Sun, Sand and Sore Eyes – Eye Health Tips for the Warmer Months
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The summer days often bring to mind days and evenings spent in parks and gardens, enjoying the outdoors. However, sunlight, rising temperatures and airborne allergens can affect our eyes, causing symptoms such as itchiness, redness, and fatigue.
Pharmacist Sultan Dajani, advisor to www.goldeneyecare.co.uk – a range of pharmacy drops and ointments to treat conjunctivitis, styes and blepharitis says; “It’s worth paying attention to what affects our eye health, taking steps to minimise risk, and of course, treating the symptoms if eye problems arise.”
Here, in this latest e-news, www.goldeneyecare.co.uk together with Sultan Dajani take a look at the environmental and lifestyle factors we are likely to encounter during the summer months that can play havoc with our eyes, plus what self-care steps we should follow to tackle any summer eye health miseries.
Environmental And Lifestyle Triggers Set To Cause Summer Health Havoc For Eyes
Pharmacist Sultan Dajani, advisor to www.goldeneyecare.co.uk points out that there are various environmental and lifestyle factors that can cause problems for our eyes during the summer months. Here is a summary to the core challenges that can test our eye health.
- UV and Sunlight: While it is commonly known that sunlight and UV rays can harm the skin, it is also important to consider their effects on the eyes. UV light can damage all parts of the eye, including the eyelid. The National Eye Institute reports that prolonged exposure to UV rays can modify lens proteins[1], leading to cataract formation and deteriorating eyesight[2].”
- Allergies: Sultan Dajani notes: “Allergies during the summer season and into the autumn months are common, with increased levels of flower, grass, and tree pollen contributing to hay fever. Besides pollen and hay fever, other allergies that may affect the eyes include dust mites, animal dander (tiny flakes of skin or hair), foods (such as nuts, fruit, shellfish, eggs, cow’s milk), insect bites and stings, latex, mould, and household chemicals[3].”
- Warmer Temperatures: Sultan Dajani adds: “As temperatures rise and the air becomes warmer and drier, it can affect the eyes. In addition, the use of air conditioning contributes to this effect, as the warm air causes moisture and tears to evaporate quickly, leading to drier and grittier eyes.”
- Dehydration: Dehydration impacts the body similarly to warm temperatures, as reduced hydration levels lead to decreased tear production. Consequently, this can cause the eyes to become itchy, dry, and irritated.
- Pool Chemicals: Summer swimming in pools helps cool us down, but chemicals like chlorine, used to keep germs at bay, can leave a sting in the eyes, causing them to appear red and irritated. Similarly, swimming in the sea with its saltwater can also cause problems for the eyes.
- Lack of sleep: Sultan Dajani continues: “Warm summer nights can often mean disturbed sleep, from lighter evenings delaying bedtime, to lighter mornings bringing forward wake-up time, and soaring temperatures making it uncomfortable to even drop off. This lack of sleep impacts tear production, which needs good quality sleep.”
- Sleep Deprivation: “Warm summer nights frequently lead to disturbed sleep, due to lighter evenings delaying bedtime, lighter mornings advancing wake-up time, and elevated temperatures causing discomfort when trying to get to sleep. When we don’t get enough sleep or have poor quality sleep, this affects tear production, which can result in dry, tired eyes,” notes Sultan Dajani.
So, what can we do when our eyes start to cause us problems?
Eye infections can often be treated at home. However, if there is pain or a loss of vision, it is necessary to seek medical advice.
One eye care product range, found in local pharmacies, is GoldenEye®, which is a summer self-care . It treats styes, conjunctivitis and blepharitis. Formulations with propamidine isethionate, of which GoldenEye® Eye Drops contain, are effective disinfectants GoldenEye® Eye Drops contain propamidine isethionate, which works by stopping bacteria from growing and multiplying, which controls the numbers of bacteria causing an infection.[4] Always read the label.
- GoldenEye® Antibiotic Eye Ointment contains the antibiotic chloramphenicol. This product is intended for acute bacterial conjunctivitis in adults and children aged 2 years and over. It should be reserved for acute infection to limit the spread of bacterial resistance to antibiotics (antibiotic resistance). Always read the label.
6 Self-Care Tips For Tackling Summer Eye Health Miseries
- UV Protection. Pharmacist Sultan Dajani, advisor to www.goldeneyecare.co.uk says “UV light is not visible to the human eye, but it can cause damage to both the eyes and skin. Exposure to UV radiation from the sun can result in both short- and long-term effects on the eyes. It is advisable to wear high-quality UV protective sunglasses during the summer when the UV index is moderate or high.”
- Limit exposure to allergens. Sultan Dajani adds: “Identify which allergens cause eye symptoms and try to reduce exposure to them. Grass, tree pollens (spring, summer, and autumn), weed pollens, and fungal mould spores are common allergens for hay fever sufferers.”
- Treat eye infections immediately: There are lots of things that can go wrong with our eyes, but most can be quickly and easily treated at home with products from the pharmacy. Conjunctivitis, blepharitis and styes are some of the incredibly common conditions that can easily affect the eye and cause misery. If you have a minor eye health problem, the pharmacy should be your first port of call. The pharmacist can use their clinical expertise and practical knowledge to provide advice and treatment recommendations such as Golden Eye® Eye Drops. Always read the label.
- Avoid rubbing your eyes: Although it may be tempting to rub your eyes when they feel itchy or gritty, doing so can exacerbate the issue. Hands come into contact with numerous surfaces, making it easy to transfer bacteria and germs to the face. This increases the risk of eye infections such as styes, conjunctivitis, or blepharitis.
- Evening shower: Sultan Dajani continues: “Taking a shower in the evening can help remove allergens that may be on your body. This practice can also help keep your bedding free from allergens that could transfer to your pillow.”
- Hydration. Sultan Dajani notes: “The body is made up of 70 per cent water. Water is essential to the normal working of the body – and that includes the eyes. Dehydration can lead to dry, sore, and irritated eyes.[5] It is recommended that we drink approximately 1.2 litres (6-8 glasses) of water every day and more when you exercise or if the weather is hot.”
Eye conditions: A closer look
Styes: A stye is a bacterial infection of either an eyelash follicle or a gland near the eyelashes. It causes a small, painful lump on or inside the eyelid or around the eye.
The skin around the stye may be swollen and red and the stye may be filled with yellow pus. Styes are common and they can take up to two weeks to clear. According to one study, styes accounted for 4% of more than 4 million emergency department attendances for eye conditions across all age groups.[6]
Styes rarely a sign of anything serious, but can be painful, unsightly, and generally unpleasant until they heal.
Sultan Dajani says: “Allergies are known risk factors for styes and people tend to get more styes during allergy season. With the experience of itchy eye symptoms, it can feel impossible not to rub them.”
Conjunctivitis: Sometimes known as pinkeye, the meaning of conjunctivitis is inflammation of the conjunctiva, which is the thin skin on the inside of the eyelid.
Sultan Dajani adds: “Conjunctivitis is often caused by infection from a virus or bacteria or an allergy. When it happens, the blood vessels of the sclera (the white of the eye) become dilated, giving us that red-eyed appearance. The eyes may also feel gritty, itchy, sticky, burning or be watering more than usual.”
Blepharitis: Blepharitis is a common eye condition, estimated to account for around 5% of eye-health-related GP visits.[7]
This condition causes inflammation of the eyelids. This can either be anterior blepharitis, inflammation at the base of the eyelid which can be caused by bacteria like staphylococci, or seborrhoeic dermatitis, or posterior blepharitis, an inflammation of the meibomian glands, which help to produce tears.[8]
Symptoms may include soreness, itching, a gritty feeling, flakes, or crusts around the roots of the eyelashes and eyelashes sticking together in the morning when you wake up.
