ECVA Niagara Falls | Eye Care & Vision Associates

During the summer months, most people focus on enjoying the warmer weather, planning vacations, and other fun events, not the eye problems they may encounter during the season. In reality, summer can have an impact on your eyes, and certain issues can be surprisingly common.

If you want to find out more about eye problems many people face in the summer and what to do about them, here’s what you need to know.

Corneal Burns

When people think of sunburns, they usually focus on the skin. However, harmful UV rays can also lead to corneal burns, a condition with symptoms like blurry vision, dryness, and a gritty feeling in the eye.

In most cases, the easiest way to protect yourself against corneal burns is to wear sunglasses. Just make sure to pick a pair that offers full-spectrum UV protection.

Dry Eye

During the summer, higher temperatures, fans, and air conditioning can all increase the occurrence of dry eye. In addition, if you live in a more arid climate, the lack of humidity can also be a compounding factor, increasing your chances of experiencing dry eye.

In most cases, dry eye is noticeably uncomfortable. You may experience a gritty or stinging sensation, as well as experience redness, sensitivity to light, and more.

If you’re experiencing dry eye, make an effort to stay hydrated and consider using lubricating drops. Drinking more water can make a difference, while the drops provide quick relief.

Tired Eyes

If your summer is especially busy, you may experience more eye tiredness than usual. For many people, enjoying the season can mean missing out on critical sleep, something that can leave your eyes irritated and fatigued.

For tired eyes, your best bet is to give your eyes a break by getting enough sleep. Also, avoid using digital devices, as those can make the situation worse, not better.

Allergies

While many people assume that eye allergies are only a major issue in the spring, they are still prevalent in the summer. Certain plant pollens, seeds, and mold types are more common later into the warmer months.

Eye allergies can be incredibly uncomfortable. Some symptoms may include itching, burning, and dryness.

If you have eye allergies, try to reduce your exposure. Wear sunglasses, wash your face as soon as you come indoors, and even change clothing. Also, many over-the-counter and prescription allergy treatments can provide relief, so they can be worth exploring.

Infection

Eye infections can happen at any time of the year. Plus, you may participate in activities that can increase your risk, such as swimming in a public pool that isn’t properly treated or a nearby lake that may host to a range of bacteria.

If you want to reduce your odds of infection, wear goggles while swimming. Additionally, rinse off after swimming, ensuring contaminants don’t remain on your skin.

At ECVA, we take the safety and health of our patients’ eyes seriously. If you have a summer eye health concern or haven’t had an eye exam recently, we are here to help. Schedule an appointment at your closest ECVA clinic today.

Protect Your Eyes from UV Light

Ultraviolet (UV) light can be incredibly damaging to the eyes. Not only can corneas sunburn, but your eyes can also be susceptible to melanoma – a type of cancer – and a range of other UV-related eye conditions. By focusing on prevention – including using sunglasses, visors, and different kinds of UV protection we’ve covered previously – you reduce your risk.

Shield Your Eye During Home Improvement

During the warmer months, many people decide to tackle a range of home improvement projects. This can include making repairs, updating landscaping, handling some painting, and much more.

Many home improvement projects do present risks to your eyes. Sawdust, paint, debris, and fumes can all potentially be harmful. In serious cases, something hitting or getting into your eye may even cause permanent vision changes, including blindness.

When you participate in home improvement projects, wear protective eyewear. By doing so, you’re shielding your eyes from harm.

Use Eye Protection When Playing Sports

Similar to home improvement projects, many sports have items soaring through the air that could hit your eyes. Eye injuries from golf balls, tennis balls, baseballs, and other similarly sized balls are actually fairly common. The same goes for badminton shuttlecocks and street hockey pucks. Without eye protection, these can all cause serious injury.

While your risk of an eye injury may be minimal with a basketball, soccer ball, or other balls of a larger size, they could also present a risk if you’re getting close to other players. A person moving their hands while trying to get a ball may not notice where you are, causing them to strike your face or poke you in the eye by mistake. As a result, it is wise to wear eye protection here as well.

Keeping Your Eyes Safe from Chemicals

If you own a pool, the chemicals you need to use to keep the water sanitary can be dangerous if they get into your eyes. This is true both when you’re using them to balance the pool, as well as if the concentrations are too high in the water while swimming.

When you are balancing pool chemicals, using full-seal goggles is smart, as well as gloves. When you’re swimming, if you notice your eyes stinging, get out of the water, as that’s a sign the chemical concentrations aren’t correct.

Additionally, wearing swim goggles while in the water is a smart move even if the chemicals are balanced. That way, you can see clearly while avoiding exposure to potential irritants.

At ECVA, we take the safety and health of our patients’ eyes seriously. Whether it’s an injury, chemical exposure, or any other summer concern, we are here to help. Even if you simply haven’t had an eye exam recently, our team is here for you. If you have any eye concerns, schedule an appointment at your closest ECVA clinic today.