Eye health: Nutritionist reveals foods that protect your eyes
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With temperatures set to rise even higher over the weekend, knowing about the potential eye implications linked to heat, including cancer, could be important. Fortunately, experts at Lenstore have shared their top tips on how to keep your eyes protected from the scorching heat and ultraviolet rays.
While keeping your eyes safely behind sunglasses with a UV filter is a no-brainer, you also have to protect your eyes from heatstroke.
Although heatstroke is best known for stirring up problems like severe thirst, fever and headache, your eyes might also be a target. What’s worse, it could lead to cancer.
Optician Sujata Paul said: “As the warmer months approach us, it’s important to be mindful of our body temperature.
“Heatstroke not only affects the body but also our eyes.
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“Whilst damage to the eye can be painless initially, many people are left unaware of the damage caused.
“This can lead to repeated incidents taking place over months, years, and even decades.”
Over a period of time, being exposed to heatstroke leads to “significant” effects on your eye health such as cancer and eye diseases.
However, the expert shared that this is considered to be more common in older patients.
The expert added: “If you haven’t protected your eyes in the warmer months and have previously experienced heat exhaustion or heatstroke, it is recommended to speak to your doctor or optometrist to ensure your eyes are in good health.
“Your doctor/optometrist will examine your eyes and then decide the next steps and treatments if necessary.”
When it comes to protecting your eyes from heatstroke altogether, Paul recommended wearing sunglasses as well as a hat.
So wearing sunglasses is indeed the number one rule during sunny days.
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Paul said: “It’s important to wear sunglasses when in the sun to prevent any sun damage to your vision.
“Excess exposure to the sun not only negatively affects your skin but also your eyes.
“Long-term exposure to even small amounts of UV radiation at a time can increase the risk of certain eye diseases such as cataracts, macular degeneration, eye growths and even cancer.”
The two types of UV rays that could be potentially harmful to your eyes are UVA and UVB rays.
That’s why it’s important to not only look at style but also the UV filter when shopping for a pair of sunnies.
Specsavers recommends a UV400 protection as this can filter out up to 99 percent of UVA and UVB rays.
They explain that this is slightly higher than what British Standards require for eye protection.
However, they are “the best choice” when it comes to full protection from sun damage.
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