This month, I want to speak to you about skin cancer. A dear person in my life was diagnosed with melanoma. He felt a spot behind his ear and told his primary doctor about it. The doctor didnít think it was anything to worry about. When it started bleeding, he was referred to a dermatologist who did a biopsy and found it was cancerous. We were sent to a melanoma specialist, and my friend is being scheduled for surgery as I write this article.I learned a few things I didnít know, and wanted to pass it on to you. Melanoma starts when you are sunburned at ages 2 to 15, and it could appear 15 to 50 years later. If you were sunburned at that age, start checking to make sure you donít have unusual spots or moles on your body, including the top of your head and bottom of your feet.There are two other types of skin cancer: basal cell and squamous cell. Melanoma is a faster growing cancer than the other two. They are all caused by too much exposure without protection to the sunís ultraviolet rays and artificial ultraviolet light (tanning booths). Prevention and early detection are the best ways to keep your skin healthy.One in five Americans will develop skin cancer at some point during their lifetime; five or more sunburns during your lifetime doubles your risk of developing skin cancer. Sun protection is especially important in children because sunburns in early life can lead to skin cancer in adulthood.Melanoma is the second most common cancer in women age 20 to 29. One person dies almost every hour (every 67 minutes) from this disease.Both ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays can cause skin cancer. You can protect your skin and eyes in many different ways, including sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, sun protective/ultraviolet light protective clothing and staying in the shade.Clothing only has a UPF rating of five. A UPF rating describes the capability of a fabric to prevent UV rays from reaching the skin. You should wear sunscreen under your clothes when you are going to be exposed to the sun for more than 20 minutes. Reapply every two hours.Diet and exercise plays an important part in preventing cancer or surviving cancer. The first thing my friendís cancer doctor wanted to know was how much (strength training and cardio) exercise he did on a daily basis and what kinds of food he consumes.For more information, visit http://melanomafoundation.org/prevention/Next month, the subject will be choosing a fitness center and various types of exercises. Remember the best exercise is one that you actually do and not just talk about doing. Walking is great for the joints, but it does not build muscle; and, unless you are walking a large dog, it is not a cardio exercise. You need both; plus stretching.Healthy lifestyle = eating a healthy diet + getting 30 minutes a day of exercise (two to three days of strength, same with cardio) and seven days of walking (10,000 steps goal) + drinking 64 ounces of water + six to eight hours of sleep.Stay tuned next month for more hints.Jenni MathewsDisabled American VeteranFalcon Curves Owner 719-494-2000
