It’s that time of year again when the sun starts to shine brighter, hotter, and longer. Most people reach for the sunscreen when they go outside, but it’s also important to reach for your sunglasses. Your eyes can get sunburned too! Sunburned eyes may feel dry, gritty, painful, itchy, or watery.
Buying sunglasses that have a darker tint does not necessarily mean that it is blocking more light. You need to make sure you buy sunglasses that have 100% UV protection. And don’t forget to wear your sunglasses on a cloudy day. Your eyes can suffer damage even when it’s overcast. If you are a contact lens wearer, there are contacts out there with UV protection, but not many. ACUVUE® OASYS® Brand Contact Lenses offers the highest level of UV blocking available.
If your eyes get sunburned, it will heal like if you get sunburned on your skin. Keep in mind that there are long term risks if you don’t protect your eyes like cataracts, skin cancer on your eyelids, or Macular Degeneration.
Take a few simple precautions to protect your eyes like wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses with UV protection. Don’t forget to wear your sunglasses even when it’s not sunny out! Also, if you are going to be in an environment with sand, snow or water put on your hat and sunglasses because the light reflects off of those surfaces.
If you experience any of these symptoms throughout the summer be sure to see one of our eye doctors at any of our four convenient locations throughout Middle Tennessee. And be sure to stop by to pick out a pair of sunglasses to start your summer off right!
