Abrams Eye Institute has before shared the importance of looking out for your eyes, in particular how various factors can contribute to damage to your eyes and your vision. One of our areas of focus we covered was preventing sun damage by taking appropriate precautions.
We recently came across a photo that had been shared of someone who had extensive skin damage to one side of their face. The man pictured drives trucks for a living and the side of his face that was regularly against the window had damage far in excess of the other side – entirely due to prolonged exposure to the sun.
The story, sourced from the New England Journal of Medicine, shared how the man had this sun damage due to Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays that pass through glass windows. Windows do block wind and rain, and as much as we would like them to keep damaging rays out, they do not. Even windows that are tinted do not completely block out harmful UV rays.
We don’t know what damage he may have incurred to his eyes, but it’s safe to say that the 28 years he’s spent behind the wheel certainly affected his eyes. And while not many of us drive around to the degree of a professional trucker, even a few minutes of sunlight can have an adverse affect on our eyes.
To mitigate this damage, there are precautions you can take while driving your car. First and foremost, find a pair of UV blocking sunglasses and wear them. Make sure to use your sun visor to block direct sun rays as much as possible, especially as you travel east in the early morning and west in the late afternoon. Although we mentioned that window tint may not block all damaging rays, the film is especially helpful to keep you and your passenger’s eyes safer than standard window glass.
We recommend that you take these precautions throughout the entire year. Just because the sun doesn’t feel as hot on your skin in February as it does in July, the sun’s rays are dangerous all twelve months of the year. We also recommend that you have regular exams to monitor your eyes and their health. By taking regular looks at your eyes, Dr. Jack Abrams and the team at Abrams Eye Institute can track damage and assist with treatment, if need be.
Use the form on our page, or call 702-304-9494 to make an appointment.
