Dr Bernadette Carr answers your questions on sun damage and repetitive strain injury

I’m going on a sun holiday with my two young daughters (aged six and eight). We are all fair but my youngest daughter has pale skin and freckles.

I want to make sure we all enjoy the holiday without getting sunburnt, have you any suggestions for me?

Q. As children’s skin is more sensitive to sun damage than adults, it is very important to protect them from the harmful effects of the sun. 

Research shows that getting sunburn in childhood can increase the risk of skin cancer later in life.

Some children are more at risk, if for example they have pale or freckled skin or red or fair hair. They could also be at risk if they have a large number of moles.

I think a sensible approach with preparation before you head to the sun is the best one to take:

Both children should wear a hat with a wide brim that covers their face, neck and ears. It is worth looking for hats that they like.

Try to get both children to wear wrap around sun glasses with UV protection — this may be easier said than done.

T-shirts with a collar are ideal, as are a pair of long shorts.

Use a sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher and UVA protection — see what is the easiest way to apply for you and for them, eg: cream, lotion or spray.

Simple lotions are best for normal skin, water resistant emulsion is advisable for swimming and water sports. Buy before you travel and do a patch test on each child — apply the cream on the back of their hand, if their skin reacts, try a different brand.

Apply the sunscreen to the areas that are not covered by their clothes and hat.

Apply the sunscreen to dry skin 20-30 minutes before they go outside and reapply every two hours. Remember to dry skin after they come out of the pool or the sea and reapply.

Plan any day trips and visits to pool or beach either early in the morning or late afternoon and try to plan activities so that they are in the shade between 11am and 3pm.

Planning your day will ensure that the entire family enjoys the holiday.

Q. I started work a couple of months ago and spend a lot of each day using a computer.

In the last few weeks my right wrist is often painful at the end of the day. I looked at the internet and wonder if I have repetitive strain injury.

A. It is possible that the pain you are experiencing may be due to a repetitive strain injury (RSI).

RSI is a general term used to describe a number of painful conditions in muscles, tendons and other soft tissues in areas of the body which have carried repeated actions usually on a daily basis.

The commonest areas affected are the hands, wrists, arms and shoulders and the symptoms include: pain; stiffness; cramp; numbness and tingling.

Anti-inflammatories will help to ease the pain and you might find the following general suggestions useful:

Resting the affected wrist is the best way to treat the problem; however if you need to do a lot of work at a computer this may not be possible.

Try using a wrist support when working at the computer.

Avoid sitting in the one position for any length of time and take regular breaks from computer work.

Try to avoid repetitive movements. Move your computer mouse to the left side of the keyboard and use with your left hand — this shortens the distance you move the mouse when typing.

Ensure that your desk is properly set up and that your posture is good.

For some people using a glove with a wrist support can be very helpful. You could discuss this with your GP.

Try to avoid sleeping or sitting with your wrist bent down.

I think that it might be useful to have an ergonomic assessment of your working area. This can be arranged through your Human Resources department and might prove useful.

If you continue to experience pain, or the pain worsens, then you need to make an appointment to see your GP so that he/she can examine your wrist and advise on the appropriate treatment.