This post is part of a sponsored campaign from the Motherhood and The Vision Council. All opinions are my own!
Hey All,
Living in California, my family and I are trying to always keep safe from the suns UV Rays. We have weather here where it is often sunny. Living here you have to be aware of sun safety. We often think solely about protecting our skins and our kids skins with sunscreen, but I will admit we rarely think about how important it is to protect our eyes from the sun. I often wear sunglasses simply to be fashionable and I never truly think about how they are helping my eyes. I rarely ever force the kids in our home to wear sunglasses. Thanks to an informational session with Dr. Dora Adamopolous of The Vision Council I was able to learn more about the health benefits of protecting your eyes from the sun’s UV rays. Dr. Dora Adamopolous is an active member of The Vision Council’s Better Vision Institute, the Medical Advisory Arm to The Vision Council as well as an Optometrist. She opened my eyes (pun intended) to the long term risks of not protecting mine and my families eyes from UV Rays.
Why is UV Protection for your eyes so important? Well check out the info graphic below for some quick answers.
If you don’t take care of your eyes you can suffer Short-term vision problems like:
- Photokeratitis (sunburn of the eye)
- Irritation
- Redness
- Swelling
- Hyper sensitivity to light
You can even suffer Long-term vision problems! For example you can experience:
- Premature aging of the skin; wrinkles and sunspots
- Prerygium (abnormal growth on the eye and eyelid)
- Cataracts
- Macular degeneration
- Cancer of the eye, eyelid and surrounding skin
72% of U.S. adults report that they wear sunglasses to protect their eyes from the sun. A study by The Vision Council revealed that only 60% actually wear sunglasses outside. Only 48% of U.S. adults report that they make their children wear sunglasses to protect eyes from UV damage. UV damage is cumulative; the older someone is and the more exposure they’ve had to the sun will result in being more at risk for serious and debilitating vision problems. Researchers actually believe that lighter eyes experience more UV damage and that’s likely due to the fact that they have a lower incidence of melanin – which is a protective pigment.
It’s extremely important to protect children’s eyes from UV Rays as they receive three times the annual sun exposure of adult! I know it’s alarming to think about that your kids can have more damage than you. By the time an individual turns 18, he or she will have acquired nearly 80% of lifetime exposure to UV! As soon as I red this statistic I’ve been forcing the kids to wear sunglasses no matter how much they fuss over it.
So lets get to protect our eyes and our kids eyes!
Here are some great tips on how to Protect Your Eyes:
- Wear UV-protective eyewear (UVA & UVB) as often as possible
- Non-prescription sunglasses
- Prescription sunglasses
- Clip-ons or fit-overs
- UV-coated contact lenses
- UV-protective goggles
- To know if your sunglasses filter out UVA and UVB, first look for a sticker or label on the lens or frame that indicates protection. If you don’t see a sticker or have an older pair of sunglasses, you can bring them to an eye care professional who can test them using a UV meter.
- Dr. Adamopoulos advises to not buy from online auction sites, street vendors, or second-hand stores
When choosing Sunglasses For Children…
- Make sure the sunglasses fit your children comfortably. Sunglasses that pinch or are scratched are less likely to be worn.
- Set a prime example by always wearing your own shades.
- Style might play a role; have them pick out a pair they like and they may be more prone to wear them.
- Quality doesn’t necessarily translate to high cost.
- If your children are particularly prone to losing items, consider buying shades with a plastic frame, which can be less expensive than metal frames.
I think these are great tips and some incredible information that everyone should truly take note of, especially if you have a family. Let’s protect our eyes from UV rays! You can find more info and UV safety facts from The Vision Council.
Welcome!
Comments
I always see that sticker on sunglasses but never paid much attention to it. I had no idea the sun could cause so much damage to our eyes!
I have super sensitive eyes so I don’t ever go outside without my sunglasses. My son doesn’t always want to wear his but I insist most of the time.
Its easy to forget about the eyes! My son needs a new pair!
I always try to encourage my kids to wear hats and sunglasses
After working with an eye doctor for over 13 years I know how important it is!!
being in Florida it’s the worst. I am trying to get both my kids in the habit of wearing sunglasses. It’s hard for my 2yo to understand though so she always just wants to play with them
Since I became pregnant, I’ve been wearing my glasses all the time and gave up my contact lenses. Unfortunately, I don’t own prescription sunglasses, so I haven’t been wearing any. I need to get some, especially since I don’t plan on switching back to contacts.
I wish my children would keep their sunglasses on for all of these reasons!
I have photochromatic lens so I rarely think about this but, I will not start getting my toddler used to wearing sunglasses.
I am terrible at having the kids wear sunglasses. I think one of the reasons is that they never like what I buy for them because they never fit quite right. I always wear shades–I have very sensitive eyes and I’m blind without my shades.
After living in Houston for a few years (and not always being the best about wearing my sunglasses), I noticed a bunch of fine lines cropping up around my eyes. I’ve been working the past few months to correct that damage …. and have definitely been making sure to wear good sunglasses now to prevent any future abuse.