As we round out the summer months, some of us are probably a little more tan than we were a few months ago. However, given what we now know about the damaging effects of UV rays on our skin, getting the golden glow isn’t quite as desirable as it once was. That said, while more people are opting for skin safety over sunbathing, many still don’t realize how damaging sun exposure can also be to our eyes and vision.

Over time, exposure to UV rays can increase the risk of developing macular degeneration, cancers of the eye, or cataracts. In fact, the World Health Organization reports as much as 20% of cataracts may be caused by overexposure to UV radiation. Read more

While sunglasses can be a great fashion accessory, the real point of wearing them is to protect your eyes from exposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays. That said, do expensive sunglasses protect your eyes any more than cheaper sunglasses do? And regardless of the price you pay, what are the qualities you absolutely must look for when choosing sunglasses?

First, let’s take a look at why wearing sunglasses is so important. Studies have shown that UV rays from the sun can increase the risk of eye diseases, including eye cancer, or ocular melanoma, and cataracts, a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Each time we’re out in the sun without protecting our eyes we could be accumulating damage that adds to our risks for these serious disorders. Read more

The news this summer has been grim with incidences of people unknowingly contracting flesh-eating bacteria, usually while visiting the beach while they had cuts or scrapes. And most recently, distraught pet owners report that their beloved dogs quickly became fatally ill after being exposed to blue-green algae in ponds or small bodies of water

While we certainly all hope that such incidences are more rare than common, recent events do have many people asking how safe it is to swim in lakes, rivers, oceans, or even pools. Of particular concern are for people who do so while wearing contacts. Read more

Dr. Bobby Douglas will be joining Baptist Eye Surgeons at the Morristown location in August, 2019. Dr. Douglas earned his medical degree from the James H. Quillen College of Medicine

in Johnson City, TN, in 2015. He completed his internship and residency in ophthalmology in 2019 at Baylor Scott and White Memorial Hospital in Temple, TX. Read more

The summer months usher in such a wide array of outdoor activities, including lawn maintenance, gardening, and home repairs. Most of us go about these tasks without thinking much about the safety of our eyes, but we’re taking big risks each time we do so.

Ask any eye doctor about summertime eye injuries and he or she is sure to have stories to share about major eye injuries that happened in a split second while people were doing a task they’ve done countless times before. Read more