HEALTH

How to protect your eyes from the sun: the complete guide

The eyes are the most important organ for our perception of the world. The very gateway to life, some would say, and it is therefore essential to take the best possible care of them throughout the year and, in general, throughout life. In summer, however, this protection becomes even more important.

Due to the higher sunshine, the longer hours of light during the day and the increased opportunities for outdoor activities, the eyes can be stressed by UV radiation. Thus, the eyes can be damaged if care is not taken and if they are not adequately protected.

But what exactly are the risks and methods of protection to safeguard our eyes from summer sunlight? The tips are few but very useful, and should never be forgotten.

Freepik
How to protect your eyes from the summer sun
The eyes are the most important organ for our perception of the world. The very gateway to life, some would say, and it is therefore essential to take the best possible care of them throughout the year and, in general, throughout life. In summer, this protection becomes even more important. Given the higher sunshine, the longer hours of daylight during the day and the increased opportunities for outdoor activities, the eyes can become stressed by UV radiation. Thus, the eyes can be damaged if care is not taken and if they are not adequately protected. But what exactly are the risks and methods of protection to safeguard our eyes from summer sunlight? The tips are few but very useful, and should never be forgotten.
Freepik
The effects of the sun on the eyes
The risks of excessive exposure of the eyes to the sun's ultraviolet rays are considerable. For example, they may accelerate the progression of diseases such as cataracts, macular degeneration (maculopathy) and pterygium. Dry eyes and actinic keratoconjunctivitis are also common discomforts if one does not wear proper sunglasses.
Freepik
How to properly protect one's eyes from the sun
These are the three golden tips that ophthalmologists give for eye protection in the summer: shield your eyes with sunglasses; wear a hat with a visor; use dark lenses even in the shade and overcast, as UV rays still pass through.
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Choosing sunglasses (Pt. 1)
Ideally, you should choose sunglasses with wide frames, even better with a mask, because they shield the eyes better and protect them more. Sunglasses with graduated lenses are also useful, so that you don't have to wear contact lenses all the time (or worse, that you can't wear sunglasses because you have only gone out with graduated glasses, so you can't change them). The colour is also important: myopic persons should prefer dark brown lenses, hypermetropes better the colour grey-green.
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Choosing sunglasses (Pt. 2)
Children's eyes, in particular, are much more delicate than adults' eyes, so it is always better for them to opt for very high-quality spectacles, leaving aside the stalls selling them on the beach or around town. Older people, on the other hand, would be better off opting for photochromic lenses, which darken or lighten depending on the intensity of the light.
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