Sunglasses Day

Audrey Davis
(Terry's Granddaughter) 

By Diane Forrest

Kendall
(Diane's Granddaughter) 

My granddaughter, pictured above, loves wearing sunglasses.....upside down!  Sunglasses are not only a cool accessory, but also a necessity to keep harmful u-v rays out of your eyes.  I never wore them when I was young, and never thought about them for my son when he was young, but now I see them more and more on people of all ages.  When I was going through my Marilyn Monroe phase I found some great large white rimmed sunglasses, but my son thought they were goofy, so I didn’t wear them much.

Kendall
(Diane's Granddaughter) 

My husband always had trouble finding sun glasses too.  He wore prescription glasses, and tried several things, he tried the ones that fit over his glasses, but they were just too large and clunky.  Then he tried just the lenses, that clipped onto his glasses, but he didn't like those either.  He finally took an old pair of glasses, and had them tinted.  That proved to be the best solution for him.

Kendall
(Diane's Granddaughter) 

Eye protection is hardly a new concept. In fact, long ago, Inuit peoples would shape walrus ivory into flattened circles with narrow openings. They were able to see out of these tiny slits, while the rest of their eyes remained shielded from the sun.  In 1752, the first tinted sunglasses were made. Then in 1929, the entrepreneur Sam Foster mass-produced the modern version.  I remember long ago watching advertisements about Who's behind those Foster Grant's?

Sunglasses protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. Your Optician will tell you that sunglasses with UV protection, will help to avoid cataracts. They also report that UV rays can be stronger in the winter, as the sun's rays hit you on the way down....and as it is reflected back up from the snow.  Sunglasses come in many colors and styles, from inexpensive to very expensive.  Some of the higher prices ones include Ray Ban's and Oakley, Gucci and Prada.  The main requirement they should have is that they block the U-V light rays from your eyes.

(Google Image) 

Today is Sunglasses day, so make sure you don't leave home without them.  Here are some other reasons people wear sunglasses:

• You want to be a movie star and they all wear sunglasses.
• You're looking to hide behind a big, dark pair of sunglasses, and travel unseen through the streets.
• A little espionage, eh!?
• You want to make a fashion statement.

(Google Image) 

And, Oh yes.... A few of us wear sunglasses to protect our eyes from the harmful rays of the sun.

Eye Safety and Prevention

Eye Safety

Although most people think that eye safety is limited to sports, it is important to remember that you need to prevent eye injuries every day.

Kids most commonly get eye injuries playing sports, but their eyes can also be injured while playing with BB guns or other toys that can fire a projectile, from chemical burns, or simply from the UV rays of the sun if they don't wear sun glasses.

Sports Eye Safety

For most parents, sports eye safety is limited to wearing prescription safety goggles instead of their regular glasses... That is unfortunate, because according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, sports eye injuries affect more than 40,000 people each year and sports are the leading cause of childhood eye injuries.

Among the sports that commonly cause eye injuries include:

• baseball
• basketball
• football
• hockey

Keep in mind that many other sports, including water sports, golf, tennis, and soccer, can also lead to eye injuries.

To be safe, be sure your child is wearing appropriate protective eyewear when playing sports, which typically includes protective goggles or sports eyeguard, a face shield or guard, made of shatter resistant polycarbonate plastic, and not just his regular glasses. A pediatric ophthalmologist can fit your child with protective eyewear, to make sure they fit properly and are comfortable.

Sunglasses

In addition to protection from baseballs, basketballs, and flying elbows, you need to protect your child's eyes from the harmful effects of the sun.

Even younger children should wear real sunglasses that filter out 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B rays.

What You Need To Know About Preventing Eye Injuries

April is Sports Eye Safety Month when the American Academy of Ophthalmology urges parents to get their kids to wear protective eyewear to prevent eye injuries when playing sports.

Wearing protective eyewear is especially important if your child only has one functioning eye.

In addition to sunglasses, protect your kids from the sun by having them wear a wide-brimmed hat, staying out of the sun, especially during the peak hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and wearing sunscreen if they are over 6 months old.

Childproof your home so that your kids don't get into harmful chemicals, cleaners, and other substances that could burn their eyes.

Remember that fireworks are an important cause of eye injuries in children.

Have your kids wear goggles in the pool so that the pool water doesn't irritate their eyes.

Protective eyewear should be made of materials that meet American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards.

The anti-fog coating on some goggle and eye guard can help prevent them from getting fogged up when your child is playing.

July is UV Safety Month, when the American Academy of Ophthalmology urges parents to get their kids to wear sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats to protect their eyes from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation.

UV Safety Month – Protect yourself

July is UV (ultraviolet light) Safety Month, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology reminds Americans of the importance of protecting their eyes from the sun’s harmful rays by wearing sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats.

One of the greatest threats to your eyes is invisible. Studies show that exposure to bright sunlight may increase the risk of developing cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and growths on the eye, including cancer. (From http://development.aao.org)

When I was growing up and playing outside we didn’t wear sunglasses, nor did we wear hats when playing, unless it was an organized sporting event. We did wear hats out on the farm from time to time and fishing out on the water.  I do wear my sunglasses these days and every once in a while don my hat – should be wearing that all the time for a couple reasons besides my eyes.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology offers these tips to protect your eyes from the sun:

• Don't focus on color or darkness of sunglass lenses: Select sunglasses that block UV rays. Don't be deceived by color or cost. The ability to block UV light is not dependent on the price tag.
• Check for 97-100% UV protection: Make sure your sunglasses block 97 to 100 percent of UV rays and UV-B rays.
• Choose wrap-around styles: Ideally, your sunglasses should wrap all the way around to your temples, so the sun's rays can't enter from the side.
• Wear a hat: In addition to your sunglasses, wear a broad-brimmed hat to protect your eyes.
• Don't rely on contact lenses: Even if you wear contact lenses with UV protection, remember your sunglasses.
• Don't be fooled by clouds: The sun's rays can pass through haze and thin clouds. Sun damage to eyes can occur anytime during the year, not just in the summertime.
• Protect your eyes during peak sun times: Sunglasses should be worn whenever outside and it's especially important to wear sunglasses in the early afternoon and at higher altitudes, where UV light is more intense.
• Don't forget the kids: Everyone is at risk, including children. Protect their eyes with hats and sunglasses. In addition, try to keep children out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when the sun's UV rays are the strongest.

My children and grandchildren all wear hats and sunglasses – a blessing for sure.  Hope you and yours are wearing them!

References:

American Academy of Ophthalmology http://development.aao.org

Sunglasses - Choose Sunglasses that Look Great and Protect Your Eyes 

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/none/sunglasses-choose-sunglasses-that-look-great-and-protect-your-eyes-1398972/

http://www.earthgauge.net/wp-content/fact_sheets/EG_UV_Safety.pdf

http://www.ggclinic.com/pdf/July_2010_UV_Safety_Month.pdf

Sunglasses Day

Rain or shine, today is Sunglasses Day! What better way to celebrate than sporting your favorite pair of shades.

Reasons to Wear Sunglasses

1. UV Protection. The sun's UV radiation can cause cataracts; benign growths on the eye's surface; and photo keratitis, sometimes called snow blindness, which is a temporary but painful sunburn of the eye's surface. Wide-brimmed hats and caps can block about 50 percent of UV radiation from the eyes but optometrists say that is not enough protection.
2. Blue-Light Protection. Long-term exposure to the blue and violet portion of the solar spectrum has been implicated as a risk factor for macular degeneration, especially for individuals that are “sun sensitive.”
3. Comfortable vision. The sun's brightness and glare interferes with comfortable vision and the ability to see clearly by causing people to squint and the eyes to water.
4. Dark adaptation. Spending just two or three hours in bright sunlight can hamper the eyes' ability to adapt quickly to nighttime or indoor light levels. This can make driving at night after spending a day in the sun more hazardous.
5. Skin Cancer. Cancer of the eyelids and skin around the eyes is more common than people think. People should wear sunglasses outdoors whether they are working, driving, participating in sports, taking a walk, running errands or doing anything in the sun.

Five Tips for Healthy Eyes

1. Wear protective eyewear any time your eyes are exposed to UV light, even on cloudy days and during winter months.
2. Look for quality sunglasses that offer good protection. Sunglasses should block out 99 to 100 percent of both UVA and UVB radiation and screen out 75 to 90 percent of visible light.
3. Check to make sure your sunglass lenses are perfectly matched in color and free of distortions and imperfections.
4. Purchase gray-colored lenses. They reduce light intensity without altering the color of objects, providing the most natural color vision.
5. Don’t forget protection for children and teenagers.  They typically spend more time in the sun than adults.

How to Pick Good Sunglasses

Here's tips for choosing shades that will protect your eyes from the sun's harmful effects.

Eye on UV Risks

Just as the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage skin, they can also harm the lens and cornea of the eyes.

UV radiation increases your odds of getting cataracts, which cloud the eye’s lens and lead to diminished eyesight. It has also been linked to macular degeneration, a treatable, but incurable disease of the macula, a part of the retina that is essential for sharp vision.

Other UV-related eye problems are pterygium and pingueculum. A pterygium occurs when the conjunctiva, the tissue that lays over the white of the eye, grows into the cornea. A pingueculum is a yellowish bump of tissue on the white of the eye.

Sunlight that bounces off highly reflective surfaces such as snow, water, sand, or pavement can be especially dangerous.

Sunglasses play a vital role in shielding the fragile tissue around the eye. This skin, including the eyelid itself, is very thin and vulnerable to skin cancer, and that’s especially troubling since dermatologists are reporting an epidemic in all types of skin cancer.

Like sunscreen, sunglasses should be worn whenever you’re outdoors, year round.

Sunglasses are especially important for children.

UV eye damage is cumulative over a lifetime so it’s important to make wearing sunglasses a habit early in life.

Children’s eyes are especially vulnerable because they’re still developing.

Protecting your eyes from the sun begins with picking the right pair of sunglasses. Here’s advice from eye care experts.

Look for Complete UVA/UVB Protection

Choose sunglasses that provide full protection against ultraviolet light. Look for a label or a sticker that says one or more of the following:

• Lenses block 99% or 100% of UVB and UVA rays
• Lenses meet ANSI Z80.3 blocking requirements. (This refers to standards set by the American National Standards Institute.)
• UV 400 protection. (These block light rays with wavelengths up to 400 nanometers, which means that your eyes are shielded from even the tiniest UV rays.)

Choose the Right Hue

• The coating that blocks UV radiation is clear, so a darker lens isn’t necessarily more effective than a lighter one. But hue does play an important role in color perception.
• Yellow or rose tinted lenses can make it difficult to distinguish changes in traffic lights.
• Gray, green, and brown lenses minimize color distortion, and are a better choice when you’ll be behind the wheel.

Opt for Polarized Lenses If You Spend a Lot of Time on Water

Polarized lenses reduce glare by filtering out the reflected sunlight that bounces off surfaces like water or pavement. They’re a good option for boaters or water skiers, and they can cut down on glare from flat, smooth surfaces like road pavement or the hoods of cars.

The downside: It can be difficult to read your cell phone, GPS device, or a liquid-crystal display on a dashboard or ATM machine with polarized lenses.

Be aware that polarization has nothing to do with UV protection. So check the label to make sure the sunglasses provide full UV filtering.

Consider the Quality of the Lenses

Eye care experts agree that price isn’t a gauge of UV protection. But very inexpensive sunglasses are likely to contain lenses that are stamped out of a mold rather than ground and polished, and that can affect optical quality.

To test optical quality, the FDA suggests focusing on a vertical edge or line. Move your head back and forth, allowing your eyes to sweep across the lens. “If there is any wiggle in the line,” the FDA guidelines say, “then the lenses may have an optical defect and you should choose another pair.”

Bigger is Better!

• Wraparound sunglasses offer the broadest protection against UV damage because they block more of the light that hits your eyes from the sides.
• Sunglasses with large lenses and wide temples provide the next-best protection.
• Large lenses cover a wider area of skin so there’s a decreased window for UV penetration
• Sunglasses that come down to your cheekbones are a good choice.

Fit Matters

• Sunglass frames should fit snugly on your nose and ears without pinching or rubbing. To prevent light from hitting your eyes from overhead, choose a pair that fits close to your face around the brow area, but not so close that your eyelashes are hitting the lenses.
• Whether you opt for high-priced designer sunglasses or a more affordable pair you find at your drugstore, you can easily find sunglasses that are flattering and functional. And protecting your eye health is one sunglass trend that will never go out of style.

In summary, take your time, find the right type of sunglasses for you (and your family) and be sure to wear them.