UV Protection and Healthy Vision by Dallas Erickson, Marketing Manager, Soderberg
Palm trees standing tall above you, the soft ocean breeze tickling your hair, an ice cold beverage and the sun warming your face, what could sound more relaxing? Being that I am from the Midwest, that sounds like paradise to me but something is definitely missing, UV protection. Everyone’s first reaction to UV protection is to reach for and apply a UV blocking lotion or spray for skin, but what about your eyes?
It is logical that people are more accustomed to protecting their skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays because the negative effects of the sun are immediate and obvious. Also, health professionals speak of it constantly. With that being said, if we know that UV rays are so damaging to our skin, why wouldn’t we be as equally concerned with protecting our vision?
The consequences of UV exposure to our eyes are not as obvious as what it does to our skin, so it is important that eye care professionals educate every single patient about the effects of UV and how they can best prevent damage now and into the future.
First, it is important that we understand what effects UV exposure can have on our eyesight. Each day that your eyes are exposed to UV rays for an extended period of time can cause short term vision impairment and possible eye conditions or diseases later on in life. Some conditions or diseases related to UV exposure are:
Short Term
* Photokeratitis (sunburn of the eye)
Long Term
* Cataracts
* Damage to the retina
* Chronic eye disease
* Skin cancer around eye
* Pterygium (growth in corners of the eye)
* Pinguecula (yellowish, raised lesion found on the white of eye)
Protection from dangerous UV rays is important and should start immediately. All patients, no matter the age, should be advised of their eyewear options for UV protection whether they need an Rx or not. Also, children and teenagers spend a lot of time outdoors and should not be overlooked when it comes to appropriate eye protection. In fact, this is perhaps the most critical time to advise UV protection since children often spend time in direct sunlight.
Photochromic lenses, e.g. Transitions Lenses, should be worn in place of a patient’s clear pair of eyewear. Photochromic lenses block 100% of UVA and UVB rays and provide UV 400 protection. They also offer convenience when sunglasses aren’t easily accessible.
Everyone who spends extended periods of time out in the sun should also have a pair of sunglasses that block 100% of both UVA and UVB rays because not all lenses do. Sunglasses are absolutely necessary for everyone, especially contact lens wearers and eyeglass wearers who don’t have eyewear such as Photochromic lenses that block UV rays. Sun lenses are available in an array of colors, materials and prescriptions. Wrap lenses can also provide additional coverage and protection for the eye.
Costa Del Mar - Permit
USA Today published a study done by the American Foundation for the Blind that pointed out blindness as one of the health conditions that would have the most negative impact on their life. Just like skin, the sooner people start protecting their eyes from UV light, the healthier their vision will be years to come and no one should be deprived of that. Having said all of this, wouldn’t you agree that we all need to take action today so that in the future we can realize the ultimate in “Healthy Sight?”
Source: Dallas Erickson, Soderberg
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Dallas,
Three cheers for you!! Not only have you brought forth this critical health issue, but you also included two points writers often forget to mention. First, that children are at greatest risk to UV damage because they are outdoors more than adults and their eyes transmit 70% more UV to the retina than the adult eye. Second, that wraparound sunglasses provide much greater protection (up to ten times greater) than small framed sunglasses.
Thanks for reminding us to protect our eyes!
Gary W. Hall, M.D.
Co-founder Frubi Shades
Dallas,
You are right, we think about palm trees and cool beverages but we do not think about the consequences of “frying our eyes”. Thank you for caring enough to highlight this and to spread the word.
You have a kindred spirit in Australia who writes in “A Multidisciplinary Approach Challenging Current Thinking on UV and Glare” that there is a 12% worldwide decrease in the ozone layer per decade.
Great thinking – speak faster and often!
Kay Jensen
Dallas,
Excellent article. Our entire industry need to look at promoting Transitions (and other UV absorbing products) as a wonderful answer/prescription to diseases of the eye that can be addressed now as a preventative measure versus finding out we have the disease in the future. Most, if not all of the diseases mentioned are avoidable by practising and implementing “Healthy Sight” habits.
I’m glad that you’re on my team…
Dallas;
You are so spot on with the correlation between skin protection and the lack of UV eye protection. As serious optical retailers it is our responsibility to educate our patient base to the advantages of Transitions lenses.
Thanks for the great article!