Long days outside in the sun are just part of the job for farmers and ranchers, but you can take steps to help minimize the sun's burning rays - and your risk of skin cancer.
First, it's important to understand how damaging the sun's rays can be to our health. Not only can too much sun exposure cause wrinkles, freckles, and skin texture changes, it can also cause more serious health issues like cataracts and skin cancer - the most common form of cancer in the U.S. More than 1 million people are diagnosed with skin cancer annually.
Additional statistics provided by the Skin Cancer Foundation are startling:
• More than 90% of all skin cancers are caused by sun exposure.
• One in 5 Americans and one in 3 Caucasians will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.
• A person's risk for skin cancer doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns. And, one blistering sunburn in childhood more than doubles a person's chances of developing melanoma skin cancer later in life.
• Skin cancer is the No. 1 cancer in men over age 50, ahead of prostate, lung and colon cancer.
Chuck Schwab, Extension safety specialist with Iowa State University, says sunburn prevention is especially important for farmers and ranchers because of their long term exposure to the sun. "Farmers and ranchers spend more time outdoors in direct exposure to the sun making them at higher risk for skin cancer," he says.
Likewise, Dee Jepsen, an assistant professor and state safety leader with The Ohio State University's Department of Food, Ag, and Bio Engineering says, "Farmers and ranchers are at higher risk [of skin cancer] because of the nature of their job. Skin cancer is, and should be respected, as an occupational illness."
Jepsen explains that skin is the largest organ of the body, and it works just as hard as any internal organ. She says, "It weighs about 6 pounds; protects us against heat, light, injury and infection; and regulates body temperature. We need to protect our skin just as we do our heart, lungs, and liver from injury or disease."
But skin cancer isn't the only reason we need to protect ourselves from the sun. Jepsen says chronic exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light can cause other health-related issues. For example, sunburns can cause acute injuries to the skin. Of this Jepsen says, "Besides the uncomfortable burning sensation, over exposure to UV rays contributes to exhaustion, lowers your response rate, and diminishes your immunization factors."
As an analogy, Jepsen poses this example: "A grape is a nice, smooth and scrumptious fruit filled with zest and juice. A raisin is the same product, just aged by the sun. Which would you rather be?"
Sunscreen & More
Jepsen and Schwab say that the good news is that skin damage from the sun is largely preventable - if you take the right precautions.
Obviously, sunscreen is the first line of defense against the sun's harmful rays. A sunscreen with an SPF (which stands for sun protection factor) of 15 or higher is recommended. Sunscreen should even be used on cloudy and hazy days - and during the winter - because the sun's rays can penetrate cloud cover.
However, Jepsen recognizes that most farm and ranch workers - particularly men - don't like to wear sunscreen because 1) it attracts dirt and insects; 2) it is generally sticky and 3) it is easily wiped off with perspiration.
Thus, farm families need to look for additional forms of sun protection against UV light. Jepsen and Schwab suggest:
1) Wearing protective clothing like long sleeve, light weight shirts;
2) Wearing a sun-safe hat - something with a 3-in. brim all the way around. "Standard baseball caps do not provide sun protection to the back of the neck and ears. These are critical parts of our skin that receive high sun exposure when working outside - and are where most skin cancers appear," explains Schwab. Cowboy hats, straw hats, fishing or bucket-style caps, and Australian booney hats all offer better sun protection than a baseball cap.
3) Protect your eyes from cataracts and corneal burns by wearing sunglasses with 100 % UV protection. Schwab says not all sunglasses offer this level of protection (or any protection) so find out what kind of protection your sunglasses provide.
4) If possible, avoid working in the direct sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. This is when the sun's rays are strongest. "This may require rethinking and rescheduling when certain tasks are done to avoid the intense sun exposure," recommends Schwab. Jepsen adds that working in a cab enclosed tractor or under a sun canopy during these times may be an alternative.
5) Lastly, Jepsen also advises paying attention to the medications you take that may make your skin more sensitive to UV light. When taking such medications during the hot summer months it becomes even more critical to wear sunscreen and/or long sleeves and a hat to prevent burning.
Iowa State's Schwab also encourages individuals to regularly be checked by a doctor for signs of skin cancer. If detected early, most skin cancer is treatable.
Copyright 2009 The Cattle Business Weekly. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed unless permission is granted from the editor.
