ISO - June 2009 e- Newsletter
Despite the many rainy June days here in NYC, the official start of summer in the US is June 21, 2009. Summer provides many opportunities for outdoor activities but in order to maximize summer fun, there are some precautions that need to taken.
Scenario # 1 – A Day at the Beach. You’ve probably been looking forward to going to the beach for months and you’re probably familiar with staying safe near the water (including avoiding jellyfish!) However, it’s really easy to get a bad sunburn from hours of playing games or relaxing at the beach.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), sunburns are a sign of increased chances of getting skin cancer since the bright shade of red or pink is your body’s reaction to damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays. Further, UV radiation is higher during the summer months.
In order to block this radiation and to avoid painful sunburn, there are several recommendations:
- Stay in the shade, especially between 10 a.m.–4 p.m. when UV rays are strongest. You can grab a really big beach umbrella.
- Wear clothing such as a long-sleeved shirt and long pants to protect exposed skin.
- Get a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head, ears, and neck. Sunburn on the back of your neck is really annoying especially when you’re trying to sleep.
- Grab sunglasses that wrap around and block as close to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays as possible.
- Rub on sunscreen with sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher, and both UVA and UVB protection. Don’t forget to put sunscreen on your face especially if you are wearing sunglasses. That way, you won’t have a tan line where your sunglasses were.
You can also do combinations of these forms of sun protection. If you will be swimming, you can also choose waterproof sunscreen and/or remember to reapply it periodically.
In addition to the sun, the increased heat of the summer months can also ruin an otherwise fun day. If you play volleyball or engage in other activities which cause you to sweat a lot then you should be sure to rest and to stay hydrated so that you do not suffer from heat exhaustion.
You can see more information on staying cool by visiting the websites below:
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/howto.htm
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/35626/summer_beach_tips_protecting_your_sun.html?cat=5
Stay safe this summer!
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