Sunscreen For Your Eyes

I often see people in Monroe Township driving around on a wonderful summer day with the sun bright in the sky without any sunglasses.

It got me thinking about the Jersey Shore and so many of us in Monroe Township go to the beach these days especially after Hurricane Sandy. We wouldn’t leave the house without any sunscreen to apply to our face yet sometimes we neglect the most important part of our face: The Eyes.

Eyes are made of very delicate soft tissue and when damaged is often irreversible. Most people know that excess UV damage can cause skin cancer. But that’s not all there is to worry about.

Most people don’t appreciate the damage that UV can do to your eyes. A sun burn on the skin resolves over time but consistent sun exposure to the eyes can cause irreversible conditions such as cataracts, macular degeneration as well as cancer of the eyelids and the skin around the eyes.

Excess UV exposure can also cause a condition called pinguecula. It is thickening and yellowing of the inner and outer white parts of your eye that can threaten your vision if grows on to the center part of your eye or at the very least be unsightly.

So you ask, how on earth are you going to apply sunscreen to your eyes?

Simple. Wear good optical quality sunglasses. Make sure the lenses in the sunglasses provide you with at least 98% of UV A and UV B protection.

Wear your sunglasses whenever you’re outside, even on cloudy and winter days and you’ll have your eyes looking younger longer!

Dr. Shefali Miglani, Optometrist

Monroe Eye Care

Your eye doctor in monroe township, NJ

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