Protect yourself during the August 2014 Heat Wave! A statement from the Malta Medical Students’ Association

As weather forecasters have predicted, Malta is experiencing very high temperatures and will continue to do so in the coming days and weeks. With daily temperatures approaching the 40 degree mark, the Malta Medical Students Association (MMSA) would like to educate and empower the public on what precautions they should take in this heat. The Ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitted from the sun is one of the most harmful carcinogens in our natural environment. That being said, UV rays do not penetrate any deeper than skin level. However, this may eventually result in one of the most common types of cancer - Skin Cancer. In order to prevent skin damage and possible skin cancer, one must make a few simple changes in their behaviour and lifestyle. The MMSA has gathered a few simple rules which one should abide by in order to protect themselves from the harmful effects of the UV Rays.

1. Seek shade (especially during the peak hours of the sun 10am - 4pm) - This will minimise your exposure to the harmful UV rays.

2. Wear sun-protective clothing - These include a hat, sunglasses and clothing with tightly-woven fabric

3. Wear sunscreen - The sunscreen must have a high sun protection factor (SPF) (at least an SPF of 15 but preferably an SPF of 40 is used) with protection against both types of UV rays (UVA and UVB). The sunscreen must be applied on all the body including the lips. It must be reapplied every two hours when one plans to stay outdoors, even on cloudy days! Sunscreen must also be applied to children who are 6 months and older.

4. Infants should not be exposed to the harmful sun rays. In addition to all this, one must stay hydrated at all times by drinking a lot of cold water and eating light food like fresh fruit and vegetables, to prevent raising the body’s metabolism and temperature. We would also like to advise the public to perform frequent skin examinations and seek a health professional on a routine basis to get full skin exams. Also seek medical attention if you feel there is a mole that is getting bigger, changing in shape, colour or texture or if you have any questions. Being medical students working within the MMSA we aim to offer information and useful tips on varied topics as part of our work. Through our educational efforts and public health

campaigns for patients, caregivers, populations at risk, children and the general public we aim to increase awareness on various issues including excessive sun exposure and the best ways to tackle the increasing heat. We seek to offer age-appropriate health education to the public regardless of age, gender, health status and skin colour. As part of one of our public health projects called ‘’Beat the Burn’’, we are currently holding various outreach events all over Malta, Gozo and even Comino, with the aim of distributing informative leaflets, sunscreen samples and UV bracelets (which are able to change colour according to the intensity of the UV rays), whilst spending a few minutes sharing information with the people we meet. Such events are very useful in order to keep educating the public on the importance of protecting themselves in these hot summer days. The MMSA encourages the public to follow the above tips in the upcoming days. Don’t let the sun burn your fun! MMSA Public Health Officer MMSA Beat the Burn Coordinators Martina Gerada Emma Camilleri, Stephanie Farrugia & Gabriel Gauci

References:

[1] Narayanan DL et. al. ‘’Review: Ultraviolet radiation and skin cancer’’, International Journal of

Dermatology, September 2010

[2] Berwick M et. al. ‘’ Melanoma Epidemiology and Public Health’’, Dermatologic Clinics, Volume 27, Issue

2, April 2009, Pages 205-214

[3] Saraiya M et. al. ‘’Task Force on Community Preventive Services On reducing Exposure to Ultraviolet

Light’’, Preventing skin cancer: findings of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services On reducing

Exposure to Ultraviolet Light, October 2003

[4] De Gruijl FR et. al. ‘’Skin cancer and solar UV radiation’’, European Journal of Cancer, 1999