The Heat is On, and it’s Time to Play it Safe

Welcome to triple-digit weather season here in Fountain Hills. This is the time of year when folks start to get a little stir-crazy and yearn to break out of their air-conditioned cocoons, even if it’s just for a short time. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long to experience some of the sun’s dangers in this level of heat. Even when you feel cooled off in a swimming pool, the sun can wreak havoc with even moderate exposure.

In an effort to keep you aware and safe, here are a few ways the sun can be damaging and/or dangerous:

Eye damage:

Photokeratitis is the formal name for intense UV exposure that can cause an eye sunburn. This is painful inflammation that can be mitigated by proper eye protection from quality sunglasses that provide UV protection.
Long-term sun exposure can also contribute to the development of the clouding of the eye’s lenses, known as cataracts.

Weakened immune system:

Vitamin D benefits aside, prolonged exposure to the sun can actually suppress the immune system, making you more susceptible to illnesses.

Skin damage:

It’s proven that UV radiation is a prominent cause of skin cancer, including melanoma, which is an extremelydangerous type. Sun-damaged DNA can trigger the development of skin cancer. This DNA damage puts cells in overdrive, causing them to rapidly divide and grow. This growth acceleration can cause clumps of cells to form, developing a tumor or lesion. These tumors can either be benign or malignant.

Less serious, but still troubling, the sun’s rays can accelerate skin aging leading to wrinkles, age spots, and other damage. Over-exposed skin can become thickened, leathery, wrinkled, or overly thin. And as the body ages it loses its ability to effectively repair sun-damaged skin.

Heat-related illnesses:

Exposure to high temperatures without adequate protection can lead to sunstroke or heat exhaustion. Sunstroke, also known as heatstroke) is a potentially life-threatening condition caused by dangerously elevated body temperature. Heat exhaustion can cause nausea, dizziness, dehydration, and fatigue.

Taking preventative steps to protect your skin is very important. A few tips include limiting sun exposure in the peak UV ray hours of 10:00am to 5:00pm, applying sunscreen to ALL parts of your skin that the sun touches (don’t forget the sides of your face, ears, feet, backs of fingers and hands, and your head where hair covering is minimal), and protecting your eyes.

Also, regular checkups with your Fountain Hills Medical Center clinic team are crucial for early detection and prevention of sun-related health issues. We can provide a skin check to identify, or rule out, any troubling or damaged areas. We can check your eyes for any sun-related tissue damage. We can also talk with you about sunscreen options if you have sensitivities to many typical commercial sun protection brands.

Most importantly, you should come in to see us immediately if you notice any spots on your skin that become raised, get larger, show multiple colors, darken suddenly, or develop an irregular border.

Note that if your need is more urgent, such as a serious sunburn or sunstroke, our emergency room center and urgent care center are open, staffed, and ready to help, 24/7.

As your expert medical care that’s close to home, Fountain Hills Medical Center is ready to assist you with any health concerns or questions. If you haven’t visited us yet, give us a chance to show you why so many residents of Fountain Hills now turn to us for health needs of all kinds.

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