Observing For Sun Overexposure (WAS: Skin and sun exposure)

[Guest guest]

Hi Caron, then you'd appreciate some input on HOW to observe your son in the

sun ... what to notice, what to look for. Before responding to this request

from you, I chatted a bit with both Dr. Doug Graham and with Bob Farrell,

co-founder of the PathOfHealth group. Following is an aggregation of all

three of our thoughts on this.

 

First, what you observe varies somewhat based upon differences in location,

weather, and the child. For example:

 

- Is it a particularly hot day?

- Are you near the equator, or farther away?

- What part of the day (more direct or more indirect sun exposure)?

- Complexion (Fair skin)?

- In the water or on the beach/by the pool?

 

As a precaution, Doug suggests following the " shadow rule " : If your shadow

is longer than your height, you are relatively safe in the sun. When your

shadow is shorter than you, BE CAREFUL!.

 

That having been said, look for two basic things:

 

1. Signs of dehydration. Thirst, asking for water more than once in close

time; Drinking a lot of water, vs. an ordinary-sized drink/sip; especially

any chapping of the lips, picking at the nose or mouth. By the time skin

begins to seem a bit dry on other parts of the body, the child is definitely

ready for some good, wholesome shade. When the skin feels sensitive to the

touch, you've already waited a bit too long ... this is your last warning!!!

Into the shade NOW!!!

 

2. Changes in coloration: Here you are looking for a TINY bit of redness.

The tiniest bit means you're on the edge of burning. Look particularly

closely at locations where bone is nearest to the surface ... nose,

cheekbones, clavicles, etc. But it can be tricky. For instance, in water,

you might not notice the redness as soon.

 

You can also look for tiredness/exhaustion. This can occur in response to

excessive sun exposure, excessive heat exposure / dehydration, and also

inadequate sleep/rest, of course.

 

Hope this helps!

Elchanan

_____

 

rawfood [rawfood ] On Behalf Of

Caron

Thursday, July 12, 2007 12:17 AM

rawfood

Re: [Raw Food] Skin and sun exposure

 

Elchanan

>Caron, it is not at all difficult to know your boy's limitations. Rather,

what is difficult is holding your attention sufficiently focused upon him

that you can observe effectively.

 

My attention is on him at least 99.5% when we're outside the house (the

other 0.5% is when I blink, or glance at something other than him - I've

seen and heard of too many kids injured or worse because their parents

weren't paying attention, and I'd hate for it to happen on my watch). I'm

not sure exactly what I should be looking for though. I feel I've had

enough sun long before symptoms are visible, I feel a tingling in my skin.

I can't feel a tingling in his skin. I'd rather him not stay in the sun

until he's pink enough to notice, because that's sunburn. Or is there

something else I should be observing?

 

Caron

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

-

Elchanan

>Hi Caron, then you'd appreciate some input on HOW to observe your son in

>the

sun ... what to notice, what to look for. Before responding to this request

from you, I chatted a bit with both Dr. Doug Graham and with Bob Farrell,

co-founder of the PathOfHealth group. Following is an aggregation of all

three of our thoughts on this.

 

Thankyou for taking the time to get some input from others on this, for me.

Please also pass on my thanks to Bob and Doug )

 

First, what you observe varies somewhat based upon differences in location,

weather, and the child. For example:

 

- Is it a particularly hot day? Usually, though it is technically winter

here, the sun is often still very hot. The wind is often cold, or cool,

which can be deceiving when it comes to determining how much the sun is

affecting you.

 

- Are you near the equator, or farther away? A couple of clicks down, on the

tropic of capricorn.

 

- What part of the day (more direct or more indirect sun exposure)? Whenever

we can get out ;o) Here it's HOT in summer from about 5 minutes after

sunrise till 5 hours after sunset. In winter it starts to warm up around

11am, when I usually put him down for a sleep, and rest myself. It starts

cooling down again around 3 or 4pm, sunset around 6pm now, was 5pm last

month.

 

- Complexion (Fair skin)? This is hard to tell - his skin is pale because I

haven't had him out tanning! If he is out in the sun a little each day, he

gets a bit of a golden colour to his skin, but I tend to be overly cautious

with the hat and shade thing. I tan very darkly if I get enough sun. He has

medium fair-ish hair. He has a tone to his skin, it's not white white, even

on parts that don't get much sun, but it's not tanned, by any definition.

 

- In the water or on the beach/by the pool? Usually without, unfortunately -

would spend more time near or in the water if we could, and sun is a huge

part of that decision because I don't like to use sunscreen on either of us.

 

>As a precaution, Doug suggests following the " shadow rule " : If your shadow

is longer than your height, you are relatively safe in the sun. When your

shadow is shorter than you, BE CAREFUL!.

 

That's a good one to remember, thankyou )

 

 

That having been said, look for two basic things:

 

>1. Signs of dehydration. Thirst, asking for water more than once in close

time; Drinking a lot of water, vs. an ordinary-sized drink/sip; especially

any chapping of the lips, picking at the nose or mouth. By the time skin

begins to seem a bit dry on other parts of the body, the child is definitely

ready for some good, wholesome shade. When the skin feels sensitive to the

touch, you've already waited a bit too long ... this is your last warning!!!

Into the shade NOW!!!

 

I noticed yesterday, when we were out at an agriculture show all day (last

year it was overcast and drizzling rain all day, and we had a great time.

This year, not so much), he would NOT drink water when I offered, nor would

he eat, nor would he sleep. I probably had him out too long by that stage,

as I'd gotten up at 5:30am, he woke up at 6:30am, and we'd been on the road

from 7am till 10am, with the heater on in the car because of the icy wind.

He'd had bananas and dates for breakfast, with some water in the car (a sip

at a time), and a breastfeed around 8:30am when we stopped for breakfast.

Then we were driving, and rushing around to find where mum had to be for

work (they had a stall there for donations, it's a charity), until around

11am, when the tantrums started. His face was dry from the wind (mine was

too), and the sun was starting to get hot (after the wind died down, it was

just HOT from the sun).

 

>2. Changes in coloration: Here you are looking for a TINY bit of redness.

The tiniest bit means you're on the edge of burning. Look particularly

closely at locations where bone is nearest to the surface ... nose,

cheekbones, clavicles, etc. But it can be tricky. For instance, in water,

you might not notice the redness as soon.

 

>You can also look for tiredness/exhaustion. This can occur in response to

excessive sun exposure, excessive heat exposure / dehydration, and also

inadequate sleep/rest, of course.

 

I would take these two signs (after, and including what went on yesterday)

as the " TOO MUCH! " signs, not the " enough " signs. Once we run into the area

of negative reactions, we've gone too far. I'm looking for the fine line

that comes between the two, and usually, yesterday and my lack of judgement

not withstanding, err on the side of caution, perhaps to his detriment? I do

try to get us outside each day, even if it's just for a few minutes while I

do the laundry, but I know we both need far more time outside. I'm already

deemed negligent by most people, including those nearest and dearest,

because I let him eat " too much fruit " , and don't bulk him up on bread and

chips. I can just imagine the hell that would break loose if I set him up

for sun cancers as well, by letting him go out in the sun without smothering

him in sunscreen first!

 

Thankyou for the information )

 

Caron