About 6,700 Americans die each year from melanoma, the most serious skin cancer. Ultraviolet rays also can damage the eye's sensitive retina and cornea. Long-term exposure can cause cataracts, which can lead to permanent blindness or other visual impairments. These trends have serious implications for farmers and others who spend a majority of their working hours outdoors. Health screening at a 1991 farm event in Wisconsin showed that nearly 25 percent of the 780 people checked had some form of pre-cancerous skin disorder.
Small changes occur in the skin each time it is exposed to sunlight.
People who burn easily, rarely tan, freckle or have a fair complexion, have blonde or red hair, or have blue or gray eyes, experience greater skin changes. Skin cancer is not associated with a single event, such as a painful sunburn, but rather with progressive changes in the skin's makeup over years of sun exposure. The sun's rays, however, are more damaging during summer months and at midday hours than other times. You can get a sunburn during other seasons and at other times of the day, however, cumulative sun exposure is the major concern. If you notice a new growth, mole or discoloration, or a sudden change in an existing mole, see a physician.