Anglers should take measures to prevent skin cancer
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
I've never been much of a historian, but I couldn't agree more with Ben Franklin's ancient truism.
Franklin was giving fire-fighting advice in the mid-1700s when he coined the popular cliche. Interestingly, modern dermatologists often refer to the old saying when they offer patients preventative advice against a menacing killer that moves slowly and hits you hardest when you least expect it.
Skin cancer.
Those doctors are right on the mark in doing so. Indeed, it is much wiser to do everything possible to prevent a problem from happening than trying to fix it after it happens.
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. More than 3.5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in two million people each year. Thousands of those cases will result in disfigurement or death. This year more people will develop some form of skin cancer in this country than will develop breast, lung, colon or prostate cancer combined.
That's scary stuff -- mainly because most of us expose our bodies to the primary catalyst of skin cancer every day.
The sun displaces harmful rays that can cause unprotected skin to burn or tan. Continued overexposure to the sun can lead to premature aging. In severe cases of sunburn, normal skin cells may regenerate in the form of uncontrollable cancer cells.
Skin cancer doesn't occur overnight. In fact, it can take years to develop. The highest incidence of skin cancer occurs in people over 50, though it could be caused by skin damage the person incurred as a child.
The disease also has been known to be hereditary. That's especially spooky to me, because it is present in my immediate family tree.
My 86-year-old father has had more than a dozen areas of skin cancer removed from his body, including a couple of malignant melanomas that were detected during the early stages of development. My late uncle also had multiple areas of skin cancer removed from his body before he eventually died of kidney failure.
The chances skin cancer will eventually come knocking at my genetic door are good, especially considering how I make my living. Long days spent on the water, in the wind, beneath the blazing hot sun are the norm for me. I was a fool and went at it unprotected for years back when I was younger. But not anymore.
Nowadays, I always prepare for extended time outdoors with a generous dose of quality sunscreen that provides a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 45.
SPF is a measurement of the degree of sun protection provided by a sunscreen. The lower the number, the less protection it provides. A sunblock with an SPF of 45 will provide about 7 1/2 hours of protection before you need to reapply it.
Suncreen should be applied to any exposed area of the body, including the face, neck and ears. If you wear sandals, don't forget the tops of your feet.
There are a number of good sunblocks on the market. If you are going to be around water, the sunblock should be waterproof and sweatproof.
My favorite is Bullfrog. It comes in a gel, lotion or spray-on version. Banana Boat also makes an assortment of quality sunblocks, and there are plenty of others.
Regardless of which brand you choose, be sure and keep it away from your eyes. Most sunblocks will cause an uncomfortable burning sensation if they come in contact with the eyes.
Wearing sun protective clothing including a long sleeve shirt, pants and cap is another good way to help prevent the sun's damaging rays from harming your skin.
Columbia Sportswear makes a great line of clothing with hot weather fishing and other outdoor activities in mind. Using a variety of technologies, the lightweight clothing blocks harmful rays while at the same time keeping you cool as it wicks moisture away from the body and through the fabric so it can evaporate into the atmosphere.
Matt Williams' e-mail address is mattwilliams@netdot.com.
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