The UV Blues

Sunny days are here and somewhere a catfish is surely jumping. (Do catfish jump? I’ve never seen one. Have you?) The sun shines down with the light that energizes those of us who are winter challenged. It is tempting to go find a blanket, a grassy field, a cold potation, something with which to crank out the tunes, and zone out.

The strange thing is, we have been so effectively warned, now, against just this activity that our medical colleagues are reporting an increase in conditions caused by a lack of Vitamin D. Some folks need to get more sun.

But, as we know, too much sunlight leads to other problems, beginning with sunburn and working up to skin cancer, and worse. These problems are caused mainly by UV, or UltraViolet, light.

Yikes. What’s a poor winter challenged person to do?

Lovely old moderation is the first line to take. Not too much sun, not too much indoors, just enough of each. If you intend to be in the sun for long periods, wear sun block and/or sun protective clothing. And a nice big floppy hat.

And when the winter comes, as surely as the day follows the night, be sure that the appliance you use to simulate your sun dose, a BioBrite Deluxe Lite Visor, for instance, emits UV free light. (It does.)

An interesting fact about UV light is that some animals, including birds, can see in the UV spectrum, (which humans cannot) and some birds have plumage patterns that can be seen only in the UV spectrum. So to humans, they all look the same, but not to each other. I wonder if we look the same to them?

Clouds in the Summer

Don't we love the long days of summer? The longest day, the June Solstice, is 21 June, and the moment of Solstice is 18:06. The Chinese, my extensive research reveals, refer to this moment as Xiazhi. For the next few months - one before and three after Xiazhi - we are treated to long, light evenings full of activity and energy.

The Winter Challenged among us may wonder if they should stop light therapy during these happy months. As the spring days lengthen, many may be able to turn off their light boxes and Light Visors, especially if they get outside for walks or perhaps their daily croquet matches. However, the clouds will come, especially in the spring before the summer has settled in, and there may be periods of April showers extending into May or June.

If there is a period of extended cloud cover, even in a mild season like summer, the symptoms of SAD may reappear. If the clouds come, and the wintery feelings re-occur, then get out the lamp or the Visor and revitalize yourself. Usually the need will be temporary, so when the sun comes back out, the lamp can go back in the closet.