UV PROTECTION

Sunshine feels good, but it also soaks unprotected skin in ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Over time, this invisible carcinogen causes premature aging, eye damage, a greater risk of skin cancer and more.

Children are of particular concern because they spend a lot of time outdoors. Skin cancer and other UV-related health effects are largely preventable if sun-protection practices are followed early and consistently. Start educating your children now about sun safety.

A mix of methods – such as finding shade, wearing hats, sunglasses and clothing – are needed to shield your skin from the sun. Usually sunscreen alone is not enough protection. Sun safe habits include:

• Staying inside during the sun’s peak hours – 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Taking cover under trees, umbrellas or shade structures.
• Covering up with clothing, sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats.
• Using sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or more.
• Practicing sun safety every day – even on cool or cloudy days.
• Tips on using sunscreen:
• Sunscreen should be applied 30 minutes before exposure to the sun, and reapplied every two hours.
• Use waterproof sunscreen that cannot be washed off by water or sweat.
• Do not use sunscreen containing the insect repellent DEET which reduces the SPF of sunscreen.
• Do not use sunscreen on babies under six months old. Cover them up with clothing and shade instead.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology has cautioned that excess exposure to UV radiation may increase the incidence of cataracts. Cataracts are a form of eye damage that causes the loss of transparency in the lens, clouding vision. Everyone is at risk for developing cataracts. Another potential effect of UV radiation is a “burning” of the eye surface, called “snow blindness” or photokeratitis from sunlight. The effects usually disappear within a couple of days, but may lead to further complications later in life. UV damage to the eyes is cumulative, so it is never too late for people to start protecting their eyes.

A very high percentage of age-associated cosmetic skin problems can be attributed to sun (Levine, 1997). Chronic overexposure to the sun changes the texture and weakens the elastic properties of the skin. The epidermis, which is the outer layer of the skin, thickens, becomes leathery, and wrinkles as a result of sun exposure. The difference between skin tone, wrinkles, or pigmentation on the underside of a person’s arm and the top side of the same arm illustrate the effects of sun exposure on skin. In most cases, the top side of the arm has had more exposure to the sun and shows greater sun damage. Sun-induced skin damage causes wrinkles and furrows, easy bruising, brown or “liver spots,” precancerous lesions (actinic keratoses), and potentially skin cancer (Skin Cancer Foundation, 1992). Photoaging of the skin is also cumulative, it is never too late for a person to start a sun protection program.

Scientists believe sunburns can alter the distribution and function of disease-fighting white blood cells in humans for up to 24 hours after exposure to the sun. Repeated overexposure to UV radiation can cause more damage to the body’s immune system. Mild sunburns can directly suppress the immune functions of human skin where the sunburn occurred, even in people with dark skin.

• 1 in 3 men and 1 in 4 women will be directly affected by cancer before the age of 75.
• In Australia each year, more than 88,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed.*
• More than half of them will be successfully treated.
• The survival rate for many common cancers has increased by more than 30 per cent in the past two decades.
• But, cancer is still the leading cause of death in Australia – over 36,000 people die from cancer each year.
• The most common cancers in Australia (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) are colorectal (bowel), breast, prostate, melanoma and lung cancer.
• Cancer costs $2.7 billion in direct health system costs (5.7%).
• $215 million was spent on cancer research in 2000-01, just above 18% of all health research expenditure in Australia.

* About 374,000 cases of non-melanoma skin cancer (the most frequently occurring cancer in Australia, but the least life-threatening) also are diagnosed each year.

• Cancer incidence in Australia is higher than for the United Kingdom and Canada, but lower than the United States and New Zealand. However, Australia’s mortality rates are lower than all four of these countries.
• The melamona incidence rates in Australia and New Zealand are around four times higher than those found in Canada, the UK and the US. However, mortality rates for melamona in Australia are quite low compared to other countries.
• Australia’s mortality rate for lung cancer is significantly lower than the US. For men, our death rate is 32% lower than the US and 48% for women.
• Incidence of colorectal cancer in Australia is higher than the US, Canada and the UK, but less than New Zealand. Australia’s mortality rates for colorectal cancer are also high by world standards, including above those of Canada, the US and the UK.