Keys To Protecting Your Eyes – Not Just In Summer

Protecting your eyes is very important, especially in the summer months. Because UV radiation has a strong influence on them. If you are not careful, it can cause serious damage to your eyes. And not just in the summer months.

The protection of your eyes is very important, because especially in the summer they are prone to aggressive environmental influences. The sun provides us with warmth and light. However, the ultraviolet rays also pose a threat to your visual health.

According to the specialists at the  American Academy of Ophthalmology , summer is one of the most dangerous times of the year for eye health. Without adequate protective measures, the eyes can suffer serious problems such as cataracts. What preventive measures should you take to protect your eyes ? Read on and find out more about it!

Keys to protecting your eyes in summer

Believe it or not, protecting your eyes in summer is actually very easy. It’s about learning some simple practices and making them into regular habits. The first is to wear dark or semi-dark sunglasses every time you go outside.

However, you should ideally seek advice from an optician when choosing the right glasses, as there are many different models with different properties. Under normal circumstances, you can wear Category 3 lenses. This number can be found on the temples of the glasses and it is usually circled.

In addition, the lenses must have a UV400 filter. Because this guarantees 99 to 100% protection of your eyes, especially in the summer months.

There are also polarized glasses, which are particularly suitable for all those people who spend a lot of time outdoors. You should always buy your sunglasses from a reputable specialist shop, ideally from an optician.

If you have a visual deficit, it is especially important that you have an optician recommend the appropriate and suitable sunglasses. For example, the general rule is that lighter tinted lenses are better for myopic people and darker tinted lenses are better for hyperopic people.

Appropriate habits

It is never good to look straight at the sun. Even if you are wearing dark sunglasses, you shouldn’t do this. In addition, it is also not recommended that you expose yourself to the sun for too long, especially between noon and 5 p.m. Because these are exactly those hours of the day when the radiation intensity is highest.

If you wear contact lenses or glasses, wearing sunglasses is especially important to protect your eyes during the summer months. Although there are special contact lenses nowadays that already contain a UV filter, you should still use sunglasses.

In addition, to protect your eyes and skin, you should spend as much time as possible in the shade during the summer months. For this reason, wearing a sun hat or an alternative head covering that protects you from the sun is also a good idea.

Another risk factor that occurs particularly in the summer months is air conditioning, as they are very often used in the hot season. In case you didn’t know, these devices can dry out your eyes a lot. However, you can prevent these effects by using eye drops that do not contain preservatives.

More keys to protecting your eyes

During the summer months, many people like to go to a swimming pool or pool to cool off. However, this water contains large amounts of chlorine. And this powerful disinfectant can also cause eye irritation and allergies.

In addition, despite the use of chlorine, bacteria can occasionally spread in the water. For example acanthamoeba, which cause conjunctivitis. But how can you protect yourself adequately then? Ideally, you should make sure that your eyes do not come into direct contact with the water. You can do this by wearing swimming goggles.

We also advise against sharing your towel with anyone, be it by the pool, on the beach or in the bathroom. Additionally, you should avoid touching your eyes as much as possible, no matter how severe the itching. And of course, you should skip makeup before you get in the water.

The eyes of babies and children do not filter the ultraviolet rays as effectively as the eyes of adults. This fact is very important and you shouldn’t ignore it under any circumstances. Therefore, you must always make sure that your children wear sunglasses and a sun hat, regardless of how uncomfortable it may be for them.

Dangers and possible illnesses from ultraviolet rays

Ultraviolet rays can have terrible effects on the eyes. Initially, they cause redness, irritation, and blurred vision. However, if you don’t take appropriate action, the consequences can worsen over time.

Specialists see a link between some types of cataracts and prolonged exposure to the sun. This condition causes progressive deterioration in vision and can actually lead to blindness. Another possible effect is the formation of a pterygium, a type of fleshy growth that forms on the surface of the cornea.

There is also a risk of developing photokeratitis or degenerative changes in the cornea, which will undoubtedly significantly affect vision.