Ophthalmologist Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler Shares Summer Eye-Care Tips

STUDIO CITY (CBS) — Ophthalmologist Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler visited KCAL9 Tuesday to share summer eye-care tips. He also demonstrated ways we can take care of our eyes all year long.

1) Eat good sources of beta-carotene: carrots, apricots, sweet potatoes, spinach, red bell pepper and cantaloupe. Grandma wasn't kidding when she said eat your carrots they are good for the eyes.

a) The deep-colored fruits and vegetables are typically good sources of beta-carotene and contain many carotenoids (plant pigments).
b) Beta-carotene and certain carotenoids are just a handful of the array of nutrients linked to good eye health.
c) Summer is a great time to make a great salad with some of these items or enjoy some cool refreshing fruit.

2) Don't rub your eyes!

a) Rubbing your eyes can lead to damage to the clear window of the eye and development of a condition called Keratoconus.
b) If you find the need to rub your eyes, either try some artificial tears or use allergy drops.
c) Consider using allergy eye drops once a day prophylactically during allergy season. This preventative measure will help soothe the eyes and make you more comfortable

3) Don't put your contacts in your mouth!

a) Your mouth is a not a place for your contacts.
b) If you drop your contact, rinse them off with saline.
c) If your eyes are feeling dry, instill a drop of artificial tears.
d) If your eyes are becoming red, decrease your wear time of contacts and increase the use of artificial tears.

4) Wear sunglasses and a hat!

a) UV rays are terrible for your eyes; they can damage the eyes. Years of sun damage can cause damage to the whites of the eye and lead to less healthy look to those whites.
b) Premature cataracts can be prevented by a good pair of sunglasses. Also, some research shows that macular degeneration may be slowed down by reducing UV exposure.
c) Buy sunglasses that will protect you from 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB lights.
d) Wraparound sunglasses stop the UV rays from entering from the sides of the frame.
e) Polarized lenses reduce glare from reflective surfaces, they're great for water-based activities and driving.
f) Also, wear hats that have coverage over your eyes/head area – this keeps out the sun exposure from above.

5) Hydrate your eyes!

a) A great way to keep your eyes healthy is to instill artificial tears in your eyes.
b) Dry eyes are one of the most common eye conditions. As simple as it seems, you would be amazed at how few actually know about this simple tip for eye health in the summer.
c) Refreshing your eyes with artificial tears also helps to clean out particles that may linger around after being in the wind or sun.
d) They should be an essential in your first aid kit. You can purchase individual vials to keep in your first aid kit. Perfect for those windy days at the beach when sand blows in your eye. Simple flush your eyes we generous amount of eye drops.
e) Also, instilling them before going outside for prolong periods helps to give some protection to the environment.
f) Red eyes are a sign that your eyes have become too dry! Instill some artificial tears rather than "get the red" out eye drops.

*If you forget these tips and begin to see excessive red vessels, yellowing of the eye or brown pigment spots – don't despair. I-BRITE Eye Whitening can help restore and refresh environmentally damaged eyes.