Eye care during the summer
Posted on: 09/Apr/2018 7:07:26 PM
Itchiness, burning and dry eyes are some of the problems people face during summer. The extreme heat conditions, intense rays of the sun and changes in the atmosphere due to the heat can trouble the eyes, which cannot hydrate themselves.
According to ophthalmologists, Maintaining good eye care in summer is thus, very important. The common eye problems that we find are dry eyes, itching sensation and burning of the eyes due to direct exposure to the sunlight, especially during peak hours. Some even suffer from visual disturbances.
The cornea is the only structure of the human body which has no blood supply because of which the water that one drinks does not reach the eyes. The eyes get their water from the atmosphere. Atmospheric variation like humidity, atmospheric pressure, pollution and content of oxygen and carbon dioxide affect the cornea, leading to dryness. Hence, while drinking sufficient water for the body is important, the eyes are not affected by the water that one drinks. That is a myth.
A boil on the eyelid is an infected cyst and depending on the severity of the infection, pus can form and increase the pressure inside the cyst, causing severe pain. The normal treatment is to relieve the pressure by incising the boil and evacuating the pus by an ophthalmologist.
Splashing of cold water helps. As the eyes depend on the atmospheric pressure for water, this external application gives them a coolant relief, and is hence, highly recommended.
Medications have side-effects and it can lead to dryness in the eyes. Diabetics are more prone to metabolic variations that can aggravate the dryness while pollution affects the cornea. Therefore, they need to be more careful in summer than non-diabetics.
Swimmers have to be careful as there are lots of people in the pools during summer. Eyes can get itchy or if there is redness, then it is a sign of allergy from the chemicals that are mixed in the swimming pool. If that happens, they have to consult a doctor and get treated accordingly. As a rule, swimmers must splash normal water on their eyes after every swimming session.
Conjunctivitis can be viral, bacterial or fungal. Viral conjunctivitis usually comes as an epidemic and spreads more in the summer, but these days it is occurring throughout the year in one part of the country or the other.
Bacterial and fungal conjunctivitis is not specific to a season but is more related to the immune system of an individual and should be immediately treated by an eye doctor. In all cases, affected people should not shake hands with others and maintain their own towels etc.
Here are some home remedies for eye care.
- Keep cucumber slices in the fridge and place them on the eyes every day for 10 minutes
- Wear dark glasses when you are outdoors
- Use artificial tear drops if the eyes are dry
- Cover your eyes with swimming goggles if you swim
- Take care of your hygiene in summers and wash hands frequently as rubbing one`s eyes with dirty hands can set off infections
