Get ready for vitamin D day

Wear a hat and stick to the shade.

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Barbara Docherty's My Health archive at everybody.co.nz

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SIGNS of summer sun are just around the corner. Beaches, barbies, bugs and blooming pohutukawa await us.

It's hard not to love the sun – it warms us, lifts our mood and provides the essential "sunshine vitamin", vitamin D, for our bones and brains.

Yet this solar-powered energiser, as my daughter calls it, can be our enemy. In spite of constant sun safety messages, New Zealand has one of the world's highest skin cancer rates – higher than Australia – with 70,000 new cases every year, including the most deadly, melanoma.

Too much sun can also affect our immune system and eyes, and prematurely age our skin.

Blame it partly on our outdoor lifestyle, a large fair-skinned population and a thinning ozone layer allowing through intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

In the end, avoiding sun damage is mostly up to us. Skin cancer is largely preventable. Good protection is particularly important for children as the damage builds up over a lifetime.

Finding a balance between no sun and getting enough for the skin to produce vital vitamin D, and having fun outdoors, means following the advice of skin specialists and the Cancer Society.

Start by minimising sun exposure between 10am and 4pm from October to March, and make the slip, slop, slap and wrap message your routine. Slip on loose, dry, lightweight clothing whenever outdoors. Wet clothing reduces protection.

You can burn even on cloudy days especially when UV is reflected off sand, water or concrete. Slop on water-resistant sunscreen 15 minutes before going out, choosing a sun protection factor (SPF) 15 or 30. A higher SPF gives a higher level of protection. But the time you can stay in the sun without burning will vary according to skin type and how liberally you apply the sunscreen.

Slap on a wide-brimmed hat and wrap around close-fitting UV-rated sunglasses.

Children need special attention: thoroughly apply non-allergic, fragrance-free sunscreen, and cover up with a rash vest, wetsuits or board shorts. Keep your baby in the shade.

No sunscreen completely protects us. Frequent application is as important as the SPF – reapply hourly and after swimming, drying off or strenuous activity.

If sunburn strikes, you might find cool wet towels, a cool bath or a low pressure cool shower for five minutes can help. Or try dabbing a cotton gauze soaked in cool whole milk for 20 minutes, then rinse off. Cool teabags are great for sunburnt eyelids. Avoid creams as they trap in the heat. Serious sunburn needs medical attention.

Excessive sun and not enough fluids causes thirst, dizziness, nausea, headache and vomiting – heat exhaustion – and can become life threatening – heat stroke. If a person cannot talk, stand or walk, cool them quickly and get urgent medical help. Remember to enjoy the summer with good sun habits. Skin cancer is too high a price to pay. Check your skin all year round, make sure you know what to look for. Skin cancer can often look like a harmless mole and, if there are changes, see your doctor.

More information at www.cancernz.org.nz and www.molemap.co.nz

Barbara Docherty is a registered nurse and clinical lecturer at the University of Auckland School of Nursing.