East Central Reporter

HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital issued the following announcement on June 29.

Summer is here, and with that comes vacations, beaches, pool time, theme parks and more. As we head into the warm summer months, HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital is providing a friendly reminder on sun safety tips for the whole family.

 According to the CDC, the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage skin in as little as 15 minutes. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your family:

• Shade – Seek shade under a tree, umbrella or other shelter.
• Sunscreen – Always wear sunscreen and protective clothing, even if it’s an overcast day. Use at least SPF 15 before you go outside. Make sure to reapply if you stay out in the sun for more than two hours and/or after swimming, sweating or toweling off.
• Hats – Hats with a brim all the way around that shades your face, ears and back of the neck will provide the most protection from the sun. Wear hats with tightly woven fabric, not holes that let sunlight through. Baseball caps leave your ears and the back of your neck exposed, so if you wear them, protect your ears and neck by wearing clothing that covers those areas, use sunscreen with at least SPF 15 or stay in the shade.
• Sunglasses – Sunglasses help protect your eyes from UV rays and the tender skin around your eyes from sun exposure. Look for sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays for the best protection.
• Clothing – Wearing tightly woven clothing, and long sleeves and pants can protect you from UV rays. Some clothing is even specifically made to protect against UV rays.

 Of course, you could always protect yourself by staying indoors, but during the summer months, that’s no fun! You can have plenty of safe sun fun during the summer by taking these steps to protect yourself and your family. For more information, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/sun-safety.htm.

Original source can be found here.