Summertime Heat
Summertime Heat
Summertime Heat
f you spend time with kids in the summer, you want to keep them safe while providing fun outdoor experiences. Did you know that overexposure to the sun and air pollution can pose serious health effects, especially to children? You can take several simple actions to protect kidsand yourself.
Health Effects
Overexposure to UV radiation can cause sunburns now, but also can lead to skin cancer, cataracts, and premature aging of the skin. Because kids spend so much time in the summer sun, and unprotected exposure during youth puts them at increased lifetime risk for skin cancer, protecting kids from the sun is especially important. Kids and teenagers who are active outdoorsespecially those with asthma or other respiratory problemsare particularly sensitive to ground-level ozone. Ozone can cause coughing, throat irritation, and pain when taking a deep breath. It also can reduce lung function, inflame the linings of the lungs, and even trigger asthma attacks the day after ozone levels are high. Repeated inflammation over time may permanently scar lung tissue.
Ozone:
Check your daily UV Index and Air Quality Index (below), and follow the simple steps on the back of this fact sheet to protect kids health.
UV Index*
Exposure Category
Low Moderate High Very high Extreme
AQI Number
0 to 50 51 to 100 101 to 150
Health Concern
Good Moderate Unhealthy for sensitive groups Unhealthy Very unhealthy
Color Code
Green Yellow Orange Red Purple
* Although ozone reports are primarily made for metropolitan areas, ozone can be carried by the wind to rural areas, where it can cause health problems.
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The UV Index
Developed in partnership with the National Weather Service, the UV Index provides a daily forecast of the expected risk of overexposure to the sun. The Index predicts UV intensity levels on a scale of <2 to 11+, where <2 indicates a low risk of overexposure, and 11+ means an extreme risk.
Do not burn. Five or more sunburns can double your chance of getting skin cancer. When the UV Index is high, very high, or extreme: Limit outdoor activities between 10 am and 4 pm, when the sun is most intense. Seek shade. When possible, conduct activities in a shaded area. Rotate players to allow breaks in the shade. Generously apply sunscreen. Twenty minutes before going outside, liberally apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15. Reapply every two hours or after swimming or sweating. Require hats and sunglasses. Encourage kids to find a hat they like and wear it. Wide brim hats offer the most sun protection. Teach kids to wear sunglasses with 99 to 100 percent UV-A and UV-B protection. Encourage t-shirts or fulllength clothing instead of tank tops.
When the AQI reports unhealthy levels, limit physical exertion outdoors. In many places, ozone peaks in mid-afternoon to early evening. Change the time of day of strenuous outdoor activity to avoid these hours, or reduce the intensity of the activity. Pay attention to symptoms. Know how to recognize symptoms of respiratory discomfort, such as coughing, wheezing, and breathing difficulty, and reduce exposure if these occur. Rotate players in physically exerting games. Rest players to reduce exertion. Provide alternative activities. Allow kids that have asthma or other respiratory problems to participate in activities that are less physical when pollution levels are high. If pollution levels are particularly high, move physical activities indoors where the air is filtered by an air conditioning system. Be vigilant about asthma management. People with asthma should have adequate medication on hand and follow their asthma management plans.
Visit EPAs EnviroFlash Web Page <https://enviroflash.epa.gov> Sign up to receive the daily UV Index, Air Quality Index, and occasional UV Alerts directly by e-mail.