We all know how bad the summer months can be. The sweltering heat and the intense rays of sunlight can be too much to handle at times. This is especially true when it comes to sensitive parts of your body, like your skin and your eyes. If you are looking to make sure that your eyes stay healthy during these harsh southern summers, here are three ways to protect them from that blazing South Carolina sun.
Reading guide
Improve Your Home’s Defenses
The worst thing about summer is waking up or walking around your house and being blinded by the sunlight bouncing off of your windows. A great way to combat this nuisance is to purchase blinds or curtains that help to block out the sun when it is positioned right in front of your windows. It may even be necessary to purchase blackout curtains to use around the clock if you’re someone who is very sensitive to sunlight. If you’re trying to maintain the southern charm of your home, you could opt for shutters and purchase some plantation shutters in Charleston instead.
If you’re truly invested in blocking out light and heat, there are specialized window films that do this as well. For example, windows that are in the path of direct sunlight in the morning could greatly benefit from temporary heat-control window film that helps to reduce the intense glare as well as the heat that is produced from the sun’s rays. If you’re looking for a more permanent solution, you might want to purchase special window panes that are already tinted or that can produce a blackout effect when desired.
It’s important to pay attention to how different products work when you are looking to decrease the amount of sunlight in your home. Bigger products like window films and tinted panes each come with their advantages and disadvantages that could make or break their usage. For example, window films are only meant for temporary usage and will present a problem if used on windows that have double panes or similar features. Tinted window panes may also be an issue for those who want more heat in their house. Therefore, it’s important to do your research to find the best product that matches your needs.
Invest in a Good Pair of Glasses
When you’re out of the house, you are in direct contact with the sunlight. This presents an even bigger problem to your eyes than inside doing. To make sure that your eyes are protected when you’re out and about, it is best to invest in a good pair of glasses that will block out UV rays and keep your eyes from receiving direct sunlight.
However, it can be difficult to choose a good pair of sunglasses. There are so many pairs that do not provide UV protection for your eyes. Tinted shades that are sold throughout gift shops and other places may seem like cheap, usable options, but they rarely offer the protection that your eyes need. When you look for a pair of sunglasses to use regularly, there are several important features that you need to evaluate the glasses for. The first and most important feature is UV protection. Although it seems only logical that all sunglasses would provide UV protection, a lot of them don’t. Look for sunglasses that block out at least 99 to 100 percent of UV rays. This will make sure that no harmful rays reach your eyes.
Invest in a Good Pair of Glasses
Some other helpful features to look for in a pair of sunglasses include polarized lenses and anti-reflective lenses. Polarized lenses help to reduce glare and prevent intense light from causing you to squint with your glasses on. Anti-reflective lenses typically contain a coating that works to keep unwanted glares and intense light out. Keep in mind, however, that some of these features could put you at an increased risk of UV rays since these qualities and coatings tend to interfere with UV protection in some cases.
Although you could go out and purchase your own sunglasses, it is probably best to visit an eye doctor, in case you are going to need special sunglasses to assist with vision issues. If you are in immediate need of sunglasses, visit an eye doctor in Summerville as soon as possible and get a pair that will give you the protection you need.
Use Preventative Measures When Driving
It is essential that you have proper eye protection inside of a car. Driving during the daytime, it can get difficult to see the road when the sunlight is shining through the windshield. It produces an intense glare that renders a driver almost incapable of paying attention to the road. It’s absolutely necessary to protect your eyes while driving so that you don’t get into an accident that forces you to hire a car accident attorney.
Even though it may seem a little silly to be wearing your sunglasses while driving, it will help to keep any glare and direct sunlight from causing issues while you’re behind the wheel. You can refer to the previous section above for ideas on what kind of sunglasses you will need to protect your eyes, and you should definitely make sure that your sunglasses don’t interfere with your vision since this is the most important part of driving safely.
Some other popular tips to consider when driving in direct sunlight include lowering your visor to block out the sun, making sure that your windshield is clean and free of any damage that could worsen the glare, and focusing on the road marks so that you don’t get into an accident.
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If you are looking for something a little more helpful, there are also products that go over your windshield to reduce UV rays and protect your eyes while driving. Some windshields are already made with this type of function in mind. The only thing to look out for when purchasing a windshield film or a tinted windshield is that the product is legal, as some tinted products could get you in trouble with the law.
Our eyes are very sensitive organs that need to be protected if we want to keep them safe and functional. If you’re living in South Carolina and dealing with the blazing sun on a daily basis, use the three tips above to help protect your eyes and make sure that you remain safe during the hectic summer months!