Ooohh, I got the sun in my eyes

There is no doubt about it – summer is here and with it are the very bright skies and sunny days. This is the perfect time to realize that along with the sunscreen we are putting on before we head out the door we also need to put on the shades, as in sunglasses. The protection we need for our eyes from the Ultra Violet (UV) rays of the sun.

UV Rays
You may hear a lot about keeping your skin safe from the sun’s harmful rays, but did you know eyes need to be protected too? Dr. Manny, senior managing editor of FoxNewsHealth.com, explains: Short-term UV exposure may burn the front surface of the eye, just like a sunburn would on the skin. If after sun exposure you have experienced redness on the eyelids, eye irritation or a gritty feeling similar to sand in your eyes. Ouch! Overexposure to UV rays can lead to early cataracts and glaucoma.

Seal of Acceptance
To protect your eyes, you should wear sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of the UVA and UVB rays. And they don’t have to be expensive. When looking for new sunglasses look for a “seal of acceptance” which guarantee their effectiveness. You don’t have to spend a fortune to get UVA and UVB protection, but do check that the color of the lenses match. A wrap around frame gives better coverage along with keeping dust and bugs out

Reflections
UV exposure can come from reflections off the sand, pavement, water and snow – so you should wear sunglasses year-round. Cancer of the eyelids is more common than people would think.  We need to wear sunglasses anytime we are doing something outdoors whether we run, walk, bike, skate, garden or are just running errands.

Prevent Skin Cancer
Protecting the skin around the eyes is not only a good way to prevent skin cancer, but combating the wrinkles you get around the eyes from squinting.

Window To Our World
Our eyes are the window to our world, complex and delicate they deserve all the protection we can get. So please, get your shades on before you step out the door on the right foot…..