The intense summer heat is continuing this week and it's important that everyone uses sunscreen, stays hydrated and, also, protects their eyes.
- Sunglasses are a crucial tool in protecting our eyes from UV rays, especially in the summer
- Dr. Daniel Meltzer with Regence Blueshield of Idaho warns that eye problems can be a sign of other underlying health issues
- It's recommended for everyone to get an eye exam at least once a year
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
We've all heard the saying that the eyes are the windows to our soul, but Dr. Daniel Meltzer with Regence Blueshield of Idaho says they are much more than that.
"We can often see diseases in the eye before we may even know about them," Dr. Meltzer said "Signs like hypertension or diseases like diabetes often can be diagnosed, believe it or not, in an eye exam."
That's why he says it's a smart idea to get your eyes checked every year. But the eyes themselves are vital organs that need to be protected, especially in the summer.
"Sunglasses really, really do help — good sunglasses, effective sunglasses that are appropriately UVA and UVB protective — because what they do is they diminish the amount of UV radiation that our eyes get, which over time we know that UV radiation can cause disease, things like cataracts," Dr. Meltzer said.
But the sun isn't the only enemy of our vision — so are the multitude of electronic devices that we're constantly peering at.
"We know that protecting ourselves from blue light emitted from screens and there are glasses now that can help us do that also reduces the risk of eye strain," Dr. Meltzer added.
Also right now, there's a lot of smoke in the air due to wildfires in the Treasure Valley and that dust and smoke can affect your eyes, so the American Academy of Ophthalmology says you should use lubricating eye drops or artificial tears that you can pick up at most drugstores. They can soothe your eyes.
Also, and this could be a hard one, but you should avoid excessively rubbing your eyes if they're irritated because any ash or dust in there can scratch the surface of your eye.
Health experts say the best thing you can do to protect your eyes is to wear your sunglasses all year long.
