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Taking advantage of vision benefits in Oklahoma or elsewhere can protect your eye health by giving you access to the care you need. However, there are additional measures you can take on a daily basis to protect your eyes during the summer.
One of these things is using protective eyewear. Here’s why.
1. Avoid painful sunburns
Sunburns are the result of exposure to UV rays. The body responds to UV rays by producing a pigment known as melatonin. Therefore, if melatonin production can’t keep up with UV ray exposure, the skin will burn.
It’s possible to get a sunburn on the sensitive skin around your eyes. In fact, you can even get a painful sunburn on your cornea, a condition known as photokeratitis. The best way to protect your eyes from UV rays is to wear wrap-around sunglasses rated for UVA and UVB protection to stop sun rays before they reach your eyes.
2. Prevent cell damage
UV rays can also break the bonds in your DNA. Your body has the ability to repair these bonds and eliminate damaged cells before they replicate. However, with high levels of UV exposure, cell damage will occur faster than your body can respond. It’s how cancerous cells form.
If you don’t shield your eyes from UV rays, cell damage could turn into cataracts or macular degeneration over the years, two conditions with serious consequences for your vision.
3. Protect your eyes from corneal abrasion
It’s crucial to use protective eyewear when operating some tools or machinery because of the debris that could fly into your eyes and cause corneal abrasion or other more serious injuries.
However, you should know that there are risks of corneal abrasion in a wide range of settings. For instance, sand is a common culprit since these small and sharp particles can get in your eyes and scratch the cornea. Protective eyewear will create a barrier to shield your eyes from debris.
4. Reduce eyestrain
Have you ever sat on the beach and stared at the sun reflecting on the water? It sounds idyllic, but chances are you won’t be able to look for very long without squinting.
Squinting is a natural reflex to protect your eyes from bright light. However, squinting for long periods of time can put a strain on your eye muscles and cause fatigue and headaches. The best way to prevent eye strain is to wear protective sunglasses.
5. Preserve visibility
Sunglass lenses can reduce glare from the sun. From driving to surfing to hiking, there are plenty of summertime activities where good visibility can prevent an accident.
By enhancing contrast and colors, sunglasses can help you see flying objects, oncoming vehicles and other potential dangers a lot better.
Not sure which sunglasses to pick? Vision Care Direct of Oklahoma has a detailed guide to help you learn more about different features and pick the right protective eyewear for your needs.
Take advantage of vision benefits in Oklahoma and beyond
You can prevent many eye health issues by protecting your eyes. You can do even more for your eye health by scheduling regular eye exams and looking into getting vision benefits in Oklahoma. Even better, with Vision Care Direct, you can benefit from pre-paid vision plans so you and your family can take advantage of negotiated savings that enable you to get the eye care you need at a price you can handle.
Contact Vision Care Direct to learn more about how becoming a member can help you and your family protect your eyes in the summer sun.
