The beach, the pool, baseball games, BBQ’s, and a many other of outdoor summer events are socially inviting but exposure to harmful UV rays at these events can cause serious eye damage to you and your child. The most immediate danger is painful corneal sunburn. This is caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The damage to your eyes can be increased when UV light is reflected off of water, sand, or snow. These reflections can double the exposure to harmful UV rays. Symptoms include pain in the eyes, light sensitivity, excessive tearing, blurry vision, or bloodshot eyes. In severe cases, temporary vision loss may occur.
We don’t think twice about lathering up our child with sunscreen or making them wear a hat when they step out into that burning sun. However, we completely forget to protect one of the most vulnerable tools our child has; their eyes. As adults, we think of buying ourselves a great pair of sunglasses as a necessity, but how often do you see kids wearing eye protection? With so many options from cool Ray-Ban’s and Oakley’s, to Transitions lenses, there really is no excuse for leaving our children susceptible to harmful UV rays. The American Optometric Association recommends sunglasses with lenses that offer 100% UV protection. If you have not thought about getting your child sunglasses or glasses that have Transition lenses, you should make that a priority.
Rachel Gardner
VP of Operations
Doctors Vision Center