Hints and Tips
Page 15
Protecting your eyes over summer
It's that time of the year when we spend most of the day outside - at the beach, gardening, playing sport or just relaxing and enjoying the warm weather.
Here are some useful tips from the Blindness Awareness and Prevention Division about protecting your eyes this summer:
Remember to Slip, Slop, Slap and Wrap!
It's vitally important to protect your eyes (and skin) from the dangerous UVA and UVB rays. So put on your sun glasses, apply some sunscreen, wear a hat and wrap yourself in some loose, light clothes.
You don't need to buy expensive sunglasses to protect your eyes. The $20 ones are as good as any as long as the label says they are 99-100% UV light protective. Your sunglasses should be close fitting and with large lenses to stop the sun from reaching your eyes from the sides, top or bottom.
Prevent any nasty accidents by wearing safety glasses when you're working outside.
Every day in New Zealand more than 100 eye injuries occur. Don't become part of this statistic! Invest in a pair of safety glasses and protect your eyes from danger. It's better to have broken glasses than injured eyes.
What's the point of wearing sun glasses if I'm already vision impaired?
It is even more important to wear sunglasses if you are vision impaired as they protect the macula from the damaging effect of the UV light and heat, helping to preserve the remaining vision. Sunglasses help reduce glare so you will not stress your eyes when outside; they will protect your eyes from dust and sand that can cause severe discomfort and even pain; and they can stop an unnoticed tree or shrub branch from hitting you in the eyes.
Regardless of how much vision you have left you should take care of your eyes and prevent avoidable vision loss.
Enjoy the summer, have fun and remember to take care of your eyes.