Healthy Me

Even though the kids are back in school, we must not forget that the sun is still hot and can cause damage. We went to a football game this past weekend and ended up fried. I have stripes on my feet from my sandals! I won't even get into the sunburn on my eyes other than to say I should have grabbed my husband's Men's Sunglasses from the car. I never thought about it.

I need to take more care of my health. The temporary discomfort aside, too much sun can cause major skin damage. I try to avoid that because I am really pale but it totally slipped my mind this time. I don't want to end up with skin cancer on my nose or shoulders from too much sun!

Everybody needs the sun for Vitamin D. 10-15 minutes of daily sun exposure is all it takes to get the D you need. I certainly didn't need three hours unprotected!

We are all familiar with sunburn you get on your skin - the red, painful, blistery feeling your skin gets after you've overdone it without protection in the sun. Did you know you can have sunburned eyes if you don't wear the appropriate protection for your eyes as well?

Symptoms of sunburned eyes, according to the Mayo Clinic, is burning, pain, and a gritty feeling. Sun can damage the retina and lens of your eye. This can lead to cataracts.

To prevent sun damage to your eyes, you should avoid the sun during the hottest hours of the day (10 a.m. and 4 p.m.) and wear sunglasses that block most of the UV light. They make a lot of really nice styles of women's, children's, and Mens Sunglasses. Pick a pair that fits close to your face. Wraparounds are a great choice because they block the sun at all angles.