The Risks of Getting Melanoma in the Winter

Table of Contents

a person wearing sunglasses taking a selfie

Beware Winter Rays

The prevalence of melanoma has been rapidly rising around the world for nearly a century. In the 1930s, the chance of an American getting melanoma was one in 1,500. Today it’s one in 74. In the U.K., melanoma rates have tripled since the 1990s alone.

While some of the increase may be due to better detection, researchers also believe it’s because we’re spending more time outdoors in the sun, vacationing to warmer climates during the winter and using tanning beds.

That rise is concerning, since melanoma is the most dangerous kind of skin cancer. Non-melanoma types, like basal cell carcinoma, rarely spread to other parts of the body and are often resolved by localized surgery. Melanoma, on the other hand, is far more likely to spread and be deadly. In the U.S., it makes up only one percent of diagnosed skin cancers but causes the most deaths of them all.

There are a few main risk factors for melanomas, including how much cumulative sun exposure a person has had in his or her life—and how many sunburns. It’s thought to develop when the sun’s carcinogenic UV rays damage the cells that make the pigment in your skin. That’s why people who have fair skin are at a higher risk of getting it, along with anyone with a family history of skin cancer.

Gallery: 7 Surprising Health Benefits of Cold Weather (Reader’s Digest Canada)

Cold Weather Boosts Your Brain

Colder temperatures can help you think more clearly. A 2017 study from Stanford University found that people perform some cognitive tasks, such as making decisions and staying calm, with more control when the thermostat drops—essentially, they become less impulsive. Research has also shown that people are less inclined to tackle complex tasks in the summer than in the winter—and for good reason. The brain requires glucose to function, but the body uses more of it when it’s warm in order to keep its temperature down, leaving less fuel for reasoning and recall.

Cold Weather Burns Calories

When it’s cold, your body works harder to maintain your core temperature, which is typically about 37°C. “Our bodies use a considerable amount of energy to keep us warm and to humidify the air we breathe when we’re out in the cold,” explains Stacy Tucker, a registered nurse and co-founder of Almeda Labs in Kansas City, Mo. So lace up your boots: A 2017 American study of 53 people showed that participants burned 34 per cent more calories while hiking when the temperature hovered between -5°C and -10°C, than they did while hiking on 10°C days.

Beware of the holiday foods that aren’t worth the calories.

It Fights Diabetes

Exposure to mild cold weather can help diabetic people by activating their “brown fat”—tissue used to produce heat. This, in turn, helps absorb excess glucose in the blood. “Repeated cold exposure will lead to improved insulin sensitivity, even for people who aren’t diabetic,” says Denis Blondin, a researcher at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke in Quebec. A 2017 study from the University of Toronto showed that pregnant women exposed to cold outdoor air temperatures were less likely to develop gestational diabetes than those in warmer climates.

Learn how to spot the signs of diabetes.

Cold Weather Alleviates Allergies

“Some allergies can decrease in the winter—those triggered by tree, grass and weed pollen, for example—as there’s less pollination in colder temperatures,” says Angel Waldron, a spokesperson for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. “However, if a person is allergic to mould, their allergies can worsen in cold temperatures since there is more of it.”

Here are a few of the most dangerous myths about food allergies.

We Sleep Better When It’s Cold

Your body’s core temperature drops when you’re trying to sleep. This process can take up to two hours in the summer, but it’s much faster in winter, says Tucker. Plus, with darker mornings, you naturally sleep later.

These are the best sleep positions for a good night’s sleep.

It Helps Prevent Infections

Yes, you might fall victim to more viruses during the winter. However, studies have shown that the immune system can be activated by more frigid temperatures, which enhances our ability to stave off infections, explains Tucker. That said, the flu thrives in cold, dry air. Plus, time spent indoors, among others who are infected, can increase your chance of catching an illness. To reduce that risk, get your annual flu shot, wash your hands frequently and get outside.

Try these simple habits to boost your immune system.

Cold Weather Strengthens Your Heart

In cold weather, the heart works harder during periods of physical exertion to pump blood and maintain the body’s temperature. That’s a good thing. “Exercising outdoors in the winter makes heart muscles stronger,” says Tucker. Once you warm up, you may be able to go farther than when it’s hot outside. But if you’re at risk for heart disease, be careful when exercising outdoors in the cold. It can raise blood pressure, and decrease oxygen to the brain, putting stress on your heart.

Next, find out 30 more ways to boost your heart health.

7/7 SLIDES

Most of us know to cover up and apply sunscreen on hot, sunny days, but when fall arrives, we tend to drop those habits. Experts warn that’s a mistake. Though there’s less need for sun protection after summer ends, exposure to UV rays still adds up.

What precautions you should take to defend against melanoma during the cooler months depends on where you are in the world. That’s because the further away you are from the equator, the more UV rays weaken in the winter. “In southern England or Canada, the daily dose of UVA on a clear summer day is 6.5 times higher than on a clear winter day,” says Professor Brian Diffey of the British Association of Dermatologists. “People in those countries typically receive only about five percent of their annual UV exposure in the winter months.”

But no matter where you are, even during colder, lower risk months, it’s a mistake to put your sun-protection habits on ice. “It’s important to wear sunscreen when there is a lot of glare from the snow,” says Victoria Mar, director of the Victorian Melanoma Service at Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

If you’re tobogganing, skiing or skating, the ice and snow reflect up to 80 percent of the sun’s rays back at you, increasing your sun risk to summertime levels. And if you’re outside during the day for an hour or more doing any activity, you should take precautions: wear a hat and put on sunscreen. “To make it simpler to remember, make sunscreen part of your morning routine before going out,” advises Mar.

Finally, you should monitor your moles. “Early detection of melanoma is vital for successful treatment,” says Diffey. If it’s caught before it spreads to other parts of the body, the five-year survival rate is 99 percent. If it’s caught late, that can drop to 25 percent. Warning signs are a mole that’s changing size, shape or colour, or one that’s asymmetrical—sometimes referred to as “ugly duckling” moles.

If you have concerns, talk to your doctor. And in the meantime, practise healthy sun habits—even when it’s cold outside.

Next, learn about 30 cancer symptoms you should never ignore.

The post What You Need to Know About Getting Melanoma in the Winter appeared first on Reader’s Digest.

Tags: Melanoma, risks, Winter