While many of us will use suncream to protect our skin from the sun and it’s harmful UV rays, we will forget the sunglasses or may wear a pair that aren’t protecting our eyes properly and these same rays can seriously damage eyes that aren’t protected increasing the risk of eye disease.
At Hill Vision we like to remind our customers that sunglasses are much more than just a fashion accessory, they are an essential piece of safety equipment that everyone should wear whenever venturing out into the sun.
Exposure to the sun, especially long-term exposure and without wearing proper eye protection can easily increase the risk of eye disease, such as cataracts, macular degeneration, corneal issues and growths on the eye and even rare forms of eye cancer.
Short-term exposure can often be just as damaging too, while sun simply reflecting off water is able to cause sunburn on the cornea, this is the clear dome that covers the front of your eye, and can be very painful with symptoms such as blurry vision and redness, increased sensitivity to bright light and uncomfortable pain.
Fear not though as you can easily help prevent all of these issues and any permanent damage from these harmful UV rays by simply wearing sunglasses that will help block both UVA and UVB radiation.
The team at Hill Vision have put together these 5 simple tips to help you keep your eyes protected while enjoying the sunshine:
1. The clouds won’t help. The harmful rays we talk about that are omitted from the sun can still get through the clouds.
2. Don’t forget the kids. While it’s easy to remember to put cream on the kids, don’t forget the sunglasses as Research shows that around 80 percent of our exposure to UVR rays throughout our lifetime will occur before the age of 18.
3. Wear you’re hat. A hat can also offer UV protection.
4. Try polarised lenses. These can help reduce glare that bounces off water or other shiny surfaces and are great for driving.
5. Darker isn’t necessarily better. Dark lenses don’t always offer any more protection from the UV rays. Why not talk to your optician about photochromic lenses which automatically darken with the sun.
"At Hill Vision we take our customers eye care very seriously, we offer help and advice to ease our customers fears and concerns and we provide the very best eye care service available."
Take these 5 simple tips on board to help you and your family enjoy the sun safely, protecting your vision and looking after your eye health.
Book an appointment today with Hill Vision if you’re heading off on holiday and want to discuss prescription sunglasses, or if you are concerned about any upcoming hot weather and how it might affect your eyes or if you’re worried about anything to do with your eyes at all.
