When it comes to protecting the health of high temperatures and protection from UV radiation that particularly vulnerable groups are:
- children
- elderly
- chronic patients
- people who work in open spaces
Recommendations:
During spring and summer temperatures are high, and still there is a lot of moisture in the air which can cause adverse health consequences (sunstroke, heat stroke, dehydration...) and it is therefore important to:
- avoid staying outdoors during the hot summer days (stay in the shade or indoors in the colder area)
- make sure that exit from the cold space heat is gradual
- drink plenty of liquids
- eat easily digestible food
- wear transparent clothes, shoes, hat
- enhance the intake of vitamin C
- adjust the daily activities of the colder part of the day
- avoid physical effort
Protection from UV radiation:
Preventing formation of malignant skin tumors is an important task of a doctor, skin self-examination is especially important for persons who work outdoors and those who have birthmarks. Risk of skin tumors begins in childhood and it's important to:
- avoid staying outdoors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Wear protective clothing and glasses
- use protective creams and other protective equipment
- removed a suspicious skin lesion
- measures to encourage acceptable behavior, and moderate exposure to natural and artificial UV radiation of the whole population, especially children, in order to: reduce the risk of skin cancer later in life, reduce visual impairment, reduce damage to the immune system, improve life quality, reduce treatment costs and to extend life expectancy.
According to scientists, each percentage of ozone damage causes thousands of additional cases of skin cancer annually, and blindness of hundreds of thousands of people around the world.
Melanoma is the skin and mucous membranes tumor, which originated in the malignant transformation of melanocytes of the basal layer of epidermis. The most relevant environmental factor is sun exposure (UVA and UVB) and is also one of the major contributors to the development of melanoma. Genetic and environmental aspects have to be considered. The risk of melanoma is not so much associated with cumulative, but with intermittent, exposure to strong sunlight. Malignant behavior manifests itself in early metastasis. In 50% of cases clinically unchanged skin develops and in 35-50% malignant transformation of mole occurs.
In recent decades, there was a significant increase in the incidence and mortality caused by malignant melanoma.
Exposure to UV rays, especially in lighter skinned people led to an increase in skin damage, which is manifested as premature aging of the skin or skin cancer. Attention is drawn to the harmful so-called recreational sun tanning - intense sun exposure in a short period of time, e.g. during a short vacation.
Author: Branislava Resanovic, MD, M.Sc.