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Top tips for summer eye care

Clinical

Top tips for summer eye care

The summer eye care category is an opportunity for pharmacy teams to offer products and advice about protecting eyes in the short and long term, reports Kathy Oxtoby

For pharmacy teams, the summer months are an opportunity to provide patients with advice, products and information about how to protect against the sun’s damaging rays. But their focus should not only be on skincare - summer eye care is important too.

 

Protecting eyes from summer sun  

“UV [ultraviolet] radiation is damaging to the eyes - even on cloudy days,” says Lila Thakerar, superintendent pharmacist at Shaftesbury Pharmacy in Harrow. To protect the eyes from the sun’s rays, customers can be advised to wear sunglasses with UV protection, and wide brimmed hats, she says.

Pharmacists can also stock a range of sunglasses for customers to choose from. “We stock sunglasses, and go for fashionable, affordable, and quality,” says Ade Williams, superintendent pharmacy at Bedminster Pharmacy in Bristol.

Children’s eyes are more susceptible to damage from UV rays, and it is important to protect their eyes from the sun. “Children are at greater risk of UV damage because the lenses of their eyes are more transparent, allowing more short wavelength light to reach the retina,” says Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) president Professor Claire Anderson.

She says wearing sunglasses with UV protection and wide-brimmed hats are “simple ways to protect children’s eyes from UV rays”.

It is advisable for children to avoid “peak hours” of sunlight – 10am-4pm –and strollers and prams should have some kind of covering to protect against the sun’s rays, says Ms Thakerar

 

Dealing with hayfever eye symptoms

Sunshine is not the only reason eyes need protecting during the summer months. It’s also a time when the pollen count is high, and people may be experiencing hay fever eye symptoms.

“Pollen from grass and trees can cause people to have an allergic reaction, with streaming and itchy eyes,” says Mr Williams.

To help prevent hay fever eye symptoms, pharmacists can advise to keep windows shut during high pollen days, especially in the morning and evening, and check the pollen count via weather forecast websites or apps, such as the Met Office app, says Professor Anderson.

Pharmacists can also advise to wear wraparound sunglasses, apply petroleum jelly inside the nostrils when outside - which can help trap pollen particles - wash hands and face regularly, and to shower, and change clothes after being outside, to help remove the pollen, she says.

Pharmacists can also offer advice on a range of treatments. These include over-the-counter treatments such as antihistamines, steroid nasal sprays (anti-inflammatory), nasal saline rinses, and eye drops, says Professor Anderson.

Managing ‘summer conjunctivitis’ 

Infective conjunctivitis - an inflammation of the conjunctiva due to viral, bacterial or parasitic infection1 - can be more common in the summer as people – especially children – come together to play or swim. It usually affects both eyes and makes them red, burn or feel gritty, produce pus that sticks to lashes, itch, and water.2

This contagious condition can be treated with antibiotic eye drops or ointments, which are available from pharmacies, says Ms Thakerar. “It is important to catch it as early as possible to stop the spread from one eye to the other, and to family members or children at school,” she says.

Pharmacists can advise to wash eyelids with clean water, and to not wear contact lenses until the eyes are better, says Professor Anderson. Prevention includes avoiding  touching or rubbing the eyes, washing hands regularly and thoroughly, and changing pillowcases regularly, and not sharing them, she says.

Coping with dry eye in summer 

Individuals can get dry eyes if they do not make enough tears or their tears dry up quickly.3 During the summer, hot weather and high humidity can lead to dehydration when people are not drinking enough water, and sweating a lot more, which may reduce secretions, including tears, says Ms Thakerar.

Dry eyes are becoming “much more common as we are working at computer screens for longer”, says Mr Williams. Patients describe a gritty feeling, discomfort and difficulty keeping their eyes open, he says.

Eye drops can help to relieve dry eyes, he says. Products vary in the length of time their effects last for. Some are preservative free, some come in drops, and some in spray form for ease of application, “so there is real choice in that space, and all are trying to help people cope with symptoms”, says Mr Williams.

With dry eyes it is important to “be hydrated and drink lots of water”, says Ms Thakerar. She also advises to avoid air conditioning, which reduces the humidity in the air, and can cause tears to evaporate.

 

Protecting eyes while swimming

Wearing swimming goggles in the sea or swimming pool is “crucial to protect your eyes from irritation and infection by saltwater, chlorine and other chemicals” says Professor Anderson. “They protect your eyes from debris and bacteria, reducing risk of discomfort of potential eye infections,” she says.

 

Making the most of the summer eye care category

With summer eye care, Ms Thakerar advises to “keep a full range of products” both preventative and for treatment, including for hay fever, and infections.

Link-selling is important, she says. “For example, if someone comes in for antihistamines and you see they have weepy eyes, you could also suggest eye drops.”  

“A broad range of brands are now available in this competitive market,” says Ms Thakerar. Pharmacy teams need to be aware of any new products, and any updates to existing ones, including packaging or changes to instructions, she says.

Seeing patients with any eye related symptoms can become a minor illness consultation as part of the Pharmacy First service, so pharmacists need to request that patients ask their GP to send a referral for that service, says Ms Thakerar.

Eye infections and allergies can affect many people during the summer months, and preventative eye care, and early treatment to stop conditions escalating is very important, says Ms Thakerar.

These conditions have the potential to spoil people’s summer holidays – but pharmacies can help ensure individuals have treatments to hand, whether at home or abroad. “Make sure they have some back up eye drops and antihistamines, as well as protective wear like goggles and a wide brim hat, so they can have a good holiday,” says Ms Thakerar.

As a category, summer eye care is also “an opportunity for pharmacists to pass on some really important messages”, says Mr Williams. He says it’s about “protecting people from the risk of sun damage, offering relief from hay fever symptoms, and helping to entrench messages about responsible behaviour, which will protect the eyes in the short and long term”.

 

References 

  1. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2022) Conjunctivitis – infective.  https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/conjunctivitis-infective/ 
  2. NHS (2024) Conjunctivitis. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/conjunctivitis/
  3. NHS (2021) Dry eyes. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dry-eyes/

 

 

 

 

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