Protecting Your Eyes From The Sun Just As Important As Skin
According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), overexposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays has been associated with several eye problems, such as age-related cataracts, pterygium, photkeratitis, and corneal degenerative changes. These may cause blurred vision, irritation, redness, tearing, temporary vision loss, and possibly even blindness.
Gregory Good, a member of AOA’s commission on ophthalmic standards, says “Just as skin is ‘burned’ by UV radiation, the eye can also suffer damage. The lesson – especially for young people – is that eyes need protection, too.” He recommends protecting the eyes by wearing a brimmed hat and using eyewear that properly absorbs UV radiation.
Children and teens are exceptionally vulnerable to sun-related eye damage, because they tend to spend more time outdoors than adults, and the lenses of their eyes are more transparent, which means more light can reach the retina.
The AOA gives the following advice about sunglasses:
- Wear protective eyewear anytime your eyes are exposed to UV radiation, even on cloudy day and during the winter.
- Purchase sunglasses that provide good UV protection. Quality sunglasses should block 99% of UV-A and UV-B radiation and shield 75 percent to 90 percent of visible light.
- Make sure that the lenses are free of distortion or imperfections.
- Buy gray-colored lenses. They reduce light-intensity without changing the color of objects.
- Make sure that children and teens wear sunglasses, too.
I have a decent pair of glasses, but I don’t wear them as often as I should. However, I didn’t realize that I should wear them on cloudy days and during the winter.
Reference: MedLine Plus
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My eyes are pretty sensitive so I wear sunglasses a lot of the time. I didn’t when I was younger, though.
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Yikes — I definitely did not know that. I’m glad you gave the advice about gray-colored lenses — I’d never heard that before. Not sure why we tend to neglect our eyes and focus solely on protecting our skin. I will definitely make the effort to pay a little more attention to those peepers from now on…
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