9 Healthy Ways to Soak up the Sun

Benefit from Time in the Sun While Helping to Keep Yourself Safe

Feeling the warm sun on your face has its benefits and drawbacks. While it's hard to avoid damaging UV rays - unless you never venture outside - it's easy to protect yourself. Learn how to get the most out of your time in the sun while safeguarding your eyes, skin and overall health.

Good things that come from the sun

In addition to its natural warmth and light, the sun offers a number of health benefits:

Vitamin D - Sunlight helps your body naturally produce nutrients crucial for bone health, immune function and muscle strength. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to mood changes and seasonal affective disorder.

Mood Boost - The serotonin hormone is produced during the day and increased levels have been shown to help with higher focus and more positive moods.

Circadian Rhythm - Exposure to light helps regulate essential functions including sleep patterns, hormone release, digestion and temperature.

Even with all of its benefits, you can still get too much of a good thing. It's important to take precautions before soaking up any sun.

How to protect yourself from sun damage

Without the right protection, it doesn't take long for the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays to damage your skin and eyes. During peak afternoon hours, when the sun is the most intense, prolonged skin exposure can lead to sunburn, signs of premature aging and potentially skin cancer. Certain eye diseases are also linked to staring at the sun or to long hours outside without the proper eyewear.

Too much of a good thing

The sun's heat mixed with physical activity can also lead to dangerous conditions like heat exhaustion, injury or heat stroke which can affect the central nervous system. Symptoms range from headache and fatigue to more serious neurologic conditions. The elderly are more prone to signs of classic heat stroke, but even those who are healthy and participate in strenuous exercise in the heat and humidity can be affected by exertional heat stroke.

The most serious heat-related illness

Heavy exertion in extreme heat can lead to heat stroke, which is the most serious heat-related illness according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The body can reach a point where it is no longer able to control its temperature. In some instances, your ability to sweat fails and your temperature rises rapidly.

Symptoms can include:

• Confusion, altered mental state, slurred speech
• Loss of consciousness (coma)
• Hot, dry skin or profuse sweating
• Seizures
• Very high body temperature

This condition can be fatal if not treated promptly.

Call 911 for emergency care for symptoms of heat stroke.

Tips to enjoy the sun safely

Luckily, there are easy ways to block UV rays, limit risks and protect yourself from the sun's harm while enjoying its benefits.

1. Stay in the shade. Especially during midday when the sun is strongest.
2. Wear clothing that covers your arms and legs. Consider lightweight materials with UV protection factor (UPF).
3. Wide-brimmed hats better protect your head, ears, face and neck.
4. Look for large frame or wraparound sunglasses that block UVA and UVB rays to help protect your eyes and surrounding skin.
5. Generously apply sunscreen with at least SPF 30 to shield any exposed skin, including lips. Reapply every few hours or after sweating and swimming.
6. Avoid artificial sources of UV light, such as tanning beds and sunlamps.
7. Protect yourself on cloudy days. Even if you can't see the sun, UV rays are still present during the day.
8. Enjoy dawn and dusk sun when it's less intense.
9. Reschedule strenuous outdoor activities if there are extensive heat warnings.

With the right protection, you can reap the sun-loving benefits that promote, instead of potentially harm, your eyes, skin and overall health. Contact your doctor for more information on vitamin D, seasonal changes in mood and your risk of skin cancers.

Sources: American Cancer Society; NIH