I was prompted to write about this subject after seeing so many European
tourists sporting a wonderful red colored skin, with contrasting white strap
marks. Several cases of acute sunburn every day. Now while acute sunburn can
generally be got over, the long term effects may not be as easy to deal with.
For immediate treatment cool the burned areas. Put wet towels
in the freezer and remove after five minutes and place on the burned areas. As
soon as the cold towels are no longer effective, change them for another one
from the freezer.
If the skin is unbroken, you can try a very, very weak
hydrocortisone ointment, but not if the skin is blistered. With blisters, do not
‘pop’ them, but just cover for a few days. Use simple paracetamol for the pain.
However, the biggest problems may come later - much later.
I have written before about lumps and bumps on the ‘skin’,
that fantastic wrapping that we all need to keep forever if we are to remain
healthy! And what a wonderful organ our skin really is. It regulates the passage
of water and electrolytes and keeps that internal collection of bones and organs
neatly covered with a self-sealing all enveloping wrapping. We can’t live
without our skin.
Unfortunately we tend to abuse our skin, and I must admit I
am no exception. Sun block was not high on my list of picnic requirements, even
though it should be.
Like all of our other organs, the skin organ can have
problems too, and these range from minor rashes, fungal infections, cysts, warts
and other “lumpy” conditions that we call Tumors. Now the very word ‘Tumors’
strikes fear in the hearts of many, but this is purely a term to describe
growths on the skin, which may or may not be ‘malignant’. In fact, most skin
tumors are not malignant (called ‘benign’), and even with the malignant ones,
the majority are not going to kill you. Having said that, it does not mean that
you should ignore skin growths. While most will not kill you, they can make the
last few years very unpleasant if left untreated, like Squamous Cell Carcinomas
(SCC’s), Basal Cell Carcinomas (BCC’s) that eat you away and then the Melanomas
that can be fatal.
Yes, Melanoma is also much more widespread than you would
imagine. And the statistics can be quite frightening. Take these US statistics -
Melanoma strikes people of all ages, all races, all economic levels and both
sexes. It is already the most common cancer for women 25 to 29 and the second
most common cancer for women 30 to 34 and the incidence of melanoma is
increasing faster than any other cancer. An American’s lifetime risk of
developing melanoma is about 1 in 75.
Now those American statistics are not so bad compared to some
other countries. Two of the worst, as far as melanoma statistics are concerned
are Australia and New Zealand. Why? Because these sunny countries have become
inhabited by fair skinned people from the northern hemisphere, a skin which was
not designed for the tropical sun.
So where does that put us Caucasians living in a tropical
country like Thailand? At risk, that’s what. And I am sure you have all been
like me and suffered sunburn from time to time, one of the predisposing factors
in changing seemingly “innocent moles” into malignant Melanomas. Researchers
have also shown that overexposure to the sun as a child can result in an
increased risk of Melanoma as an adult. In my era, children were actually sent
out to play in the sun, because it was ‘healthy’!
The message with the Melanomas is to find the moles before
they change - and that takes a trained and skilled eye and sometimes a biopsy as
well. But it is worth the look. Melanoma can be fatal, remember. These dark
pigmented skin lesions with irregular borders invade the deeper tissues and can
spring up as secondary lesions as well. These are truly tumors that can kill
you. Wide and deep surgical excision is the treatment of choice, that often
leaves a most unattractive scar.
Prevention is much better than cure!
