Ultraviolet Radiation

Benefits:

• Beneficial effects of UV radiation include the production of vitamin D, a vitamin essential to human health.  Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium and phosphorus from food and assists in bone development.  The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 5 to 15 minutes of sun exposure 2 to 3 times a week.  Additional information can be found here.
• Artificial forms of UV radiation (lasers, lamps, or a combination of these devices) used with some topical medications that increase UV sensitivity are sometimes used to treat patients with certain diseases who have not responded to other methods of therapy.  A trained healthcare professional uses this special procedure called phototherapy to treat the following:
  • Rickets
  • Psoriasis
  • Eczema
  • Vitiligo
  • Lupus

Risks:

• Sunburn is a sign of short-term overexposure, while premature aging and skin cancer are side effects of prolonged UV exposure.
• Some oral and topical medicines, such as antibiotics, birth control pills, and benzoyl peroxide products, as well as some cosmetics, may increase skin and eye sensitivity to UV in all skin types.
• UV exposure increases the risk of potentially blinding eye diseases, if eye protection is not used.
• Overexposure to UV radiation can lead to serious health issues, including cancer.  Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States.  The two most common types of skin cancer are basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer. Typically, they usually form on the head, face, neck, hands, and arms because these body parts are the most exposed to UV radiation.  Most cases of melanoma, the deadliest kind of skin cancer, are caused by exposure to UV radiation.

Anyone can get skin cancer, but is more common in people who:

• Spend a lot of time in the sun or have been sunburned
• Have light-color skin, hair and eyes
• Have a family member with skin cancer
• Are over age 50

Changes in your skin are the most common signs of skin cancer. To learn more about the symptoms of skin cancer, please click the link found here.

Keeping yourself and others protected from UV radiation is an important, year-round responsibility, not just at the beach or during the summer months.  To protect yourself from UV radiation:

• Stay in the shade, especially during midday hours.
• Wear clothes that cover your arms and legs.
• Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade your face, head, ears, and neck.
• Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block both UVA and UVB rays.
• Use sunscreen with sun protection factor (SPF) 15 or higher, and both UVA and UVB protection.
• Avoid indoor tanning.  Indoor tanning is particularly dangerous for younger users; people who begin indoor tanning during adolescence or early adulthood have a higher risk of developing melanoma.

Also remember to protect your children.

The UV Index scale helps us understand how harmful UV radiation can be on a given day. This useful tool forecasts the strength of the sun’s harmful rays. Remember, the higher the number, the greater chance of overexposure leading to health concerns.