Summer means longer days and that's more time to enjoy this gorgeous sunshine, but it's important to keep your eyes healthy.
While Joe Serowik he enjoys fishing on a summer day, but keeps his sunglasses handy while spending the afternoon out by the water. "Always have my sunglasses on, I don't like having to squint my eyes to look around, I like being relaxed and not having to worry about it, and when I squint, I get tired,” said Serowik.
Those sunglasses can have a bigger impact says optometrist Cerina Buchanan said optometrist, Cerina Buchanan of “My Eye Dr.” in Gastonia., especially, when it comes to your eye health.
"A lot of people aren't aware there are so many risks associated with just prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation or ultraviolet lights, so because of that we like to stress the importance of sunwear on,” said optometrist, Cerina Buchanan of “My Eye Dr.” in Gastonia.
The National Eye Institute estimates that 20% percent of cases involving cataracts are from extended UV exposure, so it's important to keep your sunglasses with you and keep your eyes healthy.
Buchanan says cataracts can be accelerated by increased sun exposure. "Our lense is important to allow us to see out; if there's any cloudiness or opacity there, then, your vision looking out can be very blurry,” said Buchanan.
Serowik agrees that taking care of your eyes is key to your health."I think it's important to take care of our eyes just like anything else on our bodies. I think wearing sunglasses helps you when you drive, when you try to look at things, when you're walking, running, doing something, I think it's pretty important,” said Serowik.
How should you pick your sunglasses? The National Eye Institute says they recommend looking for sunglasses that block 99 to 100% of UVA and UVB radiation.