Rural Health, Inc. Urges Precautions to Prevent Skin Cancer

(July is UV Safety Month)

Summer is officially here, which means more time outdoors and a greater chance for skin damage caused by the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. Rural Health, Inc. urges everyone to take precautions when outdoors to help prevent skin cancer and other skin damage caused by overexposure to UV light.

While skin damage can occur any time of year, it is greatest during late spring and summer (May through August). During this time, the sun’s rays are the most direct, causing rapid DNA damage, which leads to sunburns, premature aging, dehydration, clogged pores, and skin cancer such as Melanoma; the most serious form of skin cancer. Peak UV index levels can reach you even on cloudy and cool days, and reflect off of surfaces like water, cement, sand, and snow.

Common signs of sun damage can include wrinkles and fine lines, pigmentation changes, vascular damage, sandpaper-like patches on the skin, and skin cancer. You are at higher risk of you have lighter natural skin that burns, freckles, or reddens easily, blonde or red hair, a family or personal history of skin cancer, or a history of five or more sunburns, which doubles your risk of melanoma.

Protecting yourself from damaging UV rays can be done with easy steps including wearing protective clothing such as a full-brimmed hat, long-sleeved shirt, and sunglasses, staying in the shade under an umbrella, tree, or other shelter, and using a broad spectrum sunscreen.

Choose a sunscreen that filters out both UVA and UVB rays and has an SPF of 15 or higher. Reapply sunscreen if you are in the sun for more than 2 hours regardless of activity. Make sure to check your sunscreen’s expiration date. Sunscreen without an expiration date has a shelf life of no more than 3 years and is shorter if it has been exposed to high temperatures.

It is also important to schedule regular skin cancer screenings with your healthcare provider to prevent skin cancer, especially if you have had prolonged exposure to UV rays that resulted in sunburn or other skin changes.

For more information, or to schedule a skin cancer screening with a provider, call Rural Health, Inc. at 618-833-4471 or visit them online at ruralhealthinc.org for a health center near you.

Rural Health, Inc. (RHI) is a not-for-profit organization serving Johnson, Massac, and Union counties in Illinois, designated by the federal government as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), whose mission is to provide quality services to all patients in need of healthcare while being committed to the overall health and well-being of the underserved.

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