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5 tried and tested tips to protect your eyes this summer
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Summers are usually spent trying to beat the heat. From heading to the mountains or beaches or the nearest swimming pool, all of our summer activities involve sun exposure. But while you can lather up with sunscreen lotion to protect your skin, what about your eyes? Incidental sun exposure can help increase our Vitamin D levels, but overexposure can create a lot of strain on our eyes and potentially cause cataracts, retinal damage, dryness, itching and a host of infections. Here are some eye protection tips to help you keep those ocular problems at bay.
Wear sunglasses with UV protection
Let’s start with the obvious. It isn’t just your skin that needs protection from the sun’s UV rays; your eyes need it too. Using regular sunglasses might not be able to completely block all types of UV rays. High-quality, advanced sunglasses provide 100% protection from both UVA and UVB rays, keeping your eyes safe while you are out in the sun.
For those with prescription glasses, you can opt for powered sunglasses instead of carrying around a separate pair. Alternatively, you could also try our clip-on sunglasses for added convenience. As with sunscreen, remember to wear your sunglasses even on cloudy days. If you’re outdoors and can’t use sunglasses, at least ensure you use a wide-brimmed hat to shield your eyes.
Use appropriate eyewear for every situation
Eye protection tips don’t end at using sunglasses alone. Whether indoors or outdoors, you need to use protective eyewear at all times. If you’re hitting the pool, ensure you’re wearing goggles. The chlorine present in pool water is designed to shield you from germs, but could potentially harm your eyes especially if you haven’t gone swimming in a long time. The same applies to swimming in the ocean. Certain contaminants present in seawater could cause irritation.
Take care of your eyes while dealing with domestic cleaning solutions, bleach or even hand or body soap. They are the most common causes of eye injuries. If they get into your eyes, wash immediately with water to avoid corneal damage.
While most of us work indoors, our eyes are still susceptible to damage. We spend most of our waking hours glued to our screens. The blue light they emit can cause dryness, inflammation and potentially irreversible eye damage. That’s why you should use BluPro lenses to take care of your eyes.
Use waterproof makeup
It gets really hot during summers and inevitably, you sweat which causes your makeup to come off. You might not think wearing makeup during summers is consequential, but when you sweat with your makeup on, it could cause bacteria to grow. If it were to get into your eyes, this could lead to itchiness and redness. The easiest method would be to avoid makeup altogether, but if you can’t, opt for waterproof makeup that can withstand Chennai’s intense heat and humidity. Once you’re done applying, don’t forget to use setting spray to lock your makeup in place.
Remember to hydrate
You’re more likely to feel dehydrated during summer, which can adversely affect your vision. Severe dehydration inhibits your body from producing tears leading to dry eyes and other problems. You need to drink plenty of water every day to keep your body hydrated and promote normal fluid production in your eyes.
Other eye protection tips include using eye drops. You may not realise it but sitting in an air-conditioned room all day long causes dryness. Using eye drops can help prevent this, especially if you wear contacts.
Eat healthy and sleep well
What you eat has the power to affect how well you see. Foods rich in Vitamin C, E and zinc, can help resist macular degeneration, cataract and other symptoms of eye damage. They can help improve your eyesight and prevent the development of any long-term vision problems.
Apart from watching what you eat, you need to get a good night’s rest every night. With the kind of busy lifestyles all of us lead, it’s imperative we get adequate sleep. Well-rested eyes ensure you don’t feel fatigued during visual tasks like driving. You can also aggravate dry eyes when you’re tired because you will be tempted to rub them and cause more irritation.
By taking a proactive step towards eye protection tips in the summer months, you can significantly minimise any or all damage to them. For more information on vision problems, check out our blog on signs that you need to start wearing glasses. Head out to your local Specsmakers store for all your eye care needs.