Get out of that tanning bed!

When summer comes along, many people just can’t resist lying out in the sun to develop a deep, golden tan. Now, the summer tan is no longer limited to the summertime. The rise of the tanning bed, coupled with the idealization of tanned bodies from shows like the Jersey Shore, has led people—mostly women—to tan year round. Tanning, whether out in the sun or in an indoor tanning bed, can have harmful consequences. Here are the top seven reasons for you to quit tanning once and for all.

1.      Tanning—especially in tanning beds—can actually be habit forming and at worst, addictive. Research has shown that tanning is often habit forming, and some people show behaviors similar to drug and alcohol addicts. In a study reported by ABC News back in April, researchers found that between 30 and 40 percent of individuals who used tanning beds demonstrated the psychiatric diagnostic indicators for addiction.  Some “tanorexics” just can’t stop tanning no matter what they try, while others miss social opportunities just to tan.

1. Melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer, is highly linked to exposure to UV rays. Both tanning beds and the sun produce UVA and UVB rays, and overexposure to UV rays can cause cancer. In particular, melanoma is one of the most common cancers affecting young people, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

3.      Ultraviolet rays also cause premature aging of the skin. Yes, that means wrinkles.  UV rays break down the collagen in your skin. Collagen keeps your face smooth and wrinkle-free. Do you really want to risk turning your skin into leather just to keep up a Snooki-esque tan?

4.      Proponents of tanning have argued that exposure to sunlight and tanning bed light generates Vitamin D, which may be able to reduce the risk of certain cancers.  However, a recent study showed that high levels of vitamin D weren’t necessarily linked to reduced risk in cancer.

5.      Overexposure to the sun can also damage the DNA in your skin, leading to increased risk of skin cancer.  Tanning bulbs also prevent your body from repairing the damaged DNA, another factor that may increase cancer risks.

6.      Anyways, soaking up the sun is not the only way to increase Vitamin D intake.  Alternative sources include fish, cheese, and fortified foods like milk, as well as vitamin D supplements. Limited exposure to the sun is a good thing, but baking in tanning beds and burning in sunlight is not a good way to obtain Vitamin D.

7.      Not only does tanning hurt your health, but it can also hurt your wallet.  If you choose to tan in a tanning salon, by default you must pay for services. Add in expensive tanning lotions meant to enhance your tan. By the time you factor in the 10% tanning tax that starts July 1^st 2010, you’ve made a sizeable dent in your wallet.

The Situation with tanning does not look promising. “Fake-n-bake” tanning and sunbathing alike can be very harmful to your wallet, and most importantly, your health. If you’re not willing to cut down on your tanning habits, consider at least reducing your time under the heat lamps. If you prefer to brown outside, wear sunscreen to protect your skin. Follow Lindsay Lohan’s lead—this is probably the only time you’ll ever be told to listen to Lohan—and use sunless tanning products. Self-tanners and spray tans can give you that golden glow without harming your health.

Medical residencies are notorious for their excruciatingly long shifts.  Doctors fresh out of medical schools use their residencies to gain on the job experience in their desired specialty. Although residencies allow these young doctors to develop expertise, the long work hours can take a toll on their minds and bodies. Residents practice under the supervision of licensed doctors and continue their training as physicians.

In the past, a medical resident could expect to work more than 100 hours a week, with minimal rest in between. Things changed in 2003, when the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (also known as ACGME), cut down the hours to 80 weekly, although this ruling was not strictly enforced. Still, many shifts can last over a day, up to 30 hours with limited time to sleep.

A new proposal set by ACGME will cut down on mistakes and ensure that patients are safe.   Maximum shift lengths would be reduced hopefully reduce harmful medical from 24 hours to 16 hours for first year residents and to 24 hours for all other physicians. Additionally, attending physicians would be required to make patients aware that they are under the charge of a resident.  The new guidelines will require attending physicians to supervise residents more closely in an effort to improve patient safety. Still, these regulations would only affect first year residents. All other physicians would limited to 24-hour shifts.

Studies have shown that sleep-deprived residents are more prone to making medical mistakes.  A Mayo Clinic study revealed that fatigued, distressed medical residents were more likely to make preventable medical mistakes. Yet another study found that residents were three times as likely to say that they’d made an error during months when they worked one 24 hour long shift.  In 2004, a report discovered that medical residents who worked all night shifts were ultimately accountable for over half of medical errors.

Overworked Medical Residents May Be Catching a Break

Ultimately, some medical mistakes prove fatal. One famous medical malpractice case is that of Libby Zion, an 18 year old college student who died when her overworked, fatigued medical residents prescribed her medication that reacted dangerously with her antidepressants.

Grueling shifts can compromise the health of the doctors themselves. Dr. Shannon Gulliver recently wrote a piece for the New York Times in which she detailed her own weakened immune system, a result of the long hours and high stress of her position. She developed esophagitis, while her colleagues themselves developed shingles, fungal infections, C. difficile diarrhea, and more.

While education is undoubtedly a priority during residency, maintaining the health of both doctors and patients is equally important.  As long as these regulations can cut down life threatening mistakes, I feel that cutting back these hours can be a good thing. Medical residents will still be able to gain the experience they need to practice, and after they complete their first year of residency, young doctors will only be restricted to 24 hour shifts. Ultimately, these guidelines will improve quality of care for patients and better health for doctors and patients alike.

This morning, President Obama spoke to the press about the Gulf Oil Spill. The BP Oil Spill in the Gulf Coast has given us little predictability as to what the future holds for this catastrophic event.  This is the worst oil spill in US history; therefore raising many questions that have never been answered before.  With tar balls now showing up on the beaches in Galveston County Texas (some 400 miles away from the source of the spill) the consequences of this spill are very much unknown.  The health of the people in the Gulf Coast area is obviously an immediate concern.

Little research has been carried out on the long-term effects of oil spills on people’s health.  Those who are currently doing research on the potential health risks of oil presume that most of the health concerns will be short term.  However, they do fear potential long-term damage to the liver, lungs, and kidneys.  These short-term and long-term health concerns would be resultant of the oil fumes that workers are subject to while cleaning up the spill.  Other research has found that those working to clean up the oil may experience temporary DNA damage that the body will repair itself over time.

On a more positive note, physical contact with the oil does not pose many health threats.  The oil itself is potentially harmless. Although some people may experience a rash from skin contact with oil, this is only temporary skin irritation.  Health officials announce that you are not in notable danger if you touch or swallow small amounts of oil, but it is not advised to do so.

What consequences will the Gulf Oil Spill have for human health?

How we choose to manage the present circumstances of the BP Oil Spill can be controlled.  Hence, BP has organized clean-up crews in a particular manner.  Complaints have been recorded of an irrational amount of volunteers “standing around” at clean-up sights.  What they don’t realize is that this particular strategy has been arranged to prevent potential health risks to the volunteers.  The volunteers at the spill clean-up spill sites are working in near 100 degree temperatures.  Extended water breaks and shorter working periods reduces the potential of heat-related health risks, such as heatstroke and dehydration.  It also increases the clean-up efficiency of the volunteers

One health concern that has been deemed inevitable is the mental health of residents in the area of the BP Oil Spill.  Mental health issues are bound to arise because it has happened in every past oil spill.  Residents in the areas affected by the oil spill have higher rates of depression and other mental health issues as a result of the spill.  This ensues as a direct result of damages to the resident’s homes, beaches, and jobs.  People lose their jobs because tourism in the area decreases as a direct result of the damages to tourist attractions (especially beaches).  Also, those in the fishing industry lose their jobs because the oil contaminates many fish and people are more concerned with consuming fish.

While working to clean up the most disastrous Oil Spill in US history, all those involved with the Spill must take precaution.  With so much unknown about the potential health threat of oil, research could potentially find that it is toxic.  It is best to take safety measures.  The oil itself contains organic compounds, which can be carcinogenic.  Those working with oil or around oil fumes have a high risk of exposure to these carcinogens in the oil, such as benzene.