Eye care tips in summer: The intense heat could impair your vision if you’re not covered up, as India struggles with heat waves and the prospect of a respite from record-high temperatures. This can lead to a number of eye issues, especially when your eyes are exposed to direct sunlight during the hottest parts of the day. Nearly half of cases of near or distant vision loss, which affect some 2.2 billion people worldwide, could have been avoided with prompt implementation of minimal preventive measures such as wearing protective clothing when going out in the sun, among other things.
Dr. Rishi Raj Borah, Country Director – India, Orbis shares effective tips to protect your eyes this summer amid rising temperatures.
Not only is it necessary to protect your skin from UV rays during summer, but it is equally important to take precautions to protect your eyes and keep them healthy. From using eye drops to covering your eyes with UV-protected sunglasses, these simple yet effective tips will help keep your eyes healthy and happy all summer long.
Here are some best practices that can help protect your vision during the summer:
1. Make sure eyes stay hydrated – Yes, hydration is key. Dry eyes are a common thing in the summer season. Strong winds coupled with rising heat during summers can also cause severe dehydration and eye irritation, often resulting in dry eyes. Therefore, an adequate amount of fluid that can assist your body in producing protective tears is essential. Consuming alcohol and caffeine can harm the body, so the less it is, the better.
2. Choose the right pair of colors to avoid conditions like photokeratitis: Harmful ultraviolet radiation (UVR) can cause photokeratitis or photo conjunctivitis, a condition also known as snow blindness. Chronic exposure to UVR, especially exposure to UVB rays with shorter wavelengths, can lead to the development of cataracts, pterygium, etc. Hence, choosing the right shades is imperative to protect the eyes.
3. Protect your eyes while swimming: The chlorine found in most swimming pools can harm your eyes. This is why you should wear swimming goggles to protect your eyes from swelling, irritation and itching due to exposure to chlorine.
4. Keep eyes hydrated with eye drops: Not only your skin, but your eyes too need adequate moisturization through artificial tear drops. Due to prolonged exposure to blue rays generated by electronic devices, artificial tear drops have become an essential part of modern eye care. With the rising pollution levels and increasing degree of dehydration, it is obvious to feel dehydrated during summers.
This severe dehydration makes it difficult for the body to produce tears, which leads to dry eye symptoms and other vision problems. with prescribed artificial tears, it is
Drinking plenty of water is essential, which reverses the negative effects of dehydration.
5. Do not rub eyes, cleanliness of hands is necessary for the health of the eyes. Rubbing the eyes with hands is a common practice, which can lead to eye infections. By washing your hands properly, you can protect your eyes from most communicable diseases, including conjunctivitis. In particular, eye infections are more likely to occur in cases of eye surgery such as LASIK, cataract surgery, or glaucoma shunt surgery. It is best to wash your hands before treating your eyes. Avoid rubbing them completely.
6. Get a good sleep and refresh your eyes: Last but not the least, a good night’s sleep is extremely important. This will give enough rest to your eyes. Your eyes do many things throughout the day and they need rest. It is advised to replenish the eyes with a proper sleep schedule.
to sum up
By following these simple yet effective tips, you can keep your eyes healthy all summer long and protect them from the prolonged effects of the sun’s rays. With these expert-recommended eye care tips, you can enjoy your summer activities while keeping your eyes safe. And of course, don’t forget to get eye checkups done at regular intervals.