Texoma Living Well Magazine July/August 2017 | Page 16

FIVE Shocking
Summer Eye
Health Risks
I
t’s summer and like most people,
you’ll be spending more time out-
side. The warm weather is perfect
for spending time with your loved
ones at picnics, swimming pools,
festivals, and many other outdoor
events.
Summer is additionally when eye
doctors, such as Key-Whitman Eye
Center’s Dallas optometrist Amanda
Hoelscher, see more patients seeking
treatment for eye redness, pain and ir-
ritation.
Don’t take unnecessary risks with
your family’s eyes.
Dr. Hoelscher lists the top five culprits
that endanger eye health during these
summer months and tells what you can
do to avoid them.
ONE: The sun.
You have presumably heard how UV
rays harm skin, and you probably use
sunscreen yours and your children’s
skin to avoid skin cancer. Be that as it
may, how diligent would you say you
are about shielding your eyes from UV
rays? If you have children, do you en-
sure they put on their sunglasses be-
fore heading outside?
Sun damage to the eyes can prompt
genuine complications, including per-
manent vision loss. As Dr. Hoelscher
explains, “UV exposure can cause
harm to the front and back of the eyes
and cause lasting retinal issues, eyelid
cancers and surface issues like pte-
rygiums – or surfer’s eye – where a
growth of fleshy tissue appears on the
clear covering over the white part of
the eye.”
Subsequently, Dr. Hoelscher firmly
thinks wearing sunglasses with UV
protection ought to be required for
14
Courtesy Key-Whitman Eye Center
all ages during outdoor activities, be-
cause the risks are genuine, common
and begin at an early age.
According to a study distributed by
the American Journal of Ophthalmol-
ogy on UV-related eye disease and
damage in children, researchers dis-
covered sun damage in the eyes of 29
percent of children ages 9 to 11 and
81 percent of teens ages 12 to 15.
“Consumers have been well edu-
cated on the importance of wearing
sunscreen, but they’re not so savvy
when it comes to wearing sunglasses.
In fact, one of the vision care insur-
ance providers Key-Whitman accepts,
VSP, conducted a survey that revealed
while 82 percent of parents make their
kids wear sunscreen, only 32 percent
require their kids to wear sunglasses.
The high rate of early sun damage in
children’s eyes should make parents
pause,” Dr. Hoeslcher says.
TWO: Being at the Water Parks,
Swimming Pools, or the Lake.
Numerous dangers wait at these ex-
citing spots where water and other
individuals are everywhere. Chlorine,
bacteria and lack of good hygiene
can transform an awesome day into a
trip to the eye doctor’s office, due to
red, itchy, infected eyes.
As Dr. Hoelscher explains, “During
summer, bodies of water can teem
with bacterial and viral eye infections,
which can infect the eyes. Long-expo-
sure to chlorine can also lead to eye ir-
ritation, so be sure to limit exposure to
chlorine and use artificial tears to flush
eyes and combat chlorine toxicity.”
Another regular issue at public swim-
ming pools and water parks? Sharing
towels. “Many people share towels at
TEXOMA AREA Living Well Magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2017
swimming pools, which isn’t a good
idea. If someone with an eye infec-
tion rubs their face with a towel, that
infection can easily be passed on to
someone else who uses the same tow-
el. Don’t share towels,” says Dr. Hoel-
scher.
THREE: Amped up screen time.
Amid summer get-aways, people have
a tendency to spend invest more time
on personal devices, such as tablets
and smartphones. Simply consider
those long car trips to grandmother’s
home or any travel by air to a faraway
destination.
Excessive screen time such as these
can prompt eye discomfort for some.
Taking frequent screen breaks and
keeping artificial tears close-by for eye
strain relief can work wonders.
According to Dr. Hoelscher, “Increased
exposure to digital screens can lead to
what we refer to in our industry as dig-
ital eye strain. The eyes receive more
exposure to blue light, which can be
fatiguing. In addition, many people
experience a decreased blink rate,
which can increase dry eye symptoms
and surface irritation. Your eye doc-
tor can provide insight on treatments
available for dry eye problems.”
FOUR: The wind.
You don’t normally think of the wind
being harmful but extended periods of
time in a windy environment can wreak
havoc on the eyes.
“Wind dries out the surface of the eyes,
which can lead to redness and pain.
Some people even end up with eye
infections due to wind exposure. Con-
sider wearing wraparound sunglasses
to protect eyes and use eye drops to
flush out irritants,” Dr. Hoelscher says.