Protect Your Skin and Eyes from the Winter Sun
Skin Cancer Protection is Necessary in Winter Also
As anyone who has been badly burned while enjoying a sunny day of skiing can tell you, in the Northern Hemisphere winter the sun while not as strong as in the summer, can still damage your skin with extended exposure. So if you are out doors for an extended period in the winter take precautions, especially with your face and eyes.
So here are some tips for preventing winter sunburn and decreasing the risk of skin cancer.
The Environmental Protection Agency and the National Weather Service can help. Engaging in winter sports is a great way to get exercise at a time when you may just want to sit by the fire. Often this means getting to a higher altitude to snowboard, ski, sled or skate. Ultra Violet (UV) rays are always with us and know no season
While you may be further from the equator, you will probably be higher and UV rays are up to 5% stronger with each 1000-foot altitude increase. You can check the local UV Index for your zip code by in the newspaper or on the web on the Environment Protection Agencies SunWise Program web site http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html. This site provides a color coded map of the US with noon UV Index and a way of looking up the local index by zip code.
While you are probably covered from head to foot while active in the cold, your eyes and face still need protection. Wear good sun glasses to help protect your eyes from UV damage and the long range effects of cataracts and macular degeneration.
While everyone should take precautions to prevent skin cancer, certain people may have additional risks because of their skin, eyes or a family history of skin cancer. Persons with light-colored skin and freckles, blond hair, and light eyes should be cautions. This is true especially if their skin burns easily. The more risk factors you have the higher your risk of skin cancer and the more careful you need to be, regardless of season.
Published by Susan Brink
HealthMark Multimedia develops award-winning health-related content solutions for patients and healthcare organizations. HealthMark content is used by patients in making treatment and self-care decisions. View profile
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- Ultra Violet (UV) rays are always with us and know no season.
- Your eyes and face need protection in the winter.
- Protect your skin in the winter also