Health Tips 101

Summer may be gone but not all of its effects may be. On a hot summer day we might sit outside sunning ourselves far longer than is healthy and from all the reports, we may be damaging our bodies while we are. With the Earth’s reduced Ozone, the Sun’s ray reach us with more intensity, and the length of time spent enjoying those warm rays is not always healthy.  

Most do not notice changes in their skin until a lesion or other discoloration has become large enough to be distracting. A new spot ignored could be a melanoma developing and more than just a new age spot in those who are older. Any new mole or abrasion that takes longer to heal than usual, for anyone, should be cause for concern. What one might think is just a sudden change in their skin, or a suspicious mark, that appears out of nowhere and long sunburn could be the symptom of something more serious.

Given the exposure an average person’s skin receives on a normal day, it is unlikely that much concern should be placed on the skin’s daily wear and tear. Tanning salons and overexposure during warm summer months, even snow ski trips can cause skin conditions that you could be unaware of till it was too late. A check up by a dermatologist once in a while would be wise if you are an outdoors type individual.

Watch for changes in the feel of your skin, that spot on your leg you thought a small thing, might be growing larger and you should find out why. A birthmark that changes shape, the color of a mole, and any unusual skin growth, all should be notification that it is time to ask a doctor what they are.

The American Caner Society has a list of rules to go by and what to watch for should you suspect something is happening with your epidermis. It’s called the ABCD Rule to evaluate any suspicious changes in your skin.

A is for Asymmetry, which is when one half of a mole or skin growth doesn’t look like the other.

B is for boarder irregularity meaning that you see ragged or notched even blurred edges to a skin growth.

Color is the C and the easiest to spot cause the pigmentation in a mole or growth changes shades or has dashes of red or gets a blue mottled appearance.

And lastly, D is for diameter. It has grown from the last time you looked and it’s gone from the size of a pencil to surprisingly large. A physician should look at any mole or growth that grows considerably in size.

Never second guess yourself if you see something strange develop on your body. It may just be a discoloration and mean nothing, but don’t take that chance. If it looks strange and you’ve never seen it before, go have it checked out. Better to be anxious and healthy, than to wait till it is too late to do anything.