During summer, the sun will be at its greatest stage and days are longer than any other time during the year. The high exposure to the sun is potentially dangerous to the skin and also to the eyes.
Summer is time for you to have fun, though, not to sit idle at home. Thus, you’ll need to take some extra measures to protect your eyes from the light of day. Here are the top recommendations from medical experts:
- Wear Extra Protection
- If you go to sporting events like a car and horse races or decide to go to the park or a generally very open outdoor area, you should wear visor cap and sunglasses in order to avoid too much RV exposure into your face. Hats will give you the extra protection you need from UV rays when going outdoors.
- U.S. Eye Injury Registry states 5% of all eye injuries happen playing baseball, so it’s very important to wear protective glasses while playing ball as well.
- On home, if you’re chopping wood, hammering nails, or doing any kind of projects where things can fly around, you’ll also need to wear protective eye wear.
- If you go swimming during summer, wear swim goggles to protect your eyes from the pool’s chemicals and the bacteria living in oceans, rivers, and lakes. Remove your contact lenses to prevent them from catching an infection in the water.
- Go for Sunglasses
- Sunglasses protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation and the UV light reflected off the water, crystals, and sand. The sun shoots out rays of different lengths, and the most damaging are the ultraviolet rays, classified as UVA and UVB.
- Darker shades have UVB blocking capacities, whereas any color has UV-blocking coating. Polarized lenses are the most comfortable ones for outdoor workers because they also block glare.
- Pick Larger Shades During Peak Hours
- Too much UV light accelerates the formation of cataracts. Experts recommend that during times of hot sun you should pick larger shades to increase the protection. If you go to the beach, bike rides, amusement parks, boating, hiking, bike rides, or any place where there’s too much sun exposure, go out with both a hat and sporty sunglasses.
You should keep your larger shades as a spare every day and wear them during peak hours or when the sky is clear and free of clouds. - On the other hand, sporty sunglasses often come with polarized lens. They bring a different advantage to your eye-protection measures: you should use them during cloudy weather or overcast.
- Too much UV light accelerates the formation of cataracts. Experts recommend that during times of hot sun you should pick larger shades to increase the protection. If you go to the beach, bike rides, amusement parks, boating, hiking, bike rides, or any place where there’s too much sun exposure, go out with both a hat and sporty sunglasses.
- Stay Hydrated
- Staying hydrated will help your eyes moist during warm and windy climates. You can also use eye drops to moisturize your eyes and alleviate itching and dryness. A humidifier will also help you keep your eyes moist indoors, and it filters allergens and other irritants in the air as well.
- Dehydration is a warning sing from your body asking you for water to complete many of its basic functions. Your inner system needs water for the processes of sweating, urination, and others.
- During Summer, your body will sweat easier than ever before, So you will feel thirsty very quickly if you stay too much outdoor. So what you’ll need to do is take a bottle of water everywhere, or leave a bottle of water in your office, room, or wherever you spend your daily time.
General Tips for the Indian Summer
Indian summer is warm, dry, sunny and clear. It can be pleasant and fun after the harsh winter, you’ll also have the responsibility to be extra careful of sunburns playing games on your skin and hair.
Here are some tips for you and your family to be safe during the season for adults, kids, and teens:
- As UV rays can damage your retina and can lead to skin degeneration later in life, don’t expose yourself to long periods of sun.
- Always wear sunglasses, so matter if the sky is sunny or cloudy. Purchase quality sunglasses with 99 to 100 percent UVA and UVB protection. You can pick branded polycarbonate glasses which have between 75 to 90 percent visibility but 100 percent protection. Grey colored lenses are your best choice because they don’t alter colors.
- Avoid burns and premature wrinkling wearing long-sleeved shirts and full pants and avoiding going out during peak afternoon hours.
- If you go out outdoors during sun hours and the shadow is longer than you, it means the UV exposure is bearable. Keep that in mind.
- Use a sun protection factor of 15 or higher. If you have a sensitive skin, use sunscreen without chemicals or alcohol.