As there’s no sunblock application for your eyes, you’ll need to use other methods to protect your vision during the summer. If you don’t know where to start, here are seven tips that are sure to help you care for your eyes this season.

Wear UV Protected Sunglasses

Wearing sunglasses with the necessary protection can protect them from sun exposure and future vision problems. Grabbing a pair of sunnies with 100% UVA and UVB protection will best protect our eyes in the summer, even on cloudy days.

Wear Pool Goggles

Whether you’re swimming around in the ocean or a private pool, it’s important that you wear goggles during your time in the water. This is particularly true if you haven’t been in a body of water for the past few months, as the chemicals and natural contaminants can hurt your eyes.

Keep Your Hands Out of There

Several studies have shown that the best way to protect your eyes from diseases is to consistently wash your hands and keep them out of your eyes. Bacteria from your hand can easily get into your eyes after rubbing them for even a few seconds. Your eyes are especially sensitive to bacterial infection after such eye surgeries as Lasik, cataract surgery or glaucoma shunt surgery.

Wear a Hat

Regardless of whether or not you wear sunglasses, your eyes and eyelids are still exposed to the sun’s UV rays. Lower your risk of sun damage even more by wearing a hat with a brim that’s a minimum of three-inches wide.

Drink Lots of Water

Particularly in the summer months, it’s easy to become dehydrated, which can negatively impact your eyes. If you have trouble producing tears, have visions problems or dry eye symptoms, you could be seriously dehydrated. To make sure this doesn’t happen, drink plenty of water throughout your day.

Use Eye Drops

Sometimes it’s hard to go without using eyedrops when your eyes are in pain or extremely dry. This is particularly true for people who’ve undergone glaucoma surgery. Tired eyes may also require the use of eye drops every now and then, but talk to your optometrist if you have a chronic need for them.

Get Enough Sleep

Not only does getting enough sleep do wonders for the rest of your body, but doing so works towards maintaining your eyes as well. A 2008 study showed that staying awake for a minimum of 18 hours can lower your cognition regarding visual tasks. Not sleeping enough will also result in dry eyes, leading to you rubbing them and increasing your risk of irritation.

At BC Vision Care, we’re a Langley eye care centre that offers effective treatments for our patients. Our eye care services include comprehensive eye exams, laser eye surgery, vision therapy, and eyeglasses in Langley.