Forgetting Or Losing Your Sunglasses Can Lead To Health Risks
In the warm summer months, most people remember to protect their skin from ultraviolet (UV) rays and sun burn with sunscreen, but does everyone know that UV radiation is just as harmful to your eyes as your skin?
All opticians know the dangers of UV radiation and can advise their customers on the best ways to protect their eyes, usually with UV protective prescription glasses or sunglasses.
Do you know where your sunglasses are?
Lots of people own sunglasses and treat them as a fashion accessory, not realising just how valuable they really are, as a study by the Vision Council of America has revealed, and many adults are not aware of the damage that the Sun can do to their eyes when they’re not wearing sunglasses.
The Vision Council of America polled 10,000 adults from across the United States about their knowledge and use of sunglasses as a part of its ‘Bureau of Missing Sunglasses’ initiative.
Adults don’t know of the health risks of not wearing sunglasses
Barely one in six respondents cited health dangers as a reason for wearing sunglasses. 20% said that they believe they are not at risk from sun exposure. More than 10% said they don’t use any protection on eyes or skin from the sun. Although 73% of respondents use sunglasses, over half often forget about them, and only 58% make their children wear sunglasses. Over 55% lose or break sunglasses every year and the car ranks as the top place where these sunglasses go missing.
Exposure to ultraviolet radiation can result in result in short-term damage from bloodshot or sensitive eyes, or painful conditions such as Photokeratitis -- sunburn of the eye. High doses of ultraviolet radiation can lead to long-term health issues such as cataracts, abnormal eye growths, cancer of the eye and macular degeneration.
Doctors recommend always having UV-blocking sunglasses
The Better Vision Institute is a panel of eye experts who advise the Vision Council of America. Chairman Dr. Paul Michelson said: “Sunglasses and other ultraviolet protective prescription eyewear remain the best defence against ultraviolet damage to vision. In my practice I've seen first-hand the painful and sometimes devastating consequences of unprotected ultraviolet eye exposure, most of which could be prevented by using ultraviolet-blocking sunglasses.”
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