5 Top Tips for looking after your eyes this summer

With the promise of longer days and warmer weather, the summer months encourage many of us to spend more time outdoors. While an active lifestyle is certainly good for the health, it’s important not to forget potential hazards to your eyesight. Here are 5 top tips to help look after your eyes this summer.
 
1) Wear good quality sunglasses
UV rays in sunlight can damage your eyes as well as your skin. In the short term, a day in the sun can leave your eyes feeling sore and red. However, the long-term effects of UV exposure are potentially much more serious, leading to conditions like cataracts and macular degeneration. Wearing sunglasses with full UV protection helps protect your eyes against these harmful effects.
 
2) Don’t let hay fever hold you back
For hay fever sufferers the summer months can be a misery. As well as causing sneezing and runny noses, hay fever can make your eyes, red, itchy and watery. Eye drops, containing antihistamines and other anti-allergy agents, help soothe these troublesome symptoms. Other useful strategies include wearing wraparound sunglasses and applying cold compresses.
 
3) Wear eye protection for sports
Sports and other outdoor activities like tennis, cycling and sailing, all offer challenges to your eyes. Specially designed sports spectacles help shield your eyes against injury from fast-moving balls, as well as irritants like dust, wind and sea spray. For swimmers, swimming goggles help protect your eyes from chlorine or salt in the water.
 
4) Wear prescription protectionIf you wear spectacles you needn’t miss out on protecting your eyes from UV and other hazards. Prescription sunglasses are available in most lens types - including varifocals and bifocals – and many sports spectacles and swimming goggles can also be made to prescription.
 
5) Ask your optometrist for advice 
​If you have any queries about sunglasses and eye protection, or any other concerns about your eyes, consult your optometrist.

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