Labor Day tips from Arkansas Department of Health

As Arkansans take to the outdoors this weekend to celebrate Labor Day, the Arkansas Department of Health is recommending that safety precautions be made a top priority. Injury is the leading cause of death for Arkansans from 1-44 years of age, and most accidents can be avoided by using some simple precautions.

Each year, more than fifty Arkansans die as the result of drowning, and most of those deaths occur in our lakes, streams and swimming pools. Simple precautions could save lives this holiday season. It’s also a good idea to take extra precautions for protecting your skin from the risks of cancer. If you are planning a picnic, remember that improper handling and storage of food for potlucks and picnics can also spoil the holiday fun.

Swimming and Water Safety

Swimming and other water-related activities are excellent ways to get the physical activity you need for a healthy life. However, it is important to be aware of ways to prevent water-related adverse health events, such as sunburn and other injuries, drowning, and recreational water illnesses.

Healthy swimming behaviors will help protect you and your kids from recreational water illnesses (RWIs) and help stop germs from getting in the pool in the first place.

Here are six steps that promote healthy swimming:

Three Steps for All Swimmers

Keep germs from causing recreational water illnesses:

• Don't swim when you have diarrhea. You can spread germs in the water and make other people sick.

• Don't swallow the pool water. Avoid getting water in your mouth.

• Practice good hygiene. Shower with soap before swimming and wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers. Germs on your body end up in the water.

Three Steps for Parents of Young Kids

Keep germs out of the pool:

• Take your kids on bathroom breaks or check diapers often. Waiting to hear "I have to go" may mean that it's too late.

• Change diapers in a bathroom or a diaper-changing area and not at poolside. Germs can spread in and around the pool.

• Wash your child thoroughly (especially the rear end) with soap and water before swimming. Invisible amounts of fecal matter can end up in the pool.

Take Care of Your Skin and It Will Take Care of You

Did you know that your skin is the body’s largest organ, weighing about six pounds? It protects us from light, heat, injury and infection. The skin regulates body temperature and stores water, fat and Vitamin D. Many of us do not think about how our skin protects us. More importantly, many people do not think about how to protect their skin.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States.

• In 2009, more than 1 million people were diagnosed with skin cancer, making it the most common of all cancers. More people were diagnosed with skin cancer in 2009 than with breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancer combined. About 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer during their lifetime.

• One American dies of melanoma almost every hour.

• Melanoma is the second most common form of cancer for adolescents and young adults (15-29 years old).

• For people born in 2006, 1 in 53 will be diagnosed with melanoma—nearly 30 times the rate for people born in 1930.

What is most important is that you reduce your exposure to the sun, as well as other forms of ultraviolet (UV) exposure, thus lowering your risk for skin cancer. The sun’s UV rays can damage your skin and lead to skin cancer. Fortunately, there are many ways to prevent this damage to your skin. Whenever possible, avoid the midday sun when the UV rays are the strongest. Remember trees, beach umbrellas and tents are all good sources of shade. Sunscreen is your friend when you are outside, not just at the pool or the beach. Wear sunscreen even on cloudy days. Use sunscreen that will protect you against both UVA and UVB rays that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of a least 15. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and reapply throughout the day.

Not all sun protection comes in a bottle. When outdoors, consider wearing a hat. Research shows that most skin cancers occur on the head and neck, so wearing a wide-brimmed hat is a great way to shade your face, ears, scalp and neck from the sun’s rays. Then, use sunscreen on areas that your hat doesn’t cover.

When enjoying your favorite outdoor activities, remember to shade your skin and eyes. Extra clothing like a shirt, a beach cover-up and pants are all good choices. Grabbing a pair of sunglasses is more important than just looking good—it is also the best way to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. Not all sunglasses block those rays, however.

Although anyone can get skin cancer, individuals with certain risk factors are particularly vulnerable. Some risk factors for skin cancer are:

• Light skin color

• History of sunburns early in life

• Family history of skin cancer

• Certain types and a large number of moles

• Freckles as an indicator of sun sensitivity and sun damage

• Chronic exposure to the sun

There are three major types of skin cancer:

• Basal cell carcinoma is the most common and the least dangerous. There may be a
change in the skin, such as a growth or a sore that won’t heal, or there may be a small lump that is smooth and shiny looking.

• Squamous cell carcinomas are less common, but more serious. These scaly patches or wartlike growths can spread cancer to other parts of the body.

• Malignant melanomas comprise about five percent of all skin cancers, but account for about 75 percent of all skin cancer deaths. This type of cancer can spread quickly to other parts of the body. The warning signs are moles that change texture or shape or darken in color; moles that bleed, itch or become sore; or new moles that don’t look normal.

The major cause of basal and squamous cell skin cancers is cumulative, intense long-term exposure to UV light, from the sun or from tanning booths. Malignant melanomas are related to intense, intermittent exposure. Sunburn has long been believed to be associated with a higher risk of melanoma, but researchers say this isn’t true. People who develop melanoma are genetically susceptible to skin cancer. People with fair skin are at highest risk, especially redheads, but anyone, no matter how dark, can get skin cancer. Increased melanin in the skin of darker people absorbs some of the damaging rays, protecting some of the underlying skin. Although African-Americans are less likely to get skin cancer than Caucasians, they are at a higher risk for the dangerous malignant melanoma.

Whether you are at the beach, on the ski slopes or just walking from the parking lot to the mall, you can keep your skin protected and lower your risk for skin cancer. Remember, slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen and slap on a hat.

Summertime is primetime for foodborne, waterborne and enteric illnesses.

Year after year, we hear and read the same advice: Handle food carefully in the summer because foodborne illness—also known as "food poisoning"—is more prevalent in warmer weather. Do foodborne illnesses increase during the summer months? If yes, why?

Foodborne illnesses do increase during the summer, and the answer appears to be twofold. First, there are the natural causes. Bacteria are present throughout the environment in soil, air, water and in the bodies of people and animals. These microorganisms grow faster in the warm summer months. Most foodborne bacteria grow fastest at temperatures from 90˚F to 110° F. Bacteria also need moisture to flourish, and summer weather is often hot and humid.

Second, outside activities increase. More people are cooking outside at picnics, barbecues and on camping trips. The safety controls that a kitchen provides—thermostat-controlled cooking, refrigeration and washing facilities—are usually not available.

We know foodborne illness increases in warm weather. We also know that consumers can fight dangerous bacteria by following these four simple steps to safer food in the summertime.

1. Clean: Wash Hands and Surfaces Often.
Unwashed hands are a major cause of foodborne illness.

2. Separate: Don't Cross-contaminate.
Cross-contamination during preparation, grilling and serving food is a prime cause of foodborne illness.

3. Cook: Cook to Safe Temperatures.
Food safety experts agree that food is safely cooked when it is heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria that cause foodborne illness.

4. Chill: Refrigerate Promptly.

Holding food at an unsafe temperature is a prime cause of foodborne illness. Keep cold food cold!

Leftovers?

Food left out of refrigeration for more than two hours may not be safe to eat. Above 90° F, food should not be left out over one hour. Play it safe; put leftover perishables back on ice once you finish eating so they do not spoil or become unsafe to eat.

If in doubt, throw it out!

How to report a foodborne, waterborne or enteric illness

1. Go to www.healthy.arkansas.gov

2. Click on letter “F” on the A-Z index line

3. Click on Foodborne Disease

4. Under “Reporting Foodborne Illness,” click on the necessary link:

a. Contact the ADH Foodborne Disease Section (email contact)

b. Contact your Local Health Unit (list of health units with contact number)

c. Public Reporting of Foodborne Illnesses (report form)

d. Medical Professionals Reporting of Foodborne Illnesses (report form)

5. Give/Put as much information as possible in the email, on the telephone and/or in the report forms and an ADH staff member will follow up with you.