. rated for the most melanoma cases and Warren County, which has the 17^th – highest death rate. Moreover, even if people are aware of the risks, they do not realize how easily you can get sunburnt. It is enough just to be out boating or golfing.

As May is the Skin Cancer Awareness Month, the National Skin Cancer Foundation provides everyone with some tips. The first one is called “The Shadow Rule” because you have to understand that while you are in the sun if your shadow is shorter than you, it means the UV rays are dangerous.

Second, if you previously had sunburns five times or more, you have a double risk of developing skin cancer. Tanning booths are dangerous as well because tanning machines increase the risk of skin cancer by 2.5. It is also important to cover your body with dense clothing, UV-blocking sunglasses, and large hats.

SPF 15 sunscreen or even higher is recommended when you are outside. Plus you need to apply it 30 minutes before going out and you should reapply it every two hours or after excessive sweating or swimming.

Last but not least, skin examination head-to-toe is imperative. People are advised to check for new moles, changes to existing moles, or other changes on the skin. All in all, visiting the doctor on a regular basis is also important in preventing skin cancer and informing yourself better.

Image Source:Niouzes

New Weapon Against Skin Cancer

May 23, 2016 By John Cooper Leave a Comment

Research continues on skin cancer.

A recent study has shown that “sunscreen gene” might be the key factor for skin cancer. This discovery can help scientist to develop new ways of treatment and prevention such as medications.

The primary cause of skin cancer is excessive tanning or too much exposure to the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. Researchers hope, that with the findings regarding the ‘sunscreen gene,’ they will be able in the future, to repair the effects of exposure to UV rays.

During the study, 340 melanoma patients were observed and after a series of laboratory experiments, the medical data analysis has led scientists to the ‘ultraviolet-resistant’ gene conclusion.

As it is already known, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. and melanoma is the deadliest type. According to lead author Chengyu Liang, their team is trying to understand how this UV-resistant gene functions.

Moreover, they want to establish what kind of factors and processes determine the cells to repair themselves after they were damaged by the UV rays. If they find out the answers to these questions, then they could develop an efficient way of treatment that will fight back the skin cancer.

American Cancer Society statistics established that 90% of melanoma cases come from UV radiation. Plus, 10,000 patients from the U.S. die every year because of this disease. According to Liang, people who have low levels of the UV-resistant gene or the mutated UV-resistant gene are more vulnerable to melanoma and other types of skin cancer, especially if they rely too much on tanning and sunbathing.

However, scientists believe that it is too early to try and come up with a drug that could influence the repair function of the UV-resistant gene in the case of UV-damaged cells. According to them, the study must continue to collect enough information for future treatment.

For the moment, researchers were only capable of determining the connection between high risk of cancer and low levels of sunscreen gene. Therefore, they haven’t found an exact answer yet regarding the link between the risk of skin cancer development and the decreased levels of UV-resistant gene

According to American Cancer Society, about 3.3 million Americans are diagnosed with squamous and basal cell skin cancer types each year whereas 76,380 Americans are diagnosed with melanoma. Hopefully, the number of skin cancer casualties will drop off in the future.

Image Source:Beach Meter

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