UV Safety for Seniors
Family Care articles are not a substitute for medical or legal advice from a licensed professional.
To a younger audience of caregivers, sun safety may be second-nature. But for many older Americans, the risks associated with tanning, burning, and sun exposure were not fully recognized until later in their lifetimes. Tanning was encouraged well into the 1970s and 80s, as a fashionable way to give yourself a “healthy glow.” It was only when doctors noticed a significant correlation between sun damage and skin cancer cases that doctors began advising caution. Because of this, seniors may have a lot to learn about UV safety. Take a look at the article below for tips to keep yourself safe in the summer sun.
Keep Your Skin Protected
According to the American Cancer Society, you should wear sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, and reapply at least every two hours while outdoors. This INCLUDES time spent outside during the winter, and when it’s overcast. A broad spectrum sunscreen will protect you from multiple types of UV rays—UVA, which reach your outer skin, and UVB, which reach the middle layer of your skin. If you don’t like wearing sunscreen, there are other options. UV-protective clothing or sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats are good ways to keep skin out of the sun.
If you have the option, staying in the shade while outside can also help your skin. Keep in mind that UV rays can reflect and bounce off of nearby surfaces. Just because you aren’t in direct sunlight doesn’t mean you’re fully out of harm’s way.
It also helps to be aware of the sun’s most active hours, which are from 10 AM to 4 PM in the summer months. The Environmental Protection Agency provides a UV Index forecast on their website. A rating of 6 or higher indicates a high risk of exposure to damaging UV rays.
Stay Hydrated
Listening to your body’s signals can become more difficult as you get older, especially when spending time outside in the heat. It’s important to stay well hydrated. If you begin feeling thirsty, it’s a sign that you should drink some water.
Two major conditions can emerge out of overexposure to sunlight and lack of hydration: dehydration and heat exhaustion. Symptoms of dehydration include chapped lips, dry throat, headache, dizziness, and decreased urination. More serious symptoms include low blood pressure and high heart rate. For more information about dehydration and the increased risk to seniors, take a look at our last article here.
Heat exhaustion occurs after prolonged exposure to or activity in high temperatures. Your body can struggle to regulate its own temperature, especially for adults 65 and older. Heat exhaustion symptoms include cool skin or goosebumps in the heat, sweating, dizziness, fatigue, and muscle cramps. It’s important to get out of the sun and drink cool water or sports drinks if you experience these symptoms. Heat exhaustion can lead to heatstroke, which can cause permanent brain damage or death.
Watch for Medication Side Effects
Some creams, antibiotics, and antidepressants can make your skin more sensitive to sun damage. Reading up on medication side effects, or asking your doctor about possible reactions, is a good way to find out if this could apply to you. If it does, you may want to stay out of the sun, stay covered up, or apply sunscreen more frequently when outside.
Know Your Risk Factors
Roughly 40 to 50% of adults will develop skin cancer in their lifetimes. This risk becomes greater if the person has certain preexisting health conditions. For example, a risk of melanoma is substantially higher if the patient has a family history of skin cancers, or has a history of smoking.
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are skin cancers more prevalent in seniors, because they appear almost exclusively in people aged 40 or older. Men are also twice as likely as women to develop BCC or SCC. Exposure to chemicals or medical radiation, a personal history of skin cancers, or significant UV exposure are all major underlying factors.
Know the Signs of Skin Cancer
Age spots and other skin changes are natural as we grow older. This can make it more difficult to distinguish between normal skin aging and the development of skin cancers.
Melanoma has an easy-to-remember list of ABCDE signs. People should watch for skin spots that are Asymmetrical, have an irregular Border or irregular Color, have a Diameter of greater than ¼ inch, or are Evolving in size, shape, or color.
BCC and SCC have many signs and different appearances. These can often be confused with other conditions. Skin with the appearance of a scar or rash, open sores, and even wart-like spots can be signs of these two cancers. Changes to existing moles or spots on skin can be an indication of a serious condition. Because these conditions are difficult to recognize, a yearly dermatologist check-up is recommended. At a check-up, the doctor can provide a full-body exam and order a skin biopsy of any suspicious areas.
For more information, the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has many resources to help people identify and understand types of skin cancer.
Add to Your Vitamin D Intake
The sun isn’t all bad—exposure to direct sunlight causes our bodies to create Vitamin D, which keeps our bones healthy later in life. Studies have shown that individuals with high levels of Vitamin D are at decreased risk for falling, and develop osteoporosis and depression less frequently. But if we want to keep our skin healthy, that can mean avoiding the Vitamin D we could otherwise get from the sun. And in the winter, most people don’t spend enough time outside to get the Vitamin D they need solely from sun exposure.
To maintain healthy Vitamin D levels, a doctor may recommend a daily vitamin. Foods like egg yolks, oily fish, and fortified foods with added Vitamin D are a good way to get the nutrients you need from your diet.
Sun safety guidelines have changed dramatically over the years. As we move into summer (and during all other parts of the year), it’s important to remind yourself and loved ones that there are ways they can manage their risk and protect themselves as they go about their day-to-day lives.
