Washington: Too much driving may increase the risk of skin cancer, according to a new study.
Among a group of about 1,050 patients in Saint Louis, facial skin cancers were found to occur more often on the left-side – the side that”s next to the window while driving, reports Live Science.
What”s more, the findings were most significant for men.
“Drivers need to be aware of the amount of sun exposure they receive behind the wheel,” said study researcher Dr. Scott Fosko, chair of dermatology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. “The cumulative effect of being exposed to the sun builds up over many years.”
“Professional drivers learn to wear proper safety equipment be it gloves, steel-toed boots or safety glasses when appropriate,” Fosko said. “Sunscreen should be added to the list. An ounce of sunscreen applied as prevention on the road can be worth a lot of time and expense parked in a doctor”s office later on.”
The study will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.