One of the best things about living in Florida is there’s no off-season for golf. Scratch golfers and weekend warriors can be found on the course year round.

Whenever I'm at the golf course, I always notice people lathering up with sunscreen before their round. I also catch quite a few players with sunglasses on the tops of their hat, or wearing no eye protection at all. While I’m glad to see people taking the proper precautions to protect their skin, it pains me to see how few remember to protect their eyes from the sun.

Most people are aware of the damage UV rays can cause the skin, but very few realize how these rays also pose a threat to the eyes. As an optometrist and sports vision specialist who has worked with both professional and amateur athletes, I’m eager to educate athletes and outdoor enthusiasts about the importance of keeping their eyes protected when outdoors.

Taking simple steps to protect your eyes while outdoors may help prevent many long-term eye health problems, like cataracts and macular degeneration, which can lead to premature blindness. One important fact to remember is that UV damage is cumulative, so it is never too early -- or too late -- to start protecting your eyes with UV-protecting lenses.

Within one week in September I saw two PGA Tour golfers in my office with sun exposure-related growths on the fronts of their eyes (known as pinquecula and pterygium). These are bumps that form on the white parts of the eyes usually at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions next to the iris. In the case of pterygium, the growths extend onto the cornea and can eventually affect vision. One player has a history of having his pterygium surgically removed and it has re-grown over the cornea again. Both players are now aware how important it is to protect their eyes from the sun’s rays. 

So remember...protect your eyes as well as your skin when outdoors!

Stay tuned and BeWell.