Tag Archives: sun

DHEC in the News: Free sunscreen, obesity, smoke-free college campuses

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Here’s a look at health and environmental news from around South Carolina.

Free sunscreen now available in dispensers at Riverdogs stadium

Forgot your sunscreen? There may soon be dispensers of the stuff on the path to the beach and in the area’s parks.

There are already 10 of the sunscreen receptacles at the Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park stadium, installed last Sunday. The SPF 30 sunscreen is free at the dispensers.

The initiative is intended to help bring down cases of melanoma. More cases of the skin cancer have been diagnosed every year in South Carolina, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

 General Interest

CDC Says Obesity Higher in Rural Versus Urban Counties

On June 15, the CDC released a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)(www.cdc.gov) that found the prevalence of obesity was higher, at 34.2 percent, among U.S. adults living in nonmetropolitan counties than the 28.7 percent prevalence among those living in metropolitan counties.

This research was based on state-level data from the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), an annual random-digit-dialed telephone survey of adults 18 and older. The CDC and state and territorial health departments conduct the BRFSS to monitor health conditions and related behaviors.

CDC: College Campuses Increasingly Go Smoke-Free

Twice as many colleges and universities in the U.S. had smoke-free or tobacco-free policies in 2017 than in 2012, according to the CDC and American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation (ANRF).

The vast majority of the 2,082 colleges and universities with anti-smoking policies as of November 2017 were tobacco free, meaning they had banned not only conventional cigarette smoking, but all other tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes and hookah use.

Take steps to avoid heat-related illnesses

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Summer won’t officially make its appearance this year until June 21, but it is already hot. With the National Weather Service predicting temperatures in the mid- to upper-90s in some parts of the state — and even triple digits in the Midlands — this week, DHEC urges you to take precautions.

Whether you are out exercising or simply traveling to the grocery store to shop, take steps to protect yourself and others from possible heat-related illnesses. It’s not safe to leave a person in a parked car in warm or hot weather, even if the windows are cracked or the car is in shade. Children’s body temperatures warm at a rate three to five times faster than an adult’s.

What can be done to prevent heat-related illnesses?

Heat-related deaths are preventable. The best answer is to stay in an air-conditioned area. When you can’t do that, consider these tips:

  • Drink lots of water. If you are doing an outdoors activity, drink two to four glasses of at least 16 ounces of cool fluids every hour. Don’t drink liquids that contain caffeine, alcohol or large amounts of sugar, these actually cause you to lose body fluid.
  • Avoid strenuous activity.
  • Take frequent cool showers or baths.
  • Wear lightweight, light-colored clothes.
  • Limit sun exposure.
  • Never, ever, leave children or pets in a parked car. Having any person or pet in a car in the summer months without air conditioning is like putting them in an oven.

Learn more

Visit the DHEC website for more information on heat-related illnesses. You can also get useful prevention tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.

DHEC in the News: Flu, Clemson’s solar-powered mobile health clinic, minimizing breast cancer risks

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Here’s a look at health and environmental news from around South Carolina.

You should get a flu shot now, SC health officials say; here’s where you can go

As the temperature dips in York, Lancaster and Chester counties, it’s time to get a flu vaccination, say experts with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC).

According to DHEC and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaccinations are recommended annually for everyone six months or older. Those who are older than 50, pregnant or have chronic medical conditions such as asthma or heart disease are at an increased risk of complications from influenza, according to DHEC.

Clemson’s mobile health clinic powered by the sun

The mission of Clemson University’s new mobile health clinic is to improve the health of the underserved community while providing a teaching experience for public health students.

But as “the world’s first 100-percent solar powered clinic,” it’s also tasked with improving the environment.

The specially designed 23-by-16-foot truck is outfitted with eight solar panels on the roof that charge the entire clinic, eliminating polluting exhaust fumes and noise, said health extension agent Logan McFall.

Healthy eating, exercise help women minimize breast cancer risks

In my role as a breast imaging physician, I am asked frequently what increases my patients’ breast cancer risk. … Although many factors are not in a woman’s control, adopting as healthy a lifestyle as possible is the common sense approach for women’s breast health.

Protect Your Skin!

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By Betsy Crick

skin cancer detection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May is Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month, and DHEC wants you to be prepared before heading outdoors this summer.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. Most cases of melanoma, the deadliest kind of skin cancer, are caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, either from the sun or from artificial sources like tanning beds.

Lower Your Skin Cancer Risk

To lower your skin cancer risk, protect your skin from the sun and avoid indoor tanning. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends these easy options:

  • Stay in the shade, especially during midday hours
  • Wear clothing that covers your arms and legs
  • Wear sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays
  • Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher – and both UVA and            UVB protection
  • Avoid indoor tanning

Sunscreen Tips

  • Sunscreens are assigned an SPF number that rates their effectiveness in blocking UV rays. Higher numbers indicate more protection. You should use a broad spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 15.
  • Sunscreen wears off. Put it on again if you stay out in the sun for more than two hours and after swimming, sweating, or toweling off.
  • Check the sunscreen’s expiration date. Sunscreen without an expiration date has a shelf life of no more than three years, but its shelf life is shorter if it has been exposed to high temperatures.
  • Some makeup and lip balms contain some of the same chemicals used in sunscreens. If they do not have at least SPF 15, don’t use them by themselves.

Knowledge is power – with these tips and tricks, your skin is sure to have a healthy, happy summer!