Protecting your skin

One of my co workers was sporting a nasty sunburn a few weeks ago. Everyone commented on it. You'd figure she'd protect herself better in the weeks ahead. Well, last weekend she was back at it, showing up, Monday with a fresh sunburn. Frankly, I was aghast. One mistake with your skin is forgivable, twice in a few weeks just plain silly. Her excuse, well, she wore a sunscreen - spf 6. She figured anything higher and she'd never tan. Well at the rate she's going she WILL NEVER TAN .. she's bound for burns.

This is the sunscreen skinny. Figure out how fast you burn .. ie, does it take 10 minutes in the sun for your skin to redden, 15 .. If you burn in 10 minutes then that spf 6 will only prevent the burn for an hour: you multiply the spf # with your burn rate. That's why at 15 should be the minimum most of us wear. Sunscreens slow the rate of burning, allowing us to spend more time in the sun. Yes, they filter out harmful rays, but NOT ALL OF THEM .. that's why you eventually tan while wearing them.

Enter a new product, available this summer after getting the FDA green light, last year. It's called Anthelios SX. It contains a combination of three active ingredients. One of them is a new molecular entity (NME), ecamsule. Ecamsule has not been marketed in the United States, but has been marketed in Europe and Canada as Mexoryl SX since 1993. The other two active ingredients are avobenzone and octocrylene.

This stuff is costly. I saw it advertised in CVS for $29. Is it worth it? My dermatologist says it's the best thing ever to hit the sunscreen world and one of the biggest things to come down the pike for skin protection since sunscreens were developed. Have I bought some yet? No. Will I - for sure. There are other ways to cut corners.

With the Melanoma rate on the rise, especially in young women, take care of your skin.

If you want to learn more about sunscreens and sunblocks, there's a really consumer friendly site to check out: http://beauty.about.com/od/summertanning/f/sunscreenblocks.htm

Walking for a Cause

Mark your calendars for May 19 .. that's the date of the Crohn's and Colitis - "GUTS AND GLORY' walk.

Crohn's disease is an inflammatory disease of the bowel .. it can strike at any age. When children are affected it interferes with their physical growth.
This is not a fun illness.
It's not contagious. It's as if the body turns on itself, as with rheumatoid arthritis and m.s.

The walk will be in Albany's Washington Park at 9:15 - May 19.

For more information and to register call: 458-7509 or www.ccfa.org/chapters/walks

Yes, I'll be there ..
Yes, I have a connection to this .. my mother died from crohn's. Walking is my way to honor her this mother's day.

Hepatitis C Repercussions

We recently ran a report indicating the growing number of cases of Hepatits C in young adults in Massachusettes. What wasn't clear was - is this a result of better testing and reporting or something more sinister. Since Hep C can be transmitted through shared needles, there's concern over Heroin use.

So when this report from the National Cancer Institute cleared, it really caught my eye. The report finds patients with Hep C have a 20%-30% increased risk of developing non-hodgkin's lymphoma. There were other blood disorders associated with Hep C infection as well.

Granted, this was a small study but it drives home the need to avoid risky behaviors. Their legacy can be much longer than you'd imagine.

Gift of Life

If you were among the 270 people who recently donated blood at our Save a Life Blood drive, THANKS. If you were unable to get there and would like to donate, consider stopping by a drive at the Glens Fall Hospital later this month.

The blood drive will be held in the hospital's lower-level auditorium, May 17 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and May 18 from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Donors are asked to bring positive identification in the form of an American Red Cross Volunteer Blood Donor Card or a government-issued picture ID, such as a driver's license. If a donor doesn't have either of these, two other forms of identification will be required.

Participants who sign up to donate blood will receive a $5 Donor Dollar Card which may be used in the Glens Falls Hospital Cafeteria, Hospitality Shop or The Bistro for food only.

If you haven't given blood in the last 56 days, please call Deb Manell at (518) 926-1809 to schedule a donation appointment.

Cholestoral Helpers

I just realized my annual physical is coming up. Last year my LDL numbers were a bit higher than the doctor would like to see. LDL is the so called BAD cholesterol. Otherwise my numbers are good. He immediatly suggested medication, but that's not my cup of tea.
So what to do?

That's what many of you wonder after leaving the doctor's office.
While diet and exercise don't have a great influence on lowering LDL levels, they can payoff in general good health.

If you're looking to improve your HDL - the good cholesterol numbers consider these dietary additions:
Fatty fish, like tuna and salmon
Nuts, especially walnuts and almonds
Oatmeal and oat bran
Foods fortified with stanols, like some margarines and orange juices
By trimming the bad fats along with adding the good ones and adding exercise you help lower your blood pressure and diabetes risk.

If you've made some lifestyle changes that paid off, let me know.