The Sun: Man's Friend & Foe

Cataracts
Dehydration
Heat Disorders
Heat Stroke
Photoaging
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Skin Cancer
Tanning
Skin Types

The Sun contributes so much that we enjoy to our lives that we often forget that it has the potential to be detrimental to our well being as well. It is like two sides of the same coin; one side bountifully gives everything we need for life; while the other works to make that life difficult.

At one point in the early part of this century the Sun was considered as a "magic cure" for all major diseases. People flocked to the seaside to spend some time in the Sun to ensure their good health. At one point people considered the Sun a cure even for fatal diseases like tuberculosis.

However never before were people so wrong. It took decades before people realized that though the Sun did play a very important place in the general health of the body it was not the wonder drug they thought. Like anything in excess even the Sun is harmful to health. It is necessary to realize that looking on the Sun is also harmful.

"Your skin remembers every bit of Sun it ever had."

- Patricia Farris, dermatologist

Till a few decades ago the harmful effects of the Sun was a fact that was not recognized. It is heartening to know that more and more people are becoming aware of the harmful effects of the Sun. It is necessary to understand that we can't hide from the Sun. In moderation the Sun may be beneficial to us; however it is the amount of sunlight and the degree of exposure that is the critical factor.

The following pages will serve as an information base on the various harmful effects of the Sun on human health. We have also tried to include a prevention page wherever possible, as we firmly believe that prevention is better than cure.