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A summer reminder about UV radiation and danger to eyes

Picking The Right Shades: How To Protect Your Peepers  NPR, by JESSICA STOLLER-CONRAD, 4 JULY 12, “…. you  need to protect your eyes from blasts of UV light. Though the effects aren’t immediately obvious, basking in the sun’s UV rays can cause permanent damage to your eyes. That’s where the right sunglasses come in.

“We know that people who have had a significant lifetime exposure to UV radiation very commonly develop eye surface problems that lead to discomfort later in life,” says Dr. Rachel Bishop, chief of consult services at the National Eye Institute. “You develop the cancers when you’re 80, but you’ve been accumulating the sun damage your whole life,” she says.

Sunglasses are a must-have to protect your eyes, and that goes for kids, too. But which ones are best at blocking the sun from your baby blues? These days, it’s pretty easy if you read the labels.

“The good news is that it is FDA-regulated, and if you buy [sunglasses] in a store, they should be labeled that they block 99 to 100 percent of UV radiation,” Bishop tells Shots, “and that’s what you want.”….. Add a light-blocking hat or cap with a wide brim for more UV protection….. http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/07/04/156130436/picking-the-right-shades-how-to-protect-your-peepers?ps=sh_sthdl

UV rays can penetrate the internal structures of the eye, causing serious temporary and permanent vision disorders. Short term damage can range from bloodshot or sensitive eyes, to painful conditions like photokeratitis (sunburn of the eye). Meanwhile high doses of UV radiation can lead to long term health issues like cataracts, abnormal eye growths, cancer of the eye and surrounding skin, and macular degeneration.

New Report Outlines UV Danger to Eyes from Missing Sunglasses Market Watch, ALEXANDRIA, Va., May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ http://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-report-outlines-uv-danger-to-eyes-from-missing-sunglasses-2012-05-17

July 5, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general