It’s been a really difficult few weeks at work as we’ve gone through an ownership transition. It seems that the workload tripled in the same timeframe, so I’ve been spending far too many hours away from family and BITNP. On Wednesday morning, I had a short day ahead due to an afternoon dental appointment, so I knew that everyone would try to pack in their day’s requests into that shortened time. I expected a hellish day. But my first call from a co-worker was not a work demand, but to inform me that she had found a couple of really good bits of information about melanoma in her Women’s Health magazine. She wanted to share it with me so that I might share it with others.
Wow, talk about a real pick-me-up! While the shortened day turned out to be as
hectic as anticipated, the morning’s notice of sharing made it anything but
hellish. Thank you Susan for helping me refocus my priorities! Now on to the information…
The March edition of Women’s Health had an article about four
health concerns for women that could be passed along to the next
generation. They were heart disease, depression, breast
cancer, and melanoma. It was cited that
the average woman has a 2% risk of being diagnosed with melanoma (that’s 1 in
50). However, if a woman’s parent had
melanoma, she had a 4% risk (1 in 25).
These seem like low percentages, but they point out that any unprotected sun
exposure increases your odds exponentially.
This also echoes the genetic relationship I discussed recently in UncontrollableRisk Factors.
This same blurb goes on to describe three ways to reduce
your risk. First, eat up to two ounces
of dark chocolate a day. (I love women’s
magazines and their relationship with chocolate). Apparently digesting the treat “can shield
your skin from oxidative damage caused by UV rays, slimming your risk for skin
cancer.”
Secondly, they remind you to read the fine print on
sunscreen products. Look for the words “Broad
Spectrum” to get a balance of protection against BOTH UVA and UVB rays.
Lastly, they remind you that car windows do not block UVA
rays, so make sure to apply sunscreen on your face, hands and arms when you
plan on driving. A 2010 study notes that
there have been more skin cancer occurrences on the left side as a result of
unprotected drivers.
The April edition had an article about how certain health
concerns can be detected just but examining the eyes. Within the article was a little blurb which
stated that a mole on the eye’s inner layer could be a sign of melanoma. “Sunlight can wreck havoc on more than your
skin – it may increase the risk of developing cancer inside the eyeball.” My friend was very surprised at this
fact! I hope that many other readers of
the magazine got the message.
Kudos to Women’s Health for spreading the word about sun
safety.
As I said, I take great joy in sharing news and information
in the interest of sun safety. But boy
is it great to know that word is getting out and coming full circle. Keep up the mission folks…every little blurb
counts!
