WAPAKONETA, OHIO (WLIO) - Mercy Health—St. Rita’s continues to bring women together in a relaxing atmosphere to teach them about their own health. The medical center held a Women’s Wellness and Wine in Wapakoneta Thursday night. Each of the events gathers a panel of experts to focus on a specific health topic, and since it is summer, the women learned about the biggest organ they have, their skin. Experts and doctors talked about how to take care of their skin and how repeated damage from the sun could have serious results with skin cancer.
“Skin Cancer disease affects all of us, for the most part, on a long enough timeline if we have had a significant sun exposure. It affects about 1 in 5 Americans. It ranges in severity depending on the type of skin cancer that the patients unfortunately develop. We see it a lot more often later in life, and it’s important for these lesions or cancers to be caught early. If they are caught early, they are typically treatable. So, the best way to treat it is prevention; that is what we are looking for,” says Dr. Michael Bishop, Oncology, Mercy Health—St. Rita’s.
The experts reminded the women that protection from the sun’s rays is key, especially during the summer months.
“If you are going to be out in the sun for more than 30 minutes time or an extended period of time, sunscreen is the best way to go. Typically, SPF 30 or greater, reapply if you are out for long periods of time or if you are going in the water or that sort of thing,” adds Dr. Bishop.
Doctor Bishop says that children need to be protected, especially early in life when their skin is sensitive.
