Jan 13 2009
Protecting Your Eyes From the Sun
Most of us now understand how important it is to protect our skin from the sun but do we give as much thought to our eyes?
According to Dr. Emily Senay, UV rays can damage the retina which increases the risk of macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in older Americans. Uv radiation also damages the lens which can cause cataracts and even eye cancer. More importantly we need to understand that this damage is cumulative over a lifetime. This means that children, whose eye lenses are more transparent, need to protect their eyes from the sun as well. And just as people with lighter skin burn more quickly, people with lighter color eyes can sustain sun damage to their eyes more quickly.
The best eye protection is a good pair of sunglasses. Wrap around style glasses that block light from the side are recommended. We should look for glasses with a tag saying they block 99% to 100% of UV light or UV absorption up to 400 nanometers. Some glasses claim they block UV rays but do not disclose how much. That’s not good enough. Color and darkness does not ensure the ability to block enough UV light.
And lastly, eye protection and sunglasses are not just for the beach or the summer. Glare from snow can be just as harmful for eyes. A good pair of sunglasses are recommended for year round protection for your eyes from the cumulative effects of UV rays.
