LASIK Eye Center of Silicon Valley - Dr. Gary Kawesch

During the summer months, warnings about protecting our skin hit us from a multitude of commercials, news reports and product displays, but not just your skin burns, fries and bakes. Your eyes are also at risk for sun damage; protecting these valuable assets can mean the difference between having clear sight later in life or a lifetime of eye problems.

Shielding your eyes from the sun’s damaging UVA and UVB rays should be as important as protecting your skin. Anytime you are outdoors, whether in the summer or winter months, wear a pair of highly protective sunglasses to prevent eye damage and increase your chances for a lifetime of clear vision. If the sun has already damaged your eyes, then you'll want to schedule an appointment with a highly trained ophthalmologist, like California's Dr. Gary Kawesch at the Laser Eye Center of Silicon Valley to see if it can be corrected.

Sunglass Questions to Ask Beyond – How do I look in these?

Knowing how you look in a certain pair of sunglasses is of less importance than how those sunglasses protect your eyes. When selecting a pair of sunglasses, look for a minimum UV400 protection marked on the glasses. Again, this is the minimum requirement for protection; blocking 99 to 100 percent of UV radiation is your ultimate goal. When you are unsure about the protection of your sunglasses, contact your eye doctor to have a professional sunglass recommendation or to have the sunglasses you own evaluated for their ultraviolet protection.

When Eyes Have No Sun Protection

When eyes remain unprotected from the sun’s rays, UVA rays can penetrate deep into the eye and UVB rays can damage the cornea and lens. The resulting damage to your eyes will leave you with serious vision consequences. Those include:

• Increased risk of cataracts
• Added risk of macular degeneration
• Skin cancer of the eyelid
• Increased risk of pteryguim – a tissue growth on the whites of the eyes which can block vision

Your eye doctor is your best resource for help with protecting your eyes against the sun’s ultraviolet rays. For those who live in San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland, the eye doctors at Laser Eye Center of Silicon Valley can help you determine the best sun protection for your eyes. Please schedule an appointment today.