ALPINE ATHLETES AT RISK FROM SUN.Byline: Bill Becher Special to the Daily News Skiers and snowboarders have been told for years to wear sunscreen Wear Sunscreen or Sunscreen Speech [1] are the common names of an essay actually called "Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young" written by Mary Schmich and published in the Chicago Tribune as a column in 1997. , and they might need it more than ever. A new study has shown that Alpine sports can expose participants to 10 times the recommended limit on ultraviolet (UV) rays, increasing the risk of skin cancer. At typical Alpine skiing Alpine skiing Class of competitive ski events consisting of speed events (the downhill and the supergiant slalom) and technical events (the slalom and giant slalom). elevations, UV intensity increases about 1 percent for each 100 feet of altitude, and reflection from snow can boost this by another 40 percent. In the study, 10 ski instructors at Vail, Colo., wore digital UV meters for a month. Their daily exposure was 10 times the recommended limits. Exposure to UV radiation can cause damage to skin over time and potentially increase the risk of skin cancer. The study said programs must be developed to educate skiers about the need for protection. Given the daily levels of UV exposure noted, Alpine skiers should consider the use of regular UV protection, including sunscreen sunscreen /sun·screen/ (-skren) a substance applied to the skin to protect it from the effects of the sun's rays. sun·screen n. of at least sun protection factor sun protection factor n. Abbr. SPF The ratio of the minimal ultraviolet dose required to produce erythema with and without a sunscreen; a measure of the degree to which a sunscreen protects the skin from ultraviolet radiation, the higher 30 with broad-spectrum coverage to minimize subsequent UV damage, according to the study. The study was published in the January issue of the Archives of Dermatology Archives of Dermatology is a monthly professional medical journal published by the American Medical Association. Archives of Dermatology publishes original, peer-reviewed reports and discussions that address the effectiveness of diagnosis and treatment in medical and . |
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