Finally, winter has ended and we’re fast approaching summer. Like everyone else, you’re excited to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. But having fun doesn’t have to mean jeopardizing eye health. Here are some tips on staying safe as you enjoy the warm weather.

Keep Hands Clean to Keep Eyes Clean

With the summer heat comes sweating, it’s an unfortunate reality. If you don’t wash your hands regularly enough, wiping the sweat from your face could expose your eyes to harmful diseases. Keep those hands clean by washing regularly and you’ll have nothing to worry about!

Wear Goggles in the Pool

Do you know that chlorine sting you feel when swimming without goggles? It can be harmful to your eyes. While chlorine does protect you from germs that would otherwise live in the water, the chemical itself is harmful to your eyes over time. Your eyes get red because it’s irritating them. If you expose your eyes to a harmful chemical over and over again, it can damage the outer layer and worsen your eyesight.

Wear UV-Protected Sunglasses

This is a no-brainer, right? For your comfort alone you should be wearing sunglasses. But it’s about more than just comfort. In the same way that UV rays damage your skin, they damage your eyes. Repeated UV exposure to the eyes has been shown to cause cataracts, among other eye conditions. So, make sure those sunglasses are 100% UV resistant.

Wear a Hat

Sunglasses take care of most of the sun exposure, but not all of it. You’ve probably noticed that gap on the sides and top where the sun gets past your sunglasses. A hat can cover that gap, making sure that harmful UV rays don’t affect your eyes.

Use Eye Protection When Working Outside

Summer is the perfect time for outdoor projects, whether it’s working on the car, fixing the porch, or anything in between. While you’re enjoying the fresh air, remember to keep your eyes protected with safety glasses or goggles. You don’t have to be an eye doctor to know that spray paint and sawdust don’t belong anywhere near your eyes.

Fite Eye Center | Everything You Need to Keep Your Eyes Healthy

As you enjoy this coming summer, keep your eyes protected and healthy. Vision is a wonderful thing, and you want to keep it as clear as you can, for as long as you can. If you need any help with that, the experts at Fite Eye Center are waiting for you. We can perform routine vision and eye health checkups, as well as specialty services like LASIK eye surgery and visual field testing. So, get out there and enjoy the summer sun, and stay safe while you’re at it!