Boating Safety
How to Protect Yourself from the Sun
By Vin Sparano
Sunburn
Not everyone is aware of this genuine health hazard from the solar system. The National Cancer Institute estimates 600,000 malignancies a year as a direct result of careless exposure to the sun. Of that number, close to 7,000 people will die from malignant melanoma, the most deadly skin cancer.
The sun is the bad guy, causing at least 90 percent of all skin cancers. Fortunately, the sun warns its victims with early symptoms. Those symptoms include those fashionable tans we see around town and which we usually ignore.
The sun produces two different types of UV rays, both harmful to the skin. Beta rays (UVB) can cause skin cancer. Alpha rays (UVA) cause both skin cancer and premature wrinkling of the skin. The easiest and most effective way of protecting yourself from these rays is through the use of a good sunscreen that is rated with a SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15.
There are sunscreens with ratings of SPF 35 and higher. In most cases, a rating of SPF is all that is necessary for daily use. With a SPF 15, a person can stay in the sun 15 times longer than without any protection at all.
Some doctors claim that regular use of a SPF 15 for the first 18 years of life may reduce the risk of skin cancer by 78 percent. For this reason, it's extremely important for parents to remember to keep small children out of direct sunlight, especially between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., when the sun is the strongest and can do the most damage to the skin.
Choose a waterproof SPF 15 sunscreen containing PAPA and benzopheno (oxybenzone) to screen ultraviolet rays. Apply it liberally an hour or two before you go out in the sun, and reapply it every two or three hours, especially after swimming and sweating. Some newer sunscreens are formulated to last all day, even after swimming.
Your skin type is also an important factor. If you're a Type I or II, which means fair skin, blond, and blue eyed, you will need more skin protection and a doctor should check you for skin cancer at least once a year. At the other extreme is Type V and VI, which includes Middle Easterners, Indians, and Blacks, who will burn only after heavy exposure.
If you spend a lot of time in the sun, you should know about the types of skin cancers and how to detect them early. There are three kinds of skin cancers: basal cell, squamous cell carcinomas, and malignant melanoma.
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Basal cell carcinoma is the most common skin cancer (about 80 percent) and is seldom deadly. It usually appears on the neck, head, face, and hands. It may be as small as a pinpoint or as large as an inch. It may also crust and bleed.
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Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common and looks like a raised pink wart. If left untreated, it can spread to other parts of the body.
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Malignant melanoma is the least common, but most deadly skin cancer. It usually appears quickly on the upper back or legs. It can be brown-black or multicolored. Malignant melanoma grows fast and spreads to other organs.
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If you spend a lot of time in the sun, check your skin regularly. Look at the back of your hands and your face. Look for scaly, rough patches of skin. Are there any white spots or red nodules with scales? If you see anything that looks suspicious, see your doctor. Most of the time, skin cancers are easily and successfully removed.
Sunstroke
Sunstroke is extremely dangerous. Aged people are the most susceptible. The usual symptoms are headache, dry skin, and rapid pulse. Dizziness and nausea may occur, and in severe cases the victim may lapse into unconsciousness. Body temperature soars, sometimes as high as 109 degrees F.
Medical help, as soon as possible, is a must. Until it arrives, do the following:
(1) Undress the victim, and sponge the body freely with cool water, or apply cold cloths, the objective being to reduce body temperature to a tolerable level of 103 degrees F or below. If you have no thermometer, check the victim's pulse; a pulse rate of 110 or below usually means a tolerable body temperature.
(2)When the body temperature lowers to 103 degrees F, stop the sponging or cool-cloth treatment for about 10 minutes. If the temperature again starts to rise, resume the sponging.
(3)If the victim is conscious and can swallow, give him as much as he can drink of a saltwater solution (1 teaspoon of salt to 1 quart of water).
(4)Later, cover according to the victim's comfort.
Sun and Eyes
If you're a fisherman or a boater, you are probably already aware of the punishing effects of the sun's glare on your eyes. In fact, the effect of glare on the surface of the water can be 25 times brighter than the light level indoors. For most activities, sunglasses should be able to absorb about 60 percent of the sun's rays. For fishing or boating, however, sunglasses should be darker, absorbing at least 80 percent of the sun's rays. Bausch & Lomb suggests the simple in-store test for lens darkness: Look in a mirror with the sunglasses on. If the lenses are dark enough, you will have some difficulty seeing your eyes. This test does not work for photochromic sunglasses because they would be at their light stage indoors. If you are a fisherman, you should select sunglasses with Polarizing lenses, which are usually made by sandwiching Polarizing film between layers of dark glass or plastic. They eliminate reflections on the surface of the water and allow fishermen to see beneath the surface. Sunglasses come in a variety of lens colors, but most eye-care professionals recommend green, gray, or brown for outside activities.
Effects of Sun Rays
Ultraviolet (UV) rays, hidden in the sun's rays, can be irritating and dangerous, causing both short and long- term harmful effects on the eyes. Industry standards require that sunglasses designed for water sports should absorb up to 95 percent of UV rays. Make sure that the sunglasses you select are ones that afford UV protection.
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