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With school almost over for the summer, parents across McHenry County and the country will be turfing their children outside to play. Most parents load their kids up with sunscreen, slapping on a good layer to protect their children’s skin. But most aren’t thinking to guard the sun’s rays against another part of their children…their eyes.
Children and teenagers are particularly susceptible to the sun's damaging rays because they typically spend more time outdoors than adults, and the lenses of their eyes are more transparent than those of adults. The transparent lenses allow more short wavelength light to reach the retina of the eye.
“Most adults don’t think about having their children wear sunglasses, mainly because children typically don’t complain about it affecting their vision. If you stop to think about it, the only reason adults put on sunglasses is when the sun comes out and they can’t see as well, even adults don’t think about UVA and UVB protection when the sun is hidden,” states Dr. David Rocks, an optometrist at Advanced Eyecare Clinic in Lake in the Hills.
The effects of UV radiation are cumulative, so it's important to develop good protection
habits early in life, such as wearing sunglasses with UV protection. The American Eye-Q® survey showed that 61 percent of Americans buy sunglasses for their children, but 23 percent do not check that the lenses provide protection against UV rays.
By educating Americans about the dangers of UV rays on the eyes and the importance of choosing proper eyewear that provides the best UV protection, doctors of optometry are helping patients protect their long-term eye health.
The following top five tips from the American Optometric Association can help prevent further eye damage from exposure to UV radiation:
1. Wear protective eyewear any time your eyes are exposed to UV radiation, even on cloudy days and during the winter.
2. Look for quality sunglasses that offer good protection. Sunglasses should block out 99 to 100 percent of UV-A and UV-B radiation and screen out 75 to 90 percent of visible light.
3. Check to make sure sunglass lenses are perfectly matched in color and free of distortions or imperfections.
4. Purchase gray-colored lenses because they reduce light intensity without altering the color of objects, providing the most natural color vision.
5. Start your children wearing sunglasses at an early age, the sooner the better.
Additionally, be sure to receive routine comprehensive eye exams from an eye doctor. It's a good way to monitor eye health, maintain good vision, and keep up-to-date on the latest in UV radiation protection.
“Exposure to UV light over the course of your lifetime has been linked to many eye diseases. It is thought to speed the development of cataracts, cause growths on the whites of the eyes called pinguecula, and may even play a roll in the development of macular degeneration later in life,” states Dr. Rocks. “The more we protect our when we’re young, the healthier they’ll be as we age.”
Advanced Eyecare Clinic is one of Chicago area's leading optometry practices. Located in Lake in the Hills, it serves patients of all ages throughout the northwest suburbs and surrounding areas. Extensive eye care services ranging from routine eye exams and contact lens fitting to treatment of eye diseases, pediatrics and dry eye management are provided. For more information, please contact the office at (847)854-0202 or at http://www.AdvancedEyecareClinic.com.
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http://www.prlog.org/
