Have Fun in the Sun Safely All Year Long

March 27, 2024 General /Family

The sun is essential to our daily lives.

It gives us light, warms us, helps plants grow our food, impacts our sleep patterns, and gives us Vitamin D. But it can also cause burns, make us dehydrated and even cause possible health problems that we may not see for many years.

It’s important to protect ourselves and our children from the damaging UV rays while we enjoy the sunlight and have fun outside. When possible, you should avoid outdoor activities between 10:00am and 4:00pm when the sun is the strongest.

Use Sunscreen!

Using sunscreen is important to protect our skin. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics:

Use sunscreen with a broad-spectrum sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15, but 30 SPF or higher is best. Remember to put sunscreen on 15-30 minutes before going outside and then reapply every 2 hours, or more frequently if swimming.

Just because you are in the shade does not mean you can avoid using sunscreen! The sun’s UV rays still reflect off things like cement, sand, and snow, so you can still get burned. That’s right, snow! The UV rays are still there even when it is cold outside, so remember to use sunscreen on the nose, face, and ears when outside in the winter too.

Dress for the Sun

Everyone should wear protective clothing such as long sleeves, swim shirts, hats, and sunglasses. Hats should have a wide brim to protect the ears, the nose and neck. Sunglasses are not just for adults, babies and children should wear UV protective sunglasses too, they are not just cute, but very important to protect their young eyes. The sun’s UV rays can cause damage to the skin and eyes that can cause skin cancer and cataracts later in life, so it is very important to prevent the damage in childhood.

Avoid the Burn

Sunburns are skin damage that we can see and feel right away. With a burn, if the skin is just warm and tender, treatment can be done at home by using cool compresses, pure aloe vera gel (medicated lotions are not recommended), staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water, and over the counter pain medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen depending on your child’s age. If your baby or child has blisters, fever, chills, headache or flu like symptoms, call their healthcare provider or go to urgent care for treatment. More severe burns require an emergency room and possible hospitalization and need to be taken very seriously, so call 911 if necessary.

Stay Hydrated!

Overheating can lead to dehydration and heat exhaustion or heat stroke, so it is very important to drink lots of fluids (water!) when outside in the sun, even if it is not extremely hot. To prevent dehydration in babies, feed them more frequently and make sure they are having wet diapers. Seek emergency medical treatment when needed.

Remember, children need to spend time outside every day for their health and development, so parents need to protect their skin and eyes so they can have lots of fun playing outside all year long.