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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (July 5, 2007)
Page 8 The INDEPENDENT, July 5, 2007 Learn how to protect your skin from cancers caused by the sun As we soak up the sun’s rays, we often do not consider that we are putting ourselves at risk for skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in the U.S. More than one million skin cancers are diagnosed each year. Most skin cancer deaths are caused by malignant melanoma. A person today is twice as likely to develop melanoma than 10 years ago, and 12 times as likely than 50 years ago. This is probably be- cause more ultraviolet (UV) ra- diation is reaching the earth as the ozone layer is depleted. Skin cancer can affect any- one regardless of race or skin color. However, it is more com- mon in people with fair or light- color skin, those with a family history of skin cancer, people who spend a lot of time out- doors working in the sun, and people who were severely sun- burned as children. One seri- ous sunburn can increase the risk of skin cancer by as much as 50 percent. Here are some tips for protecting yourself: • Stay out of the sun, espe- cially from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. when the sun’s rays are most damaging. Arrange outside ac- tivities around these times and seek as much shade as possi- ble. You can burn on a cloudy day. • Wear protective clothes such as a long-sleeve shirt and long pants. Dark colors gener- ally provide more protection than light colors. Covering up doesn’t block out all UV rays. A typical light T-shirt usually pro- vides less protection than a sunscreen with a Sun Protec- tion Factor (SPF) of 15 or high- er. • Wear a sun-safe hat. Base- ball hats do not protect vulnera- ble areas on your ears, face, or neck. Try a wide-brim hat made of tightly woven fabric. • Do not use tanning beds or sun lamps. They give off just as much UV radiation as the sun. • Finally, check your skin every month for abnormal or changing areas, especially moles. Use a mirror or ask a family member to check areas you cannot see. Ask your doc- tor to examine questionable ar- eas. Source: Denise Rennekamp, Oregon State University. Lightning kills: Do you know how to avoid this common danger? Lightning is the second cause of storm deaths in the U.S., killing more than torna- does or hurricanes. Lightning also inflicts life-long debilitating injury on many more than it kills. While Florida is the ‘Thun- derstorm Capital’ of the U.S., other parts of the country have lots of lightning, too, especially in the Southeast, Midwest, and the front ranges of the Rocky Mountains. However, all states have some lightning threat. Most of the lightning deaths and injuries are easily avoided. Remember, no place outside is safe near a thunderstorm, so when thunder roars, go in- doors! The annual Lightning Safety Awareness Week is June 24- 30. The awareness campaign will cover general lightning safety (indoors and outdoors), lightning science, and the med- ical aspects of lightning. Learn more at www.lightningsafety. noaa.gov. The first step in lightning safety is to plan your outdoor activities to avoid as much of Action Ads INEXPENSIVE – EFFECTIVE 503-429-9410 Ne Brid w Loca at J ge St . tion E .C. Pen ntranc ney e Bldg . Products & Services • PC parts & Service Low Rates for PC repair We build new computers • Cingular Service and a Wide Variety of cell phones • Office Supplies • 24 hr. Ink& Toner Refill Tel: 503.429.8324 Open Mon. thru Sat.10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 886 Bridge Street, Vernonia the lightning threat as you can. Watch local weather forecasts and know your local weather patterns. The forecast from your local National Weather Service office can be found at www.weather.gov or through www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov. When outside, use the ‘30- 30 Rule’ to know if lightning is close enough to be a danger. When you see lightning, count the time until you hear its thun- der. If that time is 30 seconds or less, the thunderstorm is close enough to be a threat – go in- side immediately. If you can’t see the lightning, then a back- up rule is that just hearing thun- der means the lightning is close enough to be a threat. Don’t go outside until 30 minutes or more after hearing the last thunder. When outside, also watch the skies for locally developing thunderstorms. If thunderstorms are brewing nearby, go inside even before the first lightning flash. The safest place from light- ning that is readily available to most people, is inside a large, fully enclosed building with wiring and plumbing, e.g. a typ- ical house. But stay away from any conducting path to the out- side: corded telephones, elec- trical appliances, and plumbing. Don’t watch lightning from doorways or windows. If you can’t get to a house, a vehicle with a metal roof and metal sides is a good second choice. Roll-up the windows, lean away from the door, and don’t touch any conducting path going out- side, e.g. radio, keys in the igni- tion, steering wheel, etc. Re- member, it’s not the rubber tires insulating you from the ground that make vehicles safe, but rather the metal shell that con- ducts the electricity around you – convertibles, motorcycles, cars made of fiberglass and plastic, and open shelled out- door recreation vehicles don’t count. If you can’t get to a house or vehicle, then at least avoid the most hazardous places and ac- tivities. Stay off elevated places, like mountains, build- ings, high playground equip- ment, etc. Keep away from open areas, including sports fields and beaches. Get away from tall isolated objects like trees. Going under trees to keep dry persists as the second leading cause of lightning casu- alties in the U.S. Don’t do this; going under trees is just asking to be hit by lightning! Stop wa- Mariolino’s ter related activities, including swimming, boating, and fishing. Get out of the pool at the first hint of lightning threat! Get off of open vehicles like cabin-less tractors, bulldozers, etc. Remember, NO PLACE OUTSIDE IS SAFE NEAR A THUNDERSTORM – you are much safer going inside a house or car. WHEN THUN- DER ROARS, GO INDOORS! All lightning deaths are from cardiac arrest. Stopped breath- ing may follow the stopped heart. First call 9-1-1 to get pro- fessional medical help. Then apply CPR or mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, as appropriate. A common myth is that lightning victims are electrified. False! It is perfectly safe to give first aid to a lightning victim (just make sure they aren’t touching live power wires). Ninety percent of lightning victims survive, so your first aid has an excellent chance of saving a life. Lightning is definitely the un- derrated thunderstorm threat. While no set of guidelines can give you 100 percent guaran- teed safety from lightning, the procedures discussed above can help you avoid most light- ning casualties. For more infor- mation on lightning safety, visit www.lightningsafety.n. H OT ? C OOL OFF WITH AN I CE C REAM C ONE OR S UNDAE 721 Madison Ave.,Vernonia • 503-429-5018
