Coming from a hot African country one has to develop sensible protective strategies for sun exposure. While not as dramatic as Vin Diesel’s exposure in Chronicles of Riddick, excessive or prolonged or chronic sun exposure (specifically the UV or ultraviolet radiation that is inherent in sunlight) can cause a variety of health related problems. Without getting too technical – there are different types (A & B) of ultraviolet sun radiation – A more associated with ageing effects and B with burning – but appreciate that because of the specifically short wavelength – you cannot SEE ultraviolet radiation. You can only see light relating to the visual spectrum. The same applies at the other end of the visible spectrum – infrared. So, beyond the wavelengths of the edge of the rainbow (red at one end and violet at the other) if you like.

Many various health related issues can arise from sun radiation exposure. You can get a burn – which increases your risk of subsequent development of skin cancer. That makes sense – burning the tissue affects its regrowth abilities and forces various recovery processes – any of which going slightly wrong could result in a skin cancer like a malignant melanoma. Solution – NEVER go into the sun for a prolonged period of time without protection, be it sensible skin covering clothing or sunscreen. Remember that the SPF (sun protection factor) of commercial sunscreens just extends the time of possible exposure before burning – so reapply frequently especially if swimming or training. And if you have fashion issues about wearing a hat – get over yourself and find something cooler you can wear.

You can also get eye damage as it is well documented that besides ageing (the obvious factor), prolonged sun exposure also predisposes you to cataract formation. What’s a cataract ? If you look through the pupil (central dark spot in the coloured iris) of someone’s eye – you would be looking “through” the lens. The lens is a clever structure that can change shape or thickness to allow for different focusing requirements – and thereby allows for a clear visual picture to be received by the retina (your visual processing background to your eyeball) and then interpreted by your brain. Age, smoking, various diseases (such as diabetes) AND sunlight all affect the unique crystalline structure of the lens and may ultimately cause it to cloud over or become a bit murky – the cataract. We cannot fix the cataract but we can do fantastic ophthalmological surgery and take out the lens with the cataract damage and replace it with an artificial one. If you live in a very sunny place, especially at some altitude (with even less UV atmospheric protection) – don’t even think about heading outdoors without some decent sunglasses.

So enjoy the outdoors – whether for work or leisure – but protect yourself from the harsh rays of the sun. Sunhat, sunscreen, sunglasses – all good.