Summer eye health tips: Top 12 eye care trends to protect your eyes amid harsh summer heat

Apart from our skin, our eyes are the most exposed organ to the harsh summer heat.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Jay Goyal, Eye Surgeon, LASIK and Retina Specialist and Director at Surya Eye Hospital in India, asserted that if precautions are not taken, our eyes are susceptible to -

1. Eye Allergies
2. Dry Eyes
3. Eye Infections like Stye, Conjunctivitis, etc.

According to him, dry eye can cause burning, irritation, and light sensitivity or general discomfort; hence, he recommended a few tips that can help keep your eyes protected in summer -

1. UV protective sunglasses: UV rays can cause photokeratitis and dry eye. Harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can accelerate the formation of cataracts, macular degeneration and other age-related problems. Wear sunglasses that provide 100% UV protection and block UVA and UVB rays. Always wear sunglasses whenever you're outdoors, even on cloudy days.
2. Use hats/caps or Visors: In addition to sunglasses, wearing wide-brimmed hats/caps or visors can protect your eyes by shielding them from direct sunlight. This helps reduce the amount of UV radiation reaching your eyes and potential damage.
3. Limit screen time: Using screens continuously is a common cause of dry eye. Our eyes are already prone to dryness in summer. Thus, limiting screen time or taking frequent breaks while using screens helps reduce dry eyes.
4. Artificial tears: Lubricating eye drops help tremendously reduce dry eye and soothe eyes that are already dry. It is very helpful to consult your eye doctor, who can prescribe eye drops depending on the severity of your dry eye.
5. Eye protection while swimming: Swimming is the most fun activity in the summer, but it can cause eye problems. Many pools are treated with chlorine, which can lead to eye irritation. Therefore, it is best to always wear eye goggles for swimming. After swimming, one must wash and rinse one's eyes with fresh water to make sure they are fresh and healthy.

Adding to the list of eye care tips for summers, Dr Shachi Joshi, an Ophthalmologist in Mumbai, suggested a few more inclusive eye care trends that could help in keeping your eyes safe during this summer -

1. Stay hydrated: Dehydration is very common in summer especially in kids. It is important to have water and other liquids regularly to help maintain hydration. Good hydration helps maintain the sparkle in our eyes.
2. Eat healthy: Take advantage of all the fresh fruits and vegetables available to you in the summer. Specifically, leafy greens (spinach, arugula and kale), tomatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli and zucchini are rich in important nutrients — carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin — which protect your eyes from damage and degeneration.
3. Avoid direct air-conditioning or fan air: Though we need air conditioners to keep us cool during summer, we also ought to be careful not to let the air directly fall on our face or eyes as it can lead to dry eyes.
4. Get quality sleep: Lack of sleep leads to dry and itchy eyes. It also causes other health issues. Adequate sleep is essential for a healthy body.
5. Hand hygiene: In summer, we tend to itch our eyes a lot. If we do not wash our hands, it can lead to eye infections like stain, conjunctivitis, etc. Children are especially susceptible to this.
6. Regular hand washing is important, especially during summer.
7. Avoid midday sun: Try to stay inside, especially during later mornings and afternoons, as it is during this time when the strength of the sun is at its maximum and UV rays are at their peak. Wear polarised lenses if you need to go outside since they reduce the glare.