Living in Shade

I came across an article on WCVB TV’s, out of Boston, Mass, website that highlights an area that a whole lot of people oddly enough forget about. Possibly the most important organ for daily function, your eyes. In the article entitled “Sun Can Cause Serious Eye Damage” it shows just how big the negative consequences can be when it comes to the eyes.

I find out absolutely amazing when I see someone out at the beach and their sitting there doing a great job slathering sunscreen all over their body, but then they stop there. No sunglasses and no hat. It seems almost ludicrous. My only guess is that the sunscreen people must do such a better job of marketing than the hat and sunglasses people.

The article quotes a lady on the beach who says “as long as you don’t look directly into the sun, I don’t think it hurts eyes or would damage your eyes”. This sadly is far, far, from the truth. Your eyes get damaged just the same as your skin. It’s been proven that exposure to the sun increases your risk of developing cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and even cancer around the eye. This is an obvious area that needs protection.

Dr. Jonathan Talamo, an eye expert with Talamo Eye Consultants, of Waltham, Mass stress the importance of taking care of your eyes all year round…

“It’s most common when people are either out on the water or on the snow without UV sun protection. They may not feel it right away, but they may wake up the next morning with light sensitivity, tearing and quite a bit of pain,” he said.

It’s such an easy area to protect. A good pair of sunglasses will shield your eyes from the harmful UV ray’s of the sun, and you’ll even look great while doing it. Sunglasses are hip these days, and there’s no reason not to wear them when your out in the sun. I can assure you that you’ll even find you’ll feel a whole lot more comfortable due to the reduced strain on your eyes.

If your going to get a pair of sunglasses, make sure that you get a pair that block both UVA and UVB rays. Even if you wear contacts that have their own UV protection, doctors still suggest the use of sunglasses as well. If sunglasses just aren’t your style, you could instead go with a wide-brimmed hat to shield your eyes.

The ways to protect your eyes are so simple compared with the negative consequences of not protecting them. Your eyes are one of the most, if not the most, important organs for living a relaxing normal life. Protect them!

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