Skin cancer
We’ve entered fully into the hot season. Sunny days are already normal, now is the best time to go out to sunbathe.
Receiving a bit of ultraviolet (UV) radiation is essential for most living things. In the case of humans, one of the best and most known benefits is that it helps the production of vitamin D, which is essential for the body to absorb calcium. But it is not the only one, it also stimulates the nerve endings, increases the hemoglobin in the blood, helps lower cholesterol and strengthens the immune system, among many others.
But we must be careful in the amount and time we take to sunbathe. Normally it is said that between 12 o'clock and four o'clock in the afternoon is when the rays fall more perpendicularly and are the ones with which we must be more careful, because we could get skin cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS): "skin cancer is by far the most common of all types of cancer"; and among them, the melanoma is the one that causes the great majority of deaths, although this only makes up 1% of the cases.
According to the ACS, the frequency of melanoma among Americans is more than 20 times higher in whites than in blacks. The risk of developing melanoma over the course of life is approximately 1 in 38 (2.6%) among whites, 1 in 1000 for blacks (0.1%) and 1 in 172 for Hispanics (0.58%).
But these figures can vary by many factors, so being Hispanic and dark-skinned is no guarantee.
Take care of yourself and take care of your children. Not exposing yourself for a long time and using sunscreen is something simple that we can do to avoid anything from burns, freckles, spots and premature aging, to bigger problems. Remember to protect yourself even on cloudy days, as up to 80% of ultraviolet radiation can pass through low-density clouds.
