IN THIS ISSUE
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Stay Active, Stay Safe
Get Outside and Be Active – Safely!
How Wonderful is Water?
Amazing Things Water Can Do For You
Which SPF is Best for Your Face?
Choosing the Right Sun Protection
Advice for a Healthy Family Trip
Tips for Safe Summer Travel
Refuel with Cool Treats
Light Snacks to Stay Cool
Summer Skin Health
Protecting Your Skin from Skin Cancer
Stay Active, Stay Safe
Summer is here and there are plenty of opportunities to get outside and be active in the warm weather. Being active can be more challenging in the summer heat because you can become overheated or dehydrated. Keep these 6 tips in mind while you’re out enjoying the sunshine this summer.
1. Time of day
The outdoor temperature is usually hottest between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. Try to avoid being active or exercising outside during this time.
2. Hydrate
Always have a water bottle with you. Drink before, during, and after physical activity.
3. Dress appropriately
Your clothes should be lightweight, loose-fitting, and light-colored. Always apply sunscreen to protect your skin while outdoors.
4. Don’t overdo it
You may not be able to work out the same in the heat as you usually do. Take frequent breaks in the shade and listen to your body.
5. Talk to your primary care provider
Some diseases and medications can exaggerate your body’s response to heat. Check with your doctor before exercising outdoors during the hot summer months.
6. Bring a friend
Workout with a partner. If one of you gets overheated, the other can provide/seek help. Don’t skip out on physical activity time this summer just because it’s too hot. You can always find indoor locations to be active in, like a gym or recreation center. You can also modify your exercise routine so that it can be done indoors at home.
Souce: Heart.org
How Wonderful is Water?
Enjoying the summer weather can come with health risks.
One of those risks is dehydration from not getting enough fluids when it is hot and humid outside. When your body gets hot, you begin to sweat, causing you to lose fluids and electrolytes and if it is humid, that sweat can’t evaporate to cool you. This leads to an increase in your body temperature, causing you to need even more fluids. You can avoid dehydration by increasing your water intake on hot and humid days.
Water makes up as much as 75% of your body weight. It helps break down the nutrients your body needs and transports them to where they are needed. The water in your body is like a shock absorber and protects your bones and tissues. It also keeps your body’s salt levels balanced.
Here are some more amazing things that water can do for you.
• Helps you slim down. Cold water can raise your metabolism and helps you feel full.
• Boosts your energy. Being dehydrated can make you feel tired, and being well-hydrated helps your heart pump more effectively
• Lowers your stress. Your brain tissue is made up of 70- 80% water. Being dehydrated puts your brain and mind under stress.
• Helps you build your muscles. Water lubricates your joints and helps prevent muscle cramps, allowing you to get a better and longer workout.
• Nourishes your skin. Drinking water hydrates and plumps up your skin cells making your skin appear more youthful.
• Aids with your digestion. Water helps your body dissolve and pass waste particles.
The amount of water that your body needs to stay hydrated can depend on the environment, amount of exertion, if you are ill, if you are pregnant, and other factors. Fight dehydration this summer by keeping a water bottle handy during these hot months.
Source: WebMD.com
Which SPF is Best for Your Face?
By Nicole Samsa, LME, Lead Medical Esthetician, MetroHealth
The SPF (sun protection factor) is a measurement of how well your sunscreen blocks UVB rays. SPF 30 is a favorable amount of sun protection for your face. It will block up to 97% of UVB rays. You want to look for physical (mineral) blockers over chemical blockers in your professional facial skin care products. The reason for this is chemical blocker SPF needs about 20 minutes on the skin before it starts protecting. Chemical blockers can also cause irritation to the skin if you have dry or sensitive skin, and have the potential to clog your pores.
Physical blocker ingredients are going to be Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. Chemical blocker ingredients will be Avobenzone, Oxybenzone and Octinoxate.
Most dermatology offices will carry an array of SPF choices for your face. This includes make up and lotions specifically formulated for your face. SPF is our number one defense against aging skin. So, before you go out to enjoy the sunshine, protect your face just as well as you protect the rest of your body.
MetroHealth’s Dermatology Department offers Elta MD broad spectrum sun protection items and the Jane Iredale make up line at our Beachwood location. Elta MD is currently featured in the June edition of Health Magazine as a “Top 3 SPF Pick”. All of our foundations, powders and tinted moisturizers have a SPF coverage ranging from SPF 15 to SPF 25. You can schedule a complimentary make up consultation to match your skin color. All of these SPF products are reef safe and animal friendly.
For a free skin care or make up consultation, or questions about skin care, call 216-778-3376. You can also stop in the Beachwood office for assistance. See more information at www.metrohealth.org/beachwood and metrohealth.org/dermatology.
Kids Corner:
Advice for a Healthy, Safe, Happy Family Trip
By Laura Shefner, MD, Pediatrician, MetroHealth
Family trips are a time for making memories and enjoying family, but travel can also create anxiety about your family’s health. Here are basic travel tips that can help relieve some of that stress.
Public travel can lead to the rapid spread of germs. You should encourage everyone in the family to wash their hands more frequently when traveling, especially before meals. Mini travel kits can be very useful. They should include water, snacks, hand wipes/sanitizer and tissues/napkins. For younger children, you should include age-appropriate items, such as diaper rash ointment and disposable place mats. 
Sadly, we have been experiencing outbreaks of preventable diseases such as measles. If you’re traveling to an epidemic area, children 6 months or older who have not received both sets of the MMR vaccine should receive a booster dose before traveling – as long as it has been at least one month since the first dose.
Along with staying healthy, it’s equally important to make sure you travel safely. In motor vehicles, make sure you have the proper car seats for younger kids or babies, especially if taking a rental car.
Everyone in the family should keep seat belts on at all times. For smaller children, make sure to bring a Federal Aviation Administration-approved car seat for the flight. While children under 2 years old can sit on a parent’s lap, it’s usually better to allow them to have their own seat.
Along with safety and physical health, parents need to consider their children’s mental health. Traveling can be stressful for kids, too. The biggest issues parents face when flying are keeping the kids entertained and minimizing the discomfort of taking off and landing. To decrease ear pain, infants should nurse or bottle- feed, while older children can chew gum or drink fluids with a straw.
Make sure to bring age-appropriate entertainment for trips. When traveling by car, parents should make more frequent stops so children can get up and stretch.
Whether it’s over the river, through the woods or wherever you may be going, we hope everyone has fun, safe and healthy travels.
Refuel with Cool Treats
Try some of these light snacks to help you stay cool pre- or post-workout during the hot summer months.
• Chilled or frozen fruit. Try frozen grapes!
• Homemade popsicles (made with 100% fruit juice)
• Fruit smoothies
• Cold salads loaded with veggies
• Crisp raw veggies with a light, cool dip
• Cold sparkling water with slices of fruit or cucumber
Source: Heart.org
Summer Skin Health and Protection Against Skin Cancer
By Dr. Thomas Knackstedt, Director of Dermatologic Surgery, MetroHealth
Rates of skin cancer continue to increase in all populations and skin types. Skin cancer can affect any part of the body, including the scalp, eyelids, nose, hands, nails, legs and bottom of the feet.
There are different types of skin cancer including melanoma (from the pigment producing cells of the skin) and nonmelanoma skin cancer such as basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma.
Nonmelanoma skin cancers are much more common, and three to five million cases are diagnosed in the United States every year. Nonmelanoma skin cancers usually present as scaly pink lesions on sun exposed skin. Oftentimes, they bleed easily with minimal trauma (toweling off or waking up in bed) or are mistaken for pimples. Dermatologists can easily perform a biopsy of any nonhealing lesion in the outpatient setting.
When a skin cancer is confirmed, dermatologists with additional training in Mohs surgery can perform a microscopically controlled cancer removal and subsequent reconstruction with excellent cure rates and high cosmetic outcomes.
Sunburns, artificial indoor tanning and family history (think genetics) increase a patient’s risk of skin cancer. Individuals with light, fair skin, many moles and freckles have a higher risk of skin cancer than darker skin types. However, no one is risk free.
Melanoma classically presents as a lesion meeting the ABCDE criteria – asymmetric, with irregular borders, multiple colors, a large diameter (greater than a pencil eraser), and evolution (or change over time). Most melanoma are diagnosed by dermatologists at an early stage. However, advanced melanoma may be fatal and almost 8,000 people die of melanoma each year.
Skin cancer doesn’t need to be a part of your life. With proper skin cancer screenings from a MetroHealth dermatologist, you might be able to spot skin changes early, before they become dangerous.
To schedule an appointment with a dermatologist for adult or pediatric patients, call 216-778-DERM (3376) or visit www.metrohealth.org/dermatology for more information.
News to Know…
We’ve Broken Ground!
MetroHealth has begun construction on the new hospital and reimagined the main campus. Check out the new hospital renderings, blog updates, videos and more at www.metrohealth.org/transformation.
Did you know that MetroHealth accepts most insurances?
Even if you do not have MetroHealth Select or SkyCare for your insurance, you can come to MetroHealth for your health care needs. Make an appointment online at www.metrohealth.org.