The Sun is good for you. 
Enjoying the sun can be a wonderful way to spend a holiday or even just a hour or two. Why else do we spend so much time and money, even just thinking about our holidays?
But..
Let's face it, we have nearly all suffered from sunburn at some time in
our lives. It is itchy and painful. Too much time in the sun can lead
to headaches, skin pain and at worst a whole host of other problems.
But is it dangerous?
What does Medical Research tell us?
First the
unhelpful bit:
Medical research continues, so the precise risks and benefits and what
doses of UV radiation are good/bad for whom are still not universally
agreed.
Of course, this is as it should be.
Now for the more helpful bit:
Professional bodies like the Food and Drugs Administration, UK Cancer
Research, Queensland Cancer Fund in Australia and similar bodies in
other countries are largely agreed on the basics.
In essence the problem is to be taken seriously.
According to the FDA, approximately 1 in 5 people in the United States will be diagnosed with skin cancer at some point in their lives. About 90 percent of all skin cancers can be prevented.
The most significant, preventable cause of skin cancer is excessive exposure to the sun.
The risks are particularly acute for:
- Caucasians who are at greater risk than other ethnic origins.
- People who have had excessive exposure to UV radiation from the sun without protection.
- People with fair skin who are 20 times more likely to develop skin cancer.
- Males are 2 to 3 times more likely than females to have basal cell and squamous cell cancers.
- People with a family history of skin cancers.
- Children who have more sensitive, more reactive skin than adults. Playing in the sand and swimming removes many protection screens.
Skin cancer's impact is also notable because its victims tend to be younger than those of most other cancers. "Average age of skin-cancer diagnosis is 49, and victims in their teens, 20s and 30s are not uncommon," says researcher Dr. John Thompson of the University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
