Confession: Maximo will be two years old next month and he has never worn sunglasses.
Maybe it’s the fact that they aren’t very fashionable for kids, or the fact that as a toddler he’ll just take them and toss into the dirty streets of New York making it yet one more thing I just have to carry and disinfect. **Shutter** However, after being invited and attending a webinar from The Vision Council on the damages and effects of UV on our eyes from day one – I am now an officially concerned parent.
Having recently surveyed 10,000 people across the country on habit pertaining to sunglass use, The Vision Council was troubled to find that less than half of adults wear sunglasses regularly (46%). The reason? People don’t understand or believe their eyes are at risk for UV damage. But the truth is UV radiation doesn’t discriminate. We can all be victims of UV exposure – no matter our age or location.
Are we bad parents because we don’t think to put sunglasses on our children from the time they are newborns, or are we just uneducated about the critical damage it can be causing?
DOWNLOAD: UV Guide for Parents
Why is UV Protection Important?
Long Term UV- Related Eye Damage:
– Premature aging of the skin; wrinkles and sunspots
– Pterygium (abnormal growths on the eye and eyelid)
– Cataracts
– Macular degeneration
– Cancer of the eye, eyelid and surrounding skin
Short Term vision problems:
– Photokeratitis
– Irritation
– Redness
– Swelling
– Hyper sensitivity to light
49% of U.S. adults don’t know that UV exposure increases the likelihood of cataract formation
43% don’t know that UV exposure can cause cancer of the eye or eyelid
36% don’t know that eye can be sunburned
Source: The Vision Council, 2014 Sun Protection Survey
Ok, so maybe we haven’t put sunglasses on the babies (yet), so let’s move forward and be proactive:
How to Protect Your Eyes:
Wear UV- protective eyewear (UVA & UVB) as often as possible:
– Anti-Reflective
– Impact Resistant
– Mirror Coated
– Photochromic
– Polarized
– Wraparound
– Scratch Resistant
Join in the fun for #NationalSunglassesDay and tag a photo of you (AND the kids!) with a #SunglassSelfie! Follow The Vision Council on Twitter at @opticalindustry
