Get Ready for a Summer Health Check: Is Your Skin Safe?

Our first contact with the world is with our largest organ, the skin. It blocks infection, keeps us warm, cools us off and battles the elements and ultraviolet light from the sun. We now know UV light is cumulative over a lifetime, and skin cancers like melanoma, squamous cell and basal cell are all associated with sun exposure.

Dr. Ken Mark, MD, a leading dermatologist, suggests avoiding the sun between noon and 3 p.m. when UV light is at its maximum. Wear hats with brims on the beach and use a sunscreen that your dermatologist recommends. Go for checkups of your skin annually and at least twice a year if you have light skin and eyes, which increases your risk of skin cancer.

We navigate the world with our eyes and they also need to be protected from UV light with sunglasses and hats with a brim. UV light is associated with cataracts and macular degeneration. Don’t smoke, as it multiplies your risk of macular degeneration multiple times, and it is now well established it will shorten your life by seven to 10 years on average.

Wear your seatbelts even in the back seat of cars to reduce your chances of death and disability dramatically.

Eat as healthy as possible. The Mediterranean diet with liberal use of extra virgin olive oils seems to be the best, as the Blue Zones of the world are where people live longest and healthier. Avoid processed foods and sugar. New research out of Cologne, Germany has shown that as we age, the copy machine of our bodies’ proteins is faster and makes more copying errors associated with disease and cancer. Sugars and the stimulated insulin production speeds up these copying defects. Periods of fasting and low-sugar foods slow down this copying defect rate.

Consult with your physician on how to properly fast. I personally eat between noon and 8 p.m. and let my gut rest for 18 hours with only water in the morning and some green tea. We now know when our gut is not focused on digestion, it is working on our immune system; it works on autophagy, which is cleaning up dead and dying cells, and fighting cancer. I was reminded by Dr. Magdalena Swierczewski, MD, the top integrative medicine doctor in the Hamptons, that 80% of our immune system is in our gut.

The last summer safety tip is always get medical and evacuation insurance when traveling outside the U.S., as Medicare and most health insurance do not cover you outside the country. Buy a policy for the days you are traveling.

Finally, keep calm and carry on. Stay well hydrated and keep reading Dan’s Papers for more health suggestions to discuss with your doctor.

Peter Michalos, MD is an FAAO board-certified ophthalmologist, a clinical associate professor at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and a Southampton resident.