The Impact of the Sun on Your Well-Being: (Benefits and Dangers)
We all know that the sun is the best source of vitamin D that helps supply energy to anyone. However, as much as it has health benefits, being overexposed to the sun can negatively affect your well-being.
Furthermore, it is just right to know the positive and negative effects of the sun to avoid complications in the future. The following are the health benefits and dangers of being exposed to the sun.
Benefits of the Sun Exposure
Improves your sleep
Melatonin is a hormone produced by your body that is necessary for sleeping. Since it is created when it is dark, you usually feel tired two hours after the sun sets, which is one of the reasons why our bodies naturally stay up later in the summer.
According to research, getting an hour of natural light in the morning will help you sleep better. Your circadian rhythm is regulated by sunlight, which tells your body when to increase and decrease melatonin levels. As a result, the more daylight exposure you get, the more melatonin your body produces when it’s time to sleep.
Enhances your Mood
Many molecules called chromophores in various layers of skin absorb UV rays, which have mood-boosting effects. They cause keratinocytes, which are epidermal cells, to produce beta-endorphins, which have the primary function of reducing stress. When skin is exposed to sunlight, vitamin D is also produced.
Furthermore, there’s a scientific explanation why being outside in the sunshine makes you feel better. Sunlight increases the amount of serotonin in your body, which is a chemical that enhances your mood and keeps you relaxed and concentrated. Increased exposure to natural light can help alleviate the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. This mood change occurs during the fall and winter months when there are fewer daylight hours.
Overall, sunlight has numerous beneficial effects on our bodies and minds, especially in stress management and happiness. As a result, when the sun bursts through the clouds in the coming days, try to get out and enjoy it.
Develop Strong Bones
Being outside is one of the best (and easiest) ways to get vitamin D. Vitamin D is a hormone that aids calcium absorption and is essential for bone development and growth. Vitamin D is known as the “sunshine vitamin” because it is obtained primarily from sunlight. The Vitamin D in our bodies needs to be activated.
Since Vitamin D helps the body retain calcium levels and prevents brittle, weak, or misshapen bones, soaking up some rays may be just what the doctor ordered.
Boost your Immune System
Regular sun exposure is one of the most effective ways to increase active Vitamin-D levels in your body, and it can also help strengthen your immune system.
Furthermore, vitamin D is also essential for your immune system, and regular sun exposure will help to improve it. A robust immune system can help avoid sickness, diseases, certain cancers, and death after surgery.
Lower Blood Pressure
When sunlight strikes your skin, your body produces nitric oxide, which is then released into your bloodstream. This substance lowers blood pressure and increases cardiovascular health. Maintaining a healthy blood pressure level will help you avoid heart disease and stroke.
Furthermore, relaxation can naturally lower blood pressure, so growing your satisfaction by soaking up some rays can also help you keep your blood pressure down. Its rays have tangible benefits for our physical well-being and boost our mood and be an essential part of treatment for depression and SAD.
Dangers of the Sun Exposure
Sunburns
Sunburns may appear to be an inconvenient, short-term side effect of excessive sun exposure, but they have many long-term health consequences. Sunburn is an infection that causes the skin to regenerate by removing dead cells and cells that may have undergone genetic changes due to UV exposure.
Furthermore, sunburns can leave us in excruciating pain for days, from blisters on the verge of bursting to itchy, peeling skin.
Skin Cancer
Since UV radiation has a high energy level, it damages our cells’ chromosomes and induces mutations in our DNA. An alteration and breakage point on the chromosome that codes for a particular tumor suppressor gene are common.
Skin cancers such as melanoma (the deadliest form of skin cancer), basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma may be caused by too much UV exposure over time. UV exposure can also lead to cataracts and eye cancers (ocular melanoma). When you tan, you raise the chances of developing skin cancer.
Heat Stroke
Being exposed to the sun for a long time may result in heatstroke. Being in a hot atmosphere causes an increase in core body temperature, known as classic heatstroke. This form of heatstroke happens when exposed to hot, humid weather for an extended period.
It starts with heat cramps, fainting, or fatigue, but it can quickly destroy the brain and other internal organs, leading to death. Healthy young high school or college athletes often succumb to life-threatening heatstroke when conducting strenuous workouts in high temperatures, which is more common in adults over 50.
Eye Problems
UV light is not only harmful to our skin, but it is also dangerous to our eyes, particularly for those who have blue or very light-colored eyes. Short-term UVB radiation can burn the eyes, much as it can the skin. The cornea is burned and inflamed in photokeratitis, and the conjunctiva (inner surface of the eyelids) is burned in photo conjunctivitis.
Furthermore, it is not to suggest that UV radiation has no long-term effects on the eyes. Cataracts, retinal damage, and macular degeneration, which can lead to blindness, are more common in eyes exposed to UV radiation over time. Long-term UV radiation exposure has also been related to melanoma of the skin.
Wrinkles
It may seem absurd to discuss the effects of sun-induced aging, such as wrinkles. Nonetheless, it is essential to grasp the full range of impact that the sun can have on our well-being and bodies. The face begins to sag as our skin’s toughness declines, so it can no longer “snap back” when pulled or stretched. As a result, sagging and wrinkles grow.
Sun-induced aging is caused by the same factor that causes skin cancer and the eye problems mentioned earlier: UV radiation. When our faces are exposed to UV radiation, the collagen and elastin fibers in our skin break down, decreasing the skin’s flexibility.
Takeaway
Too much of everything is indeed harmful to your health. In this case, although the sun has its fair share of health benefits, being exposed to it for a long time will eventually risk your health. The only thing you need to do is know your limitations, and it’ll be much easier to enjoy the health benefits of the sun with your knowledge about it.