Summer is a great time for family vacations, road trips, and cooling off by the pool. While you may have added sunscreen to your everyday routine during the hottest months of the year, you also need to remember to protect your eyes. Follow these eye care tips to keep your eyes healthy all summer long.
Sunglasses
In Arizona, sunglasses are staple accessories throughout the year, but do you own the right pair? The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends wearing sunglasses with 100% UV protection. These types of lenses block both UV-A and UV-B rays from the sun, which can cataracts or temporary vision loss.
UV-blocking contacts and cloud covers do not completely protect your eyes, which is why our optometrists recommend that you invest in sunglasses, as they are a great defense against the sun’s radiation.
Goggles
If you’re making a dive into the pool, you should protect your eyes from damaging chemicals, especially chlorine. Swimming without goggles can cause redness because the blood vessels in your eyes become dilated. This can cause your vision to become blurry and foggy after an extended period of time in the pool. Also, although saltwater pools do not contain as many eye-damaging chemicals, chlorine tablets are often used to clean them, so goggles should be worn in any pool you swim in this summer.
Avoid Dust Storms
With monsoon season around the corner, it’s important to ensure proper eye care. We recommend that you avoid going outside if there is a monsoon, as dust can land in your eyes. If you do get debris in your eyes, make sure to flush your eyes by rinsing them with water as soon as you can. This will get rid of any irritants that could cause infection or watery eyes.
Whether you’re outside for one minute or one hour, proper eye care is a must. For more information about eye care or to schedule an appointment with Valley Eyecare Center, call (602) 242-6888 or visit our website.
