Safety Tips
Summer Sun - Sun Healthy
Dr. Mehmet Oz helps to dispel common health myths that will set you on track for a healthy summer.
Dr. Oz is the co-author of, "You The Owner's Manual: An Insider's Guide to the Body That Will Make You Healthier and Younger" available online and in stores
now. He is professor and vice-chairman of surgery at Columbia University, as well as medical director of the Integrated Medicine Center and director of the Heart Institute at
Columbia Medical Center's New York Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Oz is the health expert for the Oprah Winfrey Show and Discovery Channel. He writes regularly for O, The Oprah
Magazine and Esquire. Dr. Oz co authors a monthly column in Reader's Digest.
Sun Protection: USE IT!
You're supposed to get 20 minutes of sunlight a day for adequate vitamin D-but only when it's at low levels (a good
rule to tell: your shadow should be longer than your height). Beyond that, you know the drill. You know it, you hear it, and you see the ads with the baby's butt on billboards.
Wear sunscreen. Like punishment doled out in the principal's office, sun protection is non-negotiable-because it's the most critical factor in keeping skin healthy. It's best to make
sunscreen a part of your daily regimen so you won't get unexpected exposure (or get a sunburn). Use a great moisturizer that you love that also contains an SPF 30 sunscreen and
affords the protection you need. If you're going to be outside for sports, use an SPF 30 and 4-star (reapply every two hours even if it says it's waterproof). Our recommendation:
Always protect your face and backs of your hands but allow your body to be exposed to some sun for a few minutes before you add sunscreen. A little redness in the skin signifies
vitamin D is being made. Here's a helpful hint: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide sunscreens protect immediately while all the rest of the sunscreens - called chemical or organic
sunscreens (misnomers if we ever heard one) -- take 20 minutes to absorb into your skin before protecting. So, get those few minutes of sun and then apply the zinc.
Always apply sunscreen if you're going outdoors for longer than 15 minutes (even on a cloudy day, which only stops 20 to 40 percent of UV radiation). Make sure
that the protection is a broad spectrum-UVB rays cause burning, but UVA rays penetrate deeper and are just as harmful - maybe even worse. UVA sunscreens are harder to find-zinc
oxide and titanium dioxide work the best-and newer versions of these sunscreens form a small film rather than making you look like you smeared crayon all over your face. You need
to slather all sunscreens on thick and apply them evenly, making sure not to miss any spots such as the back of the neck, the top of the ears, and any exposed scalp. Most of us
don't put on enough sunscreen, and if that's the case with you, then you're only getting half the effectiveness (if you're putting on SPF 30, it's more like SPF 15). You really
need one to two ounces of sunscreen to cover your whole body. This should be reapplied every two hours or after getting wet.
Which product is the best?
Look for ones that are hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic, because you don't want to cause other skin damage
while trying to protect from sun damage. But don't put a lot of faith into those labels, since all creams can causes pimples and rashes. It's really hit or miss. Also make sure
that your sunscreen is water resistant so it doesn't end up in your eyes while the rest of the players on your team watch you drop the ball in painful anguish. Water resistant
also means it will stay on your body past the first droplet of sweat when you are hot. But even if it says "water resistant," reapply it after swimming. By the way, hats and
T-shirts don't provide enough SPF protection. Hats provide an SPF of 10 at the most, with T-shirts only a level of about 5 (sun-protective clothing with SPF is also available).
Ever wonder what the heck the SPF numbers truly mean?
An SPF of 1 means your skin covered in SPF 1 would turn red in about 20 minutes; a 2
would require 40 minutes, and so on. By the way, the most common reason for sunscreen failure is inadequate amounts. And while we are repeating, remember it takes 1-2 ounces of
sunscreen to properly cover a body. There are two types of sunscreens: Chemical sunscreens absorb UV and change the chemical makeup to a lower form of energy. Physical sunscreens
like zinc oxide and titanium oxide reflect and scatter the energy (most leave a white residue). Popular brands for toxicologists are whole foods premium or Aubrey cosmetics since
avoid chemical absorption. Zinc and titanium dioxide are physical blockers, so less risky.
Fun Fact:
Eat tomatoes to prevent burning!
Treat sunburns with:
Asprin, Alka-Seltzer, Aloe Leaves, and eat tomatoes and/or blueberries
Protect your lips from Skin cancer on lips
• Lip protection spf 30
• Avoid petroleum which is absorbed
• Burt's Beeswax helps (if chapped from wind or sun)
• Antioxidants
Protect your Eyes
• Always wear plastic sunglasses with UV protection; you don't have to spend a lot!
• Eye receives more light than usual during outdoor activities
• UV exposure causes cataracts and macular degeneration
• Consume antioxidants in retina - lutein leafy green veggies
• No correlation between price and quality
• ANSI criteria - Should block 99% UVB and half of all UVA
• Sport glasses shatterproof and strapped
• Polarized reduces glare helps see beneath water surface
Summer Ailments/Treatments
Remember the Poison Ivy and Poison Oak tip - "leaves of three stay away from me" Resin causes disease; wash off skin
with soap and clothes in detergent to avoid re-contamination. Dehydrated with Burow's solution (aluminum acetate) or baking soda or vinegar mixed with water, zinc oxide, calamine lotion.
Soak in cool water with Aveeno oatmeal additive, Benedryl for itch, topical hydrocortisone (Cortaid, Caldecort), Epson salts or oral steroids if severe. If you touch it, wash your hands
15-20 minutes. If it's blistering, it's no longer contagious.
Lyme disease
It is not just an east coast disease. You get it from ticks (on exposed skin) from wooded or grassy areas. Make sure to check yourself
daily (in near high tick areas). If you see it, remove the tick within 48 hours to avoid disease; symptoms include bull's eye; rash, fever, chills, aches, joint pain.
(Doxycycline) 14 day course if rash, fever, chills, aches/look for bull's eye Borrelia from deer ticks.
Bees and Bug bites
4% humans allergic- hives, rash. Stinger is barbed and continues to pump venom for 20 minutes and attracts other bees to sting as
well, so remove the stingers. Use cold compress and toothpaste/ raw onion, Benedryl and Motrin.
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