This month’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) wellness paragraph talks about the dangers of UV rays and skin cancer.
UV Awareness Month
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States with approximately one American dying from skin cancer every hour! One in five of today’s children will someday have some form of skin cancer. Additionally, long term exposure to the sun can lead to potentially blinding conditions such as cataracts and macular degeneration, as well as premature aging of the skin and damage to your body’s immune system. Fortunately, there are easy ways to protect yourself from the damaging UV rays of the sun:
- To ensure your eyes are protected, wear sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB rays.
- Limit your time in the sun between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when UV rays are the greatest.
- Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher and be sure it protects against both UVA and UVB rays.
- Use water resistant sunscreens and don’t forget to reapply often, usually every two hours.
- Use cosmetics with sunscreens with at least an SPF of 15.
- Dress to block the sun. Wear a hat with a brim all the way around to shade your face, ears and the back of your neck.
If you are a parent, be sure that you are modeling appropriate sun safety so that your children will pick up these habits early on. And remember, if you have fair skin, red or naturally blond hair, or light colored eyes…..you produce less melanin, which makes you particularly susceptible to skin damage.
This information is courtesy of the Employee Assistance Program. Please contact them at 716-681-4300 for assistance.
Submitted by: Kathy Kelly, administrative associate, human resources
