Issue date: for immediate release
Eat your sunscreen!
Local optician launches essential guide to Summer eyecare
Local optician (insert name of practice), has teamed up with national sight charity, the
Eyecare Trust to launch an essential guide to Summer eyecare.
“Just like your skin, eyes can get sunburnt too – so it’s vital you protect them from
damaging ultraviolet (UV) light.” explains (insert your name) of (insert practice name).
(Insert your name) continues: “The short-term effects of overexposure to UV radiation
include sore, irritated and photosensitive eyes whilst the long-term effects include
increased risk of sight-threatening diseases such as age-related macular degeneration,
cataracts and cancer of the eye.”
The best way to protect your sight is to stop the UV rays entering your eyes by wearing
sunglasses – over-sized or wrap-around styles offer the greatest protection.
Always check your shades block out at least 99 per cent of UVA and UVB light and look
out for a CE Mark or the British Standard BSEN 1836:2005 when buying sunglasses, as this
will ensure they provide adequate UV protection.
“It’s particularly important to ensure kids’ eyes are protected as big pupils and clearer
lenses mean up to 70 per cent more UV light reaches the retina of a child’s eye,” warns
Dharmesh Patel, Chairman of the Eyecare Trust.
In fact, by the age of 18, more than half a lifetimes’ worth of ultraviolet light will have
been absorbed by a child’s eye*.
You can also protect your eyes from the inside by eating more green and yellow fruits and
vegetables.
Seasonal fruits and vegetables such as corn-on-the-cob, avocado, lettuce and spinach
are packed full of lutein and zeaxanthin. These eye friendly nutrients can actually help
protect your eyes against the UV’s damaging blue rays.
Holidaymakers planning to travel by air should also be aware of the risk of dry eye.
Humidity levels on airplanes drops to just 10 -15 per cent. These dry air conditions can
cause and exacerbate symptoms of dry eye – a sandy/gritty feeling, burning sensation
and dry, itchy, red or tired eyes.
These symptoms can affect all travelers – a survey of Australian pilots even found that
almost three quarters (72%) experience dry eye symptoms whilst flying**.
Lubricating eye drops and hydrating your body by drinking plenty of fluids (non-alcoholic)
before and during your flight should help minimise your symptoms.
If you wear contact lenses it is advisable to remove them when flying.
Summer allergies such as hay fever and vernal conjunctivitis can also spell misery for
anyone unlucky enough to suffer symptoms of these seasonal disorders.
Ninety five per cent of the UK’s 15 million hay fever sufferers are allergic to grass pollen.
To minimise symptoms (insert your name) advises sufferers to check the pollen count
before leaving home, keep house and car windows closed, wear wrap-around sunglasses
and avoid cutting grass.
Used tea bags that have been kept in the fridge over-night can be used as a cold
compress to help relieve discomfort and reduce any swelling around the eye.
Antihistamines are often very effective at treating symptoms of grass pollen allergies particularly if they are taken prior to the onset of any symptoms.
For more extreme symptoms Immunotherapy – a treatment that involves patients being
given small doses of grass pollen to try and desensitise the immune system and provoke a
more normal reaction to the allergen – may help.
Incidence of vernal conjunctivitis – an allergic inflammation of the conjunctiva, the
transparent membrane covering the white of the eye peak around now (August).
Symptoms consist of redness, swelling of the conjunctiva, swollen eyelids, itchiness and
lacrimation (increased production of tears). It’s sometimes also combined with rhinitis
(itchy nose and sneezing).
The condition is usually treated using antihistamines and eye drops.
FIVE TOP SUMMER SIGHT SAVERS
1. Ensure your sunglasses block at least 99% of UVA and UVB light – you can do this
by checking they have a CE or British Standard BSEN 1836:2005 mark
2. Eat a diet rich in green and yellow fruits and vegetables
3. Keep your body hydrated whilst flying
4. Hay fever sufferers should take antihistamines before symptoms present
themselves
5. Use cold teabags to relieve symptoms of summer allergies
For further advice and information on caring for your eyes and the Essential Guide to
Summer Eyecare please visit (insert practice name) opticians, in (Insert street name and
town) or log on to (insert web address).
For more press information please contact:
(insert name of optician) of (insert name of practice) on (insert telephone number) or
email (insert email address).
Notes to Editors
The Eyecare Trust is a registered charity that exists to promote awareness of ocular health
and the importance of good eyecare. www.eyecaretrust.org.uk
Insert line about your practice
* The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates up to 80% of a person’s lifetime to
exposure to UV occurs before the age of 18
** Survey of dry eye symptoms in Australian pilots. McCarty DJ, McCarty CA. Centre for
Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne. PMID: 10981789