Summer is a time for fun in the sun! Summer is also a season when your eyes may need extra attention. June is Healthy Vision Month, a great time to learn how you can keep your eyes protected even on the sunniest days. With increased outdoor activities, exposure to harmful UV rays, and the risk of eye infections, it’s essential to take steps to protect your eyes during the summer months.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the best eye care tips for summer, address frequently asked questions about summer eye health, and discuss how a VSP vision insurance plan can help support healthy vision all year long.
What are some of the best eye care tips for the summer season?
Yes, your eyes need some extra attention during summer months. Here’s a handy list of summer eye care tips so that you are ready to enjoy the warm rays while still protecting your long-term eye health.
- Wear Sunglasses with UV Protection: Choose sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays. Prolonged exposure to UV rays can increase the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.
- Avoid Direct Sun Exposure: Try to stay in the shade during peak sun hours (10 AM to 4 PM) to reduce the risk of eye damage from intense UV rays.
- Wear Hats with Brims: A wide-brimmed hat can provide additional protection by blocking sunlight from directly hitting your eyes.
- Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water helps keep your body and eyes hydrated. Dehydration can contribute to dry eyes, which are more common in the summer.
- Use Lubricating Eye Drops: If you experience dry eyes, especially in air-conditioned environments, lubricating eye drops can provide relief and keep your eyes moist.
- Use Protective Eyewear: Whether you’re playing sports or working in the yard, wear appropriate protective eyewear to prevent injuries. Look for glasses that meet safety standards for your summer activities.
7 Frequently Asked Questions About Summer Eye Health
Summer is a wonderful time to enjoy the outdoors, but it’s also a season that requires special attention to eye health. Here are 7 frequently asked questions about summer eye health:
1) Is dry eye worse in the summer?
Dry eye can be worse in the summer. Here are several factors that can cause or worsen dry eye:
- Dehydration: Hot weather and increased outdoor activity can lead to dehydration, which affects tear production.
- Air Conditioning: Spending time in air-conditioned environments can dry out the eyes.
- Allergens: Higher pollen counts can exacerbate symptoms of dry eye for those with allergies.
Using artificial tears or eye drops and staying hydrated can help alleviate dry eye symptoms.
2) Can your eyes get sunburned?
Yes, your eyes can get sunburned, a condition known as photokeratitis. Photokeratitis occurs when your corneas are exposed to excessive UV radiation, leading to symptoms such as pain, redness, blurry vision, and a gritty sensation in the eyes. Photokeratitis can happen year-round — also sometimes called “snow blindness” can happen after exposure to UV reflections off of snow, ice, sand, or water. Photokeratitis usually goes away on its own once your corneas recover.
To prevent photokeratitis, wear sunglasses that offer 100% UV protection and a wide-brimmed hat when outdoors.
3) Do eye injuries occur more frequently in the summer?
Eye injuries can be more frequent in the summer due to increased outdoor activities such as sports, swimming, gardening, sun exposure, and fireworks displays. Common summer eye injuries include:
- Foreign bodies: Dirt, sand, and other particles can get into your eyes.
- Chemical exposure: Sunscreen, chlorine from pools, and other chemicals can irritate the eyes.
- Direct injury: Activities like playing sports or being close to fireworks can lead to injury to the eyes.
- Sun Exposure: Excessive sun exposure can damage your eyes both immediately and over time. UV rays can cause corneal burns, which can lead to blurry vision and dryness.
Wearing protective eyewear appropriate for the activity can help prevent these summertime injuries.
4) Can you safely swim with contacts?
Swimming with contact lenses is generally not recommended. The US Food and Drug Administration recommends that contact lenses do not be exposed to any form of water. Pool water, ocean water, and lakes can harbor bacteria and other microorganisms that can cause eye infections. Chemicals in pool water also can be irritating to your eyes — with or without contacts.
If you must swim with contacts, consider wearing watertight swim goggles and disposing of your lenses immediately after swimming to reduce the risk of eye infections. Consult with your eye care provider on contact lens solutions that can meet your lifestyle needs.
5) Do you still need to wear sunglasses even if it’s cloudy outside?
Yes, it’s important to wear sunglasses even on cloudy days. UV rays can penetrate through clouds and still cause damage to your eyes. Choose sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays to protect your eyes from harmful UV exposure.
6) Do contact lenses provide protection against UV rays?
Some contact lenses come with UV protection, but they do not cover the entire eye and are not intended as a sunglasses substitute. Therefore, it’s still important to wear sunglasses for full UV protection. If you are going to wear contact lenses, look for contact lenses with built-in UV protection and pair them with quality sunglasses.
7) Should my children get their eyes checked before they go back to school?
Yes, it's a good idea to have your children's eyes checked. The frequency that children's eyes should be checked varies by age. Vision problems can affect learning and development, so if your child is headed back to school this fall, be sure to have their eyes checked before the first grade, and annually thereafter. An eye exam can help identify issues such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. With an eye exam, you’ll help ensure your child starts the school year with vision to help them thrive in class and beyond.
Conclusion
By taking simple precautions like wearing UV-protective sunglasses, staying hydrated, and using protective eyewear during activities, you can keep your eyes safe and healthy. Remember to consult with an eye care professional if you experience any persistent issues or have concerns about your eye health during the summer months.
You can also protect your long-term eye health with regular eye exams, often included as part of a vision insurance plan. An eye exam is conducted by an optometrist or ophthalmologist and assesses the overall health of your eyes while checking for early signs of serious issues.
To find out more about vision insurance plan options, looking at your available plan options is a great way to start. VSP, the largest vision insurer in the U.S., offers a VSP Vision Plan Wizard to help find a vision plan that connects you to their sizable network of eye doctors. No matter which vision insurance plan you choose, the most important thing is ensuring you have access to the necessary eye care services and benefits to maintain or improve your vision and overall eye health.
Information received through VSP Individual Vision Plan’s social media channels is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, medical recommendations, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Reviewed by Dr. Valerie Sheety-Pilon:
Dr. Valerie Sheety-Pilon is Vice President of Clinical and Medical Affairs at VSP Vison Care where she helps drive strategic initiatives aimed at raising awareness about vision, eye health and its connection to overall wellness, while providing insight into medical advancements that seek to benefit patient care. She also provides oversight of VSP programs to address gaps in care for some of the most high-risk populations, including those living with diabetes.
With more than two decades of experience as a Doctor of Optometry, Dr. Sheety-Pilon has dedicated much of her time to clinical research across numerous ophthalmic subspecialties and has an established history of helping patients through novel therapeutic agents and clinical adoption of transformative technology in the areas of digital health, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices.
Prior to joining VSP Vision in 2019, Dr. Sheety-Pilon served as Adjunct Clinical Professor at Illinois College of Optometry, held various executive positions within the eye health industry, and has extensive experience managing and practicing within an ophthalmology and optometry practice.
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