Everyone thinks about applying sunscreen to their skin when going out into the summer sun, and The American Academy of Ophthalmologists (AAO) wants to us to also think about protecting our delicate eyes from the sun’s harmful rays. July is UV Safety Month and the AAO is working to educate everyone regarding UV safety for our eyes.
The Academy says, “It's summertime; the sun is bright and there is a great danger the sun can harm the eyes. Everyone is at risk for eye damage that can lead to vision loss from exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun.” The Academy’s education flyer goes on to mention that similar to sunburns, eye surface burns usually disappear in a couple of days but may contribute to further complications later in life. Over exposure to UV rays may contribute to development of various eye disorders such as age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. http://www.aao.org/aaoesite/eyemd/upload/July.pdf
Other than avoiding the outdoors during the brightest sunlight hours, there are two steps everyone can take to minimize eye exposure to UV light. First, wear a wide brimmed hat to shade the face and second, purchase and wear at all outdoor activities sunglasses that block 99 – 100% of the UV-A and UV-B rays.
For further information and other UV Safety tips browse the following websites:
