Keeping your eyes healthy this summer

Summer is finally here, the weather is warmer and everyone wants to spend more time outside soaking up those UV rays. While being outside is refreshing and fun, too much UV rays exposure can negatively affect your eyes. Your eyes can be sunburned when they are exposed to the sun for a period of time. Many people do not know this fact or forget when going about their outdoor summer activities. When your eyes are sunburned your cornea becomes irritated and can become damaged. 

Some symptoms of photokeratitis, which refers to when you burn your eyes, are: pain, tearing, sensitivity to bright lights, redness, blurred vision, headaches, and seeing halos. Just like a skin sunburn you most likely will not notice you have burned your eyes until after the fact. This type of sunburn is also like most others with the way it heals. It will go away after a few days. Because of this the treatments that are available are to help with irritation and discomfort. There are eye drops over the counter or prescription that can help. Remember to take your contacts out before using the eye drops. Avoid rubbing your eyes as this can make the irritation worse. 

To avoid any future sunburned eyes, wear sunglasses when spending time outside. When buying sunglasses do some research and find a pair that has UV ray blocking lenses. 

During the summer time everyone puts more sunscreen on their bodies so they do not burn themselves. This is a smart thing to do, but you should be careful when applying sunscreen around your eyes. Getting sunscreen in your eyes can cause irritation. Be gentle around your eyes and rub sunscreen in slowly to avoid accidentally getting any in your eye. 

As your Provo Eyelid Surgery provider we hope you can have a fun and enjoyable summer.