Important Warnings from Ophthalmologist

Warnings from an Ophthalmologist Acıbadem Altunizade Hospital Ophthalmologist Dr. Mürüvvet Ayten Tüzünalp emphasizes that due to summer's seasonal characteristics—from the sun to pools, countryside, sea, beaches, contact lenses to sunscreen use—our eyes are exposed to environmental risks, and therefore certain precautions must be observed carefully. Dr. Mürüvvet Ayten Tüzünalp, noting that allergic eye diseases, conjunctivitis (eye inflammation) and eye infections increase during summer in both children and adults, has explained the summer risks to eyes and the measures needed against these dangers, offering important warnings and recommendations.

Don't be fooled by sunglasses appearance!

Ophthalmologist Dr. Tüzünalp states "Since UV rays from the sun have a burning effect on cells in the vision center, we must choose our sunglasses very carefully. It is appropriate to use UV400 filtered glasses or polarized lenses that protect against both UVA and UVB rays. We must be especially careful when selecting sunglasses with proper lenses for children and elderly people. Behind glasses that are darkened by tinting, our pupils are larger and therefore exposed more to harmful effects."

Follow these rules at the pool

Dr. Mürüvvet Ayten Tüzünalp notes that pools are among the environments where microbes multiply most densely and contagion is highest, and that they directly threaten eye health, particularly when hygiene rules are not sufficiently followed and crowds are present. Dr. Tüzünalp also warns against spending long periods in pools. Dr. Tüzünalp states "Chlorine used in pools to prevent microbe growth can cause toxic effects on the cornea after prolonged swimming and harm eye health. Therefore, it is very important to wear swimming goggles and wash your face immediately after leaving the pool." Dr. Tüzünalp recommends that contact lens users avoid entering the sea or pool with contact lenses unless necessary, and if they do, must wear swimming goggles. Otherwise, infection agents can easily stick to the lens and cause infection.

Don't let sunscreen get in your eyes

Ophthalmologist Dr. Tüzünalp emphasizes that when applying sunscreen to protect against the sun's harmful rays to the eye area, care must be taken and it must not get into the eyes. Dr. Tüzünalp continues: "When sunscreen gets into our eyes, the chemicals in it can cause irritation. We see eye allergies very frequently, especially because children often put their hands in their eyes and sunscreen is used heavily. If sunscreen gets into the eyes, the eyes should be washed with plenty of water."

Pay attention to contact lens hygiene

Dr. Tüzünalp, noting that contact lens use increases during summer months since sunglasses can be worn over them, warns with these words: "Since contact lenses absorb tears and maintain their shape, and hot weather and air-conditioned environments can cause dryness, greater attention must be paid to artificial tear use. If eyes are not moistened with artificial tears, allergy and conjunctivitis problems can occur. You must apply artificial tears to your eyes at all times while wearing lenses, with your doctor's knowledge. You must always wash your hands before putting in and before taking out your lenses."

Don't touch your eyes and face with your hands!

Hands, the most contaminated part of our body during the day, must absolutely not touch eyes and face. Emphasizing that hand hygiene closely affects eye health and that contact of dirty hands with the face can lead to serious infections, Dr. Mürüvvet Ayten Tüzünalp states that hands must be washed frequently with water and soap.

Don't even trust shade!

Ophthalmologist Dr. Mürüvvet Ayten Tüzünalp stresses that exposure to the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays can lead to cataracts and retinal diseases, and therefore during hours when the sun reaches the earth directly, particularly between 10:00 and 14:00, one should stay as far as possible from the rays, and under no circumstances should one look at the sun, even with sunglasses. Dr. Tüzünalp notes that we should not even trust shaded areas and that it is important to protect our eyes from sun rays, saying "On sunny summer days, we must always wear sunglasses with ultraviolet protection even in shaded areas and should not walk around with bare eyes. We must protect not only ourselves but also our children with sunglasses. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat in the open air will also reduce the effects of sun rays."