You have to take extra precautions to safeguard your eyes in summer.  Usually, you protect your skin by applying sunscreen, your face covering it, your hair by wearing a scarf or hat, and your eyes wearing sunglasses. But is that enough to protect your eyes?  The scorching heat of the Indian summer can pose serious harm to your eyes. Accordingly, it is crucial to take extra care of your eyes. Before we dive into the ways you can protect your eyes, let’s understand how sun exposure can be dangerous for the eyes and find the summer eye care tips .

How the summer heat can harm your eyes ?

The early onset of summer and sudden temperature changes is not a welcome change for anyone. Hot winds, scorching heat, and rising humidity take a toll on your body and eyes.

Summer is the season for a myriad of eye diseases. Apart from your skin, the eyes remain the most exposed organ to deal with the increasing summer heat. If not taken care of, your eyes are susceptible to the following:

• Eye allergies

The increasing temperature and air pollutants raise the risk of eye allergies. Common symptoms of eye allergies include itchiness, redness, and burning sensation.

• Conjunctivitis

It is a common condition during summer due to a bacterial or viral infection. The eyes become red, itchy, and watery when you have this infection. Conjunctivitis or pink eye is contagious. It can spread when you have direct contact with the infected person or share objects with them.

• Stye

The bacterial infection in the eye results in swelling in one or both eyelids. It can cause redness and pain in the eyes.

• Dry eyes

Many people experience dry eyes in summer because the higher temperatures can cause the tear film to evaporate quickly, resulting in dry eyes. You can experience irritation and a burning sensation in the eyes.

Take a not on Summer Eye Care tips :

These problems are short-lived, but they can cause immense discomfort, and you might need to consult the best opthamologist in India. You need to follow specific tips to protect your eyes to avoid these problems:

• Wear UV sunglasses when you’re outdoors

Going out in the blazing sun without applying a sunblock cream can give you sunburn. Similarly, stepping out without sunglasses can give you photokeratitis. It is caused when the cornea is exposed to harmful UV rays.

Ordinary sunglasses you pick up from any store isn’t giving you the adequate eye care you need. Before buying them, ensure your sunglasses offer 100% protection from UVA and UVB rays.

Even if you wear contact lenses, make sure you wear sunglasses. Overexposure to the sun can cause dryness and irritation when you wear contact lenses without sunglasses.

• Hand Hygiene & Avoid rubbing your eyes

Washing hands regularly is the best way to protect yourself from infectious diseases, especially eye diseases like conjunctivitis. It is also essential to avoid rubbing your eyes often because it increases the chances of getting an infection.

• Stay hydrated

The best way to stay protected in the summer is to drink plenty of water. When dehydrated, the body finds it more challenging to produce tears, leading to unpleasant dry eye symptoms, including sensitivity to light, eye fatigue, a sensation of having something in your eyes, and blurred vision.

Drinking plenty of water can prevent the adverse effects of dehydration and provide adequate moisture for the normal functioning of the eyes. Ensure you drink lots of water or drinks with salts and electrolytes.

• Healthy sleep schedule

A night of proper sleep is the best way of eye care. Lack of sleep can cause eye strain and dry eyes. In worst cases, it can even lead to the bursting of blood vessels. Giving your eyes sufficient recovery time is important. If you don’t get enough sleep, your eyes can feel strained, dry, and itchy the next day.

Make sure you get enough sleep every night so that your eyes and body are rejuvenated and ready to perform at their best.

• Use eye drops

After all these precautions, you might need extra help. It is better to use eye drops to manage eye problems and is usually recommended as the first step in treating dry eyes. Eye drops are readily available to purchase without a prescription. However, it is beneficial to consult your eye doctor before you start using any eye drops. Your eye specialist can help you choose the best eye drops that are well-suited for your lifestyle.

Temperatures increase each year, and none of us can stay indoors and usually hide from the scorching sun. Hence, taking a proactive approach to eye care is best to keep your eye diseases at bay. Make sure you follow these summer eye care tips given here .

If you notice your eyes are more sensitive to the light, your vision seems to be changing, or you have any eye infection, reach out to the best eye specialist In India. They will help and can provide guidance and advice on what step to take next.