It's official! It's summertime! The birds are out. The bees are swarming.
Flowers are blooming and children are playing.
Adults are engaging in their favorite summer pastimes from gardening to walking.
Who could ask for more? You could!
Even though it is important that you are physically active, it is also important that you take all measures to ensure that you protect your body from overexposure to sunlight as well.
Overexposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun over a period of time has been related to skin cancer and vision loss.
Spring and summer seasons are when UV levels are highest, especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 900,000 new cases of curable forms of skin cancer are diagnosed yearly. The ACS also reports that skin cancer has been steadily increasing at a rate of four percent yearly since 1973.
Caucasians are 20 times more likely to get skin cancer than African Americans.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, overexposure to UV rays can lead to the development of cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and the development of non-cancerous growths on the eye's surface.
It is important that people of all ages protect their eyes.
There are several methods of protection recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Ophthalmology to help protect the skin, eyes, ears and temples from overexposure to UV radiation.
Wear a hat.
The style of hat does not matter as long as it covers your face, ears and neck. Recommended hats are those that are wide-brimmed, pith helmets, double brimmed or those with removable flaps.
It is important that the hat is cool enough to be worn on hot days. It should be a hat that can provide protections in all types of weather whether it is humid, windy, dusty or raining.
Make sure your hat is comfortable. You don't need any reason not to wear your hat.
Wear tightly-woven clothing.
Wear clothing that makes you comfortable and reduces heat stress. Lightweight, cotton clothing is recommended because it provides comfort and protection.
Use a sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.
Using sunscreen for parts of the body that are not covered with clothing is very important. It is strongly recommended for farmers and those engaged in activities that require them to be outside for hours at a time.
Wear eyeglasses that effectively filter UV rays.
It is best to purchase sunglasses with a rating of 99 or 100. The rating can usually be found on the peel-off label on one of the lenses of the sunglasses.
It is recommended that sunglasses fit to cover your temples so that UV rays cannot enter from the sides of the sunglasses.
Wearing sunglasses in addition to a hat is very good way to prevent vision loss.
These are just a few steps to help prevent skin cancer and vision loss in the long run.
It is strongly recommended that if you work outdoors or are exposed to the sun for an extended time that you visit your regular primary care provider to make sure you do not have warning signs of skin cancer.
Your primary care provider may also be able to recommend other ways of protecting your skin and eyes from UV rays.
Who would have ever imagined that you could look so cool and protect your health at the same time?
For additional information see your primary care provider or local health department, or visit the American Academy of Ophthalmology Web site at http://www.aao.org.
-Courtney Young, who grew up in Greenwood, is a research assistant and interviewer at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is currently working on the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. She may be contacted by e-mail at youngcj@uab.edu.
