Exposure to the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays can prematurely age the skin and cause skin cancer. To remind sun lovers of the potential dangers, May has been declared the national Sun Protection & Skin Cancer Awareness Month. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with more than 3.5 million skin cancers in more than two million people diagnosed annually. These figures beat the combined incidence of breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers. To put it in perspective, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime. And 90% of non-melanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
Premature aging also is an issue for many, particularly women.
“Everyone wants that beautiful, bronzed look for summer, but few respect that the long-term consequences far outweigh the short-term benefits of a great tan,” says Dr. Roberto Garcia of Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery and Reviva Medical Spa near Jacksonville, FL. “We see patients every day who are looking for ways to correct the damage done to their skin over years of sun exposure.”
For those who already have sun damaged skin, procedures such as chemical peels can help restore a smooth, youthful appearance. And there are many ways to protect skin from sun damage, including wearing a high SPF sun block and moisturizing skin daily, wearing wide-brimmed hats and sun glasses, and seeking out shady spots to enjoy the fresh air. But none of this means that you have to forego that sun-kissed look, Dr. Garcia says. Reviva Medical Spa offers SunFX Spray Tanning, a revolutionary spray tanning system that uses a low-pressure spray to deliver an all-natural tanning solution evenly over the body and face.
“Living in a coastal town, people want that healthy glow to their skin,” Dr. Garcia says. “SunFX spray tanning can help them achieve that look without subjecting their skin to the dangers of sun exposure.”
For more sun-savvy ways to protect and correct your skin, contact Garcia Facial Plastic Surgery at 904-247-8522 and Reviva Medical Spa at 904-694-0091.
Posts tagged ‘Month’
The U.S. Surgeon General warned the American public about the risks of breathing indoor radon by issuing a national health advisory. The advisory is meant to urge Americans to prevent this silent radioactive gas from seeping into their homes and building up to dangerous levels. Dr. Carmona issued the advisory during a two-day Surgeon General’s Workshop on Healthy Indoor Environment. “January has officially been designated as National Radon Awareness Month,” states radon mitigation specialist Benjamin Ingalls. “Indoor radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and breathing it over prolonged periods can present a significant health risk to families all over the county,” Dr. Carmona said. “It’s important to know that this threat is completely preventable. Radon can be detected with a simple test and fixed through well-established venting techniques.” Radon is an invisible, odorless and tasteless gas, with no immediate health symptoms, that comes from the breakdown of uranium inside the earth.
Simple test kits can reveal the amount of radon in any building. Those with high levels can be fixed with simple and affordable venting techniques. According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates, one in every 15 homes nationwide have a high radon level at or above the recommended radon action level of 4 picoCuries (pCi/L) per liter of air. Radon gas in the indoor air of America’s homes poses a serious health risk. More than 20,000 Americans die of radon-related lung cancer every year. Millions of homes have an elevated radon level. If you also smoke, your risk of lung cancer is much higher.
Test your home for radon every two years, and retest any time you move, make structural changes to your home, or occupy a previously unused level of a house. If you have a radon level of 4 pCi/L or more, take steps to remedy the problem as soon as possible. Americans need to know about the risks of indoor radon and have the information and tools they need to take action. That’s why EPA is actively promoting the Surgeon General’s advice urging all Americans to get their homes tested for radon. If families do find elevated levels in their homes, they can take inexpensive steps that will reduce exposure to this risk. “Based on national averages, we can expect that many of the homes owned or financed by federal government programs would have potentially elevated radon levels.
The federal government has an opportunity to lead by example on this public health risk. We can accomplish this by using the outreach and awareness avenues we have, such as EPA’s Web site, to share information and encourage action on radon to reduce risks,” said Edwin PiA„ero, Federal Environmental Executive, Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE). Complaints of workplace air quality violations have doubled since 1990. The Surgeon General’s Workshop on Healthy Indoor Environment is bringing together the best scientific minds in the nation to discuss the continuing problem of unhealthful buildings. Indoor environments are structures including workplaces, schools, offices, houses and apartment buildings, and vehicles. According to a recent study, Americans spend between 85 and 95 percent of their time indoors. “Radon is a serious, but common problem throughout the United States. Testing is not difficult or expensive, and when elevated levels are detected, the problem can be easily corrected using current radon mitigation technology,” said James Gelina, president of Air Quality Control Agency.
(1888PressRelease) The EPA has designated January 2011 as National Radon Action Month. “This is an ideal time to check the radon levels in your home and workplace,” states Benjamin Ingalls, a Certified Radon Mitigation Specialist with Air Quality Control Agency of Denver, Colorado.
Denver, CO – The Surgeon General of The United States has designated January as National Radon Action Month. According to recent reports from the World Health Organization and EPA, radon gas is responsible for approximately 20,000 deaths in the U.S. and 100,000 deaths worldwide each year. This equates to about 15% of all lung cancer deaths. Statistically, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers and the second leading cause for smokers. Learn more about radon gas at: http://www.MitigationSystem.com
The World Health Organization recently lowered their limit or “action level” for indoor radon levels from 4.0 to 2.7 (picocuries per liter) in response to several worldwide studies that point to health risks at lower exposure levels of the gas. More than 100 scientists from 30 countries participated in the World Health Organization International Radon Project and assisted in the publishing of the Handbook on Indoor Radon which was released earlier this year.
According to The Environmental Protection Agency, over 8 million U.S. homes have dangerous levels of radon gas. The Surgeon General is urging the media, state health departments, and the press to participate in National Radon Action Month by helping to promote awareness of this silent killer. Testing for radon is easy and inexpensive. “Radon test kits can be purchased from hardware stores, health departments, or online for around $20.00,” states James Gelina; a certified radon mitigation specialist with Air Quality Control Agency. http://www.RadonMitigation.us
Members of the private sector are working side-by-side with government agencies to spread awareness of this cancer-causing threat. “By encouraging everyone to test their homes for radon and to take action when levels are elevated, we can all be a part this life-saving initiative” adds Ben Ingalls, who installs radon remediation systems throughout Colorado. “Radon problems can be fixed in most homes for under $1,000″ he adds.
January (which is National Radon Action Month) is the perfect time of year to test for radon gas. Testing in the summer time is difficult because occupants tend to keep windows and doors open for longer durations which could skew the results of the test. Since winter time is when people tend to spend more time indoors, it makes sense to test during this time. It’s a good idea to conduct a long-term or multiple short-term tests because radon levels can vary from season to season. You can also constantly monitor home’s radon levels with an electronic radon detector.
All homes should be tested for radon regardless of the age of the home, geographic location, or type of construction. Radon problems have been found in every state in the U.S. and since you cannot see, smell, or taste radon, the only way to know if your home is affected is to conduct a test. The EPA recommends that you conduct a test at least once every two years because radon levels can fluctuate over time. If you find that your radon levels are above the World Health Organization limit of 2.7, a qualified contractor can install a radon reduction system to fix the problem. In most cases, the work can be completed in a single day.
Radon gas causes more deaths each year than any other in-home hazard including fires, carbon monoxide, drowning, poisoning, falls, and even guns! National Radon Action Month is an ideal time to make your household a safer place. You can learn more about National Radon Action Month and local activities that you can participate in and help create awareness about this deadly carcinogen in 2011 by visiting http://RadonMonth.WordPress.com.
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However, if your quandary has augmented and now affects a larger area then you need to elevate to more advanced preventive techniques. The widespread therapy of chemotherapy is then carried out. In this, anti-cancer drugs are applied to obliterate or block the augmentation of cancer. And if the cancer returns, then there is no other option than that of a wide area excision.
The very first thing you should do is decrease your exposure to the sun as quickly as possible. As soon as you’ve lowered the exposure, determine which remedy alternative is well suited for your actinic keratosis. There are numerous alternatives to cope with these lesions so invest some time choosing.
Many times, skin cancer goes undetected because the person who has it did not realize anything was wrong. Generally, the easiest way to detect skin cancer is by checking all of your moles and freckles as well as looking for any other spots on your body. If you have moles that have changed shape or size quickly, you should have this looked at.
Your eyes also need protection from developing signs of skin cancer. The best protection for the eyes and surrounding skin is to wear sunglasses. Sunglasses with 99-100 percent UV absorption are recommended when you are in the sun.
The two most common kinds of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. (Carcinoma is cancer that begins in the cells that cover or line an organ.) Basal cell carcinoma accounts for more than 90 percent of all skin cancers in the United States. It is a slow-growing cancer that seldom spreads to other parts of the body. Squamous cell carcinoma also rarely spreads, but it does so more often than basal cell carcinoma. However, it is important that skin cancers be found and treated early because they can invade and destroy nearby tissue.
But there are alternatives. Having had a number of non-melanoma skin cancers, I’ve had the opportunity to try both the AMA (have the scars to prove it) as well as several “alternative” approaches. The method of treatment that I’ve settled on is the herb Chaparral. Chaparral is a plant that grows in the deserts of the southwestern U.S.
The most important thing that you can do if you are diagnosed with cancer is to start eating an anti-cancer diet. Cancer needs you to feed it. It is a disease that feeds off of the sugars in the body. One way to slow the spread of cancer is to give it less to eat. The best way to do this is by eliminating sugar and carbohydrates in your diet. If you do not consume these natural sugars, than the cancer will have less to feed on. You want to concentrate your diet on all natural fruits and grains. There have been many studies that show the benefits of eating raw foods against cancer.
But some shades are more effective than other shades. You can spend long hours under shade and still expose yourself to damaging sun exposure. That is because UVB rays, often considered the most harmful part of sunlight, can reach the skin indirectly. Indirect or diffuse UV light is radiation that has been scattered by clouds or other atmospheric elements and is bounced back from UV reflective surfaces. These surfaces include sand, water, snow, concrete, and white paint on the sides of buildings. So, even if you are sitting under an umbrella at the beach you may still be burned from UVB bouncing up from sand or water. Effective shade at the beach would be a structure with sides blocking indirect ultraviolet rays.
In addition to being on the lookout for skin cancer symptoms, you are also advised to focus on protection. As previously mentioned, a large number of men and women are diagnosed with skin cancer. With adequate prevention methods, you do not have to be one of those individuals. You are urged to avoid tanning beds and prolonged sun exposure, at any cost. If you must be in the sun for an extended period of time, you are urged to protect yourself with sunscreen, sunglasses, and a sun hat.
