SAVE YOUR EYES FROM THE SUMMER STRAIN

7 May 2019 : The early onset of summer and to such sudden extremities is not a very welcome change for anyone.
Hot winds, scorching sun, sweaty palms and wet clothes take a toll on everyone’s health in various
manners. After our skin, our eyes remain the most exposed organs to deal with the direct impact of this
increased heat. Either due to tiny dust particles, hot temperature radiations, dirty palms rubbed near
the eye areas, too bright sights or just sweat going down the eyes; redness, frequent squinting, and
itching of our eyes very commonly announce the arrival of summers. Impacting our extremely sensitive
sense organs, summer almost becomes a season of eye diseases. Hence, it becomes extremely
important to prevent and save your eyes from any discomfort during this summer, because this heat
seems to be here to stay.

Some of the most common problems of eyes that occur during this time are:
Conjunctivitis: Making our eyes red, itchy and watery, this is a condition that almost everyone has had
at some point in their lives. Also called pink eye or red eye, this is a contagious disease but only through
direct contact with an infected person, or by sharing objects with them. It can be a result of any
bacterial, viral, fungal or some other kind of infection and is best to be dealt in consultation with a
doctor.

Dry eyes: The excess of temperature can sometimes make the tear film of the eye evaporate too soon
and that can lead to the condition of dry eyes where the eyes become red, irritable and have a constant
burning sensation.

Stye: This is a bacterial condition that results into a small swelling on either one or both of the eyelids
and causes pain, redness and swelling.
Eye allergies: The high levels of pollutants and irritants in the air, combined with the heated up air
during summer, can cause several allergic reactions in the eyes that again cause redness, itching or
burning.

While these problems have similar symptoms and are not very long-lived, they can still be
uncomfortable and should be adhered to with medical assistance.

 Following are a few things that can be kept in mind to avoid these problems:

 Keep yourself hydrated at all times
 Carry a pair of sunglasses that have UV protection while you are outdoors
 Make sure you are wearing goggles with adequate sealing while swimming
 Try not to share towels, pillowcases, sheets, etc. Use clean and fresh disposable tissues instead
 Do not share cosmetics
 Try not to make a direct eye-contact with air from the AC
 Do not rub your eyes hard or do not touch them directly. Wash your hands frequently

 Take proper care of your personal hygiene
 Give your eyes sufficient rest. Get at least six to eight hours of proper sleep to help your eyes
rejuvenate properly.
 Wash your eyes frequently. Keep fresh clean cold wet towel or freshly cut cucumber pieces or
cotton dipped in rose water to provide coolness to your eyes.
 Keep your house free of dust

Contributed by Dr Kavya Nagaraju, Cornea consultant, Sankara Eye Hospital.