Key takeaways
- Flexibility is one of the more accessible wellness tools available to employers. It gives employees room to handle the changes in their routines.
- Easy wellness programs to include in the summer are the ones built around healthy habits employees are already trying to keep up with.
- Summer is one of the best windows to use preventive benefits before the end-of-year rush hits.
Spend enough time in Arizona and a few things become second nature: having water nearby, wearing sunscreen and parking in the shade whenever you can.
Eye protection doesn’t always make that list. Or at least not high enough.
Yet your eyes spend just as much time in the sun as the rest of you. Between intense ultraviolet (UV) rays, bright glare and dry desert air, they face conditions that can affect both comfort and long-term eye health.
But protecting your eyes from Arizona’s sun doesn’t have to be complicated. Like sunscreen and carrying water, it can become one more habit that comes naturally with living in the desert.
Why the Arizona Sunshine Can Be Tough on Your Eyes
You’ve probably said it to yourself: “at least it’s a dry heat.” Sure, low humidity makes 105 feel more bearable than it sounds. But that same dry air that keeps you from sweating through your shirt is also pulling moisture from your eyes all day.
Arizona gets 300 days of sunshine a year. That’s part of the appeal, but the tradeoff is your eyes are working hard against the conditions.
If you’ve ever come home from a long day outside with red, watery eyes or a sensitivity to light that wasn’t there that morning, that’s your eyes responding to the environment around them.
UV rays reach your eyes even when you don’t expect it.
You might assume a cloudy day means less exposure, but clouds block sunlight, not UV radiation. And when light reflects off water, sand or pavement, it can actually be worse for your eyes than standing in direct sun.
Source: Turbert, D. (2024) The Sun, UV light and your eyes, American Academy of Ophthalmology. Available at: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/sun
Without protection, here’s what can happen to your eyes:
- Photokeratitis
A sunburn of your cornea, which is the clear top layer of your eye. It happens when you get too much UV exposure from the sun or artificial sources like tanning beds. Just like a skin sunburn, you might not notice the symptoms or the severity of it until a few hours later. - Cataracts
This is when your vision is clouded or blurred. Most people associate cataracts with aging, but years of UV exposure can speed up their development. - Pterygium
A fleshy tissue growth over the white part of your eye that can slowly spread toward your cornea. It’s one of the more direct consequences of too much time in the sun without eye protection. - Macular degeneration
Affects the part of your retina responsible for helping your read, drive and recognize faces. Unlike some conditions, the damage it causes is permanent.
Catching any of these early changes everything about how manageable they are.
Protecting Your Eyes Using the Right Gear
There’s no single product that does everything, but the right gear can make a real difference. You probably already own the basics. But it’s important to focus on the details. Is what you have actually up for the job? What you wear, how it fits and what’s on the label all factor into how well your eyes are protected when you step outside.
What to Look for in Sunglasses
It’s easy to think that wearing dark sunglasses protects you, but that’s a common misconception. Dark sunglasses without proper UV protection are just… dark. In fact, your pupils dilate behind the dark tint, letting in more UV rays than if you weren’t wearing sunglasses at all.
What you want to look for when you’re buying sunglasses is a lens rating that tells you about protection. UV400 is the best lens rating and means the lenses block 100% of UVA and UVB rays.
While UV protection blocks harmful rays, there’s another feature you should consider when picking a pair of sunglasses: light reflects off pavement, water and windshields, which creates glare. This can cause you to squint and have difficulty seeing objects in the glare zone. Polarization in sunglasses cuts glare. Your lenses will work best when you pair polarization, which handles the light you can see, with UV protection, which handles the damage you can’t.
Once you have the right lens, you want to consider how much of your eye it covers.
Light doesn’t travel in a straight line. It comes in from the sides, reflects up from below and cuts in from above. And a standard frame doesn’t account for any of that. Wraparound styles and larger frames close off those angles and give your eyes more complete coverage.
If you wear prescription glasses, the same thinking applies to your sunglasses. Clip-ons and Ttransitions help, but a dedicated pair of prescription sunglasses built for outdoor use will do more for your eyes.
Other Ways to Protect Your Eyes
Sunglasses do the heavy lifting, but they don’t do everything. Add these items to round out your eye protection without adding much effort:
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat
Sunglasses cover what’s directly in front of you, but light still comes in from above. A hat with a wide brim blocks that overhead exposure and reduces how much direct sunlight reaches your eyes throughout the day. - Keep artificial tears on hand
Dry air pulls moisture from the surface of your eyes all day. And you might not even notice until your eyes are already irritated or gritty. Artificial tears help replace what the environment takes out and keep your eyes comfortable between blinks.
The right gear gets you most of the way there. The rest of your protection comes down to habit.
Everyday Habits That Protect Your Eyes Year-Round
Living in Arizona long enough means you’ve already figured out how to work around the sun. You know which errands to run before noon and why you never leave the house without water. Protecting your eyes is part of that same mindset.
UV intensity peaks between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Planning outdoor activities before or after that window gives your eyes a break during the hours when UV exposure hits hardest. It won’t always line up with your schedule, but when it does, your eyes will thank you.
Hydration is the habit that doesn’t get enough credit for eye health. Your body needs water to produce tears and in a dry climate, that supply gets depleted faster. Drinking water throughout the day is one of the simpler everyday habits to keep your eyes (and body!) comfortable year-round.
Did you know?
What you eat can help strengthen your eyes from the inside out. Certain nutrients from a well-balanced diet or supplements support the structures your eyes depend on, making them more resilient against daily sun exposure.
Protecting Your Eyes with Preventive Care
You’re wearing quality sunglasses and a wide brimmed hat, drinking lots of water and scheduling activities when the sunlight isn’t so strong. But you still might be missing what’s happening on the inside. A routine eye exam makes sure you’re doing everything you can to protect your eyes from the strong sun in Arizona. That’s because:
- Sun-related eye damage: Your doctor can spot damage before you notice symptoms
- Eye health: Exams can catch issues like dry eye, cataracts or retinal damage that intense sun can worsen
- Sharper vision: Healthy eyes handle bright light and glare better, helping you see clearly outdoors
- Lens quality: You’ll get guidance on proper sunglasses or lenses that block UV rays
Most vision insurance covers routine eye exams as part of its preventive benefits. Looking for vision coverage? Delta Dental of Arizona offers vision plans designed to support your eye health year-round! Whether you’re already covered or shopping for a plan, there’s an option for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The Arizona sun regularly hits extreme UV levels that can damage your eyes. The effects of UV exposure range from short-term irritation to long-term conditions like cataracts, pterygium (fleshy tissue growth over the white part of your eye) and macular degeneration.
No. If dark lenses do not provide UV protection, your pupils may dilate behind the tint, potentially allowing more harmful UV radiation to reach the eye than if you weren’t wearing sunglasses.
What you want to look for when you’re buying sunglasses is a lens rating that tells you about protection. UV400 is the best lens rating, which means the lenses block 100% of UVA and UVB rays.
No, polarized sunglasses and UV protection provide different benefits. Polarization reduces glare, which helps in bright conditions. UV400 blocks radiation from reaching your eyes. A polarized lens without UV400 makes the experience more comfortable but doesn’t make your eyes any safer from harmful rays.
Yes, UV rays can damage your eyes on cloudy days. That’s because clouds block sunlight, not UV radiation. When light reflects off water, sand or pavement, it can actually be worse for your eyes than standing in direct sun.
Yes! Children’s eyes are more sensitive to UV radiation than adults. Children should wear UV400 sunglasses whenever they’re outside in Arizona, with frames that fit well and stay on.
It can. Too much sun exposure, combined with the dry desert air, can pull moisture from your eye and cause them to be dry and irritated. Staying hydrated and keeping artificial tears on hand can help.
Most adults, should get an eye exam once a year. If you have a family history of eye disease, diabetes or high blood pressure, your eye doctor might recommend coming in more often.
Yes! DeltaVision®, administered by EyeMed, include coverage for routine eye exams and prescription eyewear like glasses and contact lenses.
