I wrote this review while participating in an Influencer campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. and received a promotional item from Mom Central to thank me for participating.
Did you know that it’s just as important to think about sun protection for your eyes as it is for your skin? I’ve always been concerned about eye health especially since my vision isn’t the best (thank goodness for contacts!). I want to do what I can to preserve my vision and to prevent any damage to my eyes. As a mom I also want to teach Kora & Logan the importance of caring for their eyes as well. That’s why I’m excited to share this info with you. I know many of you out there are parents and will find this information helpful and informative.
This summer Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc., manufacturer of ACUVUE Brand Contact Lenses has a goal to remind us how important it is to take care of your family’s eyes. Here’s some interesting facts and stats about summer eye care:
Direct sunlight can be damaging to the eyes, but UV rays from ground surfaces such as grass, pavement, soil, and water can also be harmful. I never would have thought about UV rays from ground surfaces, it makes sense though and is a great reason to keep those sunglasses on as much as possible when outside.
UV protection also is important on a cloudy day because the sun’s rays can pass through thin clouds exposing eyes to harmful UV radiation. Truthfully this is always the hardest for me to remember. If I’m not squinting I often don’t think to put on sunglasses but now I know it’s just as important and will make more of a concerted effort to keep the sunglasses on even on cloudy days.
Young eyes are more susceptible to exposure to the sun’s harmful rays than adults. Children have larger pupils which allows more light into their eyes, clearer lenses, and are outside without eye protection much more frequently and for longer periods than most adults. It’s estimated that a significant amount of lifetime exposure to the UV rays may occur by age 18 and that children’s annual dose of UV radiation is three times that of adults. That’s why it’s important as a parent to keep our kid’s eye health at the front of our minds and talking to your Eye Care Professional about the best practices for healthy UV eye protection should be at the top of our list.
The effects of UV radiation are mostly cumulative and may increase the chance of developing eye problems, including cataracts, later in life. Cataracts are the leading cause of reduced eye vision in the United States. Experts say it’s difficult to isolate the exact amount of damage that Ultraviolet Radiation imposes on the eyes over a period of time but if keeping your family’s eyes protected now prevents cataracts later, it’s worth it.
Over the long term the sun can cause irreversible harm to all structures of the eye and surrounding tissues that are left unprotected or under protected. This is important to keep in mind because the conditions may not show up for years and by then the damage could already have been done and it’s too late to reverse the effects of the sun. That’s why it’s important to start protecting eyes properly in childhood.
Sunglasses alone are sometimes not enough. While most sunglasses can help block UV rays from entering through the lenses, most frame styles do not prevent rays from reaching the eyes from the sides, top, and bottom of the glasses. Hats with brims offer no protection from UV rays reflected up from the ground surfaces such as pavement, water, and sand.
UV Blocking Contact Lenses can provide an important level of additional protection from UV exposure. Not all contact lenses offer UV protection and of those that do not all provide similar absorption levels. ACUVUE is the only major brand of contact lenses which blocks approximately 97% of UV-B and 81% of UV-A rays as a standard across the entire range of its products.
Achieving a comprehensive measure of UV protection. UV absorbing contact lenses are not substitutes for devices like UV-blocking sunglasses as they do not completely cover the eye or the surrounding area. For more comprehensive UV protection, UV-blocking contact lenses should be worn as an added layer of protection in conjunction with high-quality UV-blocking sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat.
It’s important to note that although UV-blocking contact lenses are beneficial in helping to protect against harmful UV rays entering into the eye, long-term clinical studies have not been done to show that they directly reduce the risk of any specific eye disease or condition.
Even so, I think it’s great that ACCUVUE offer this option. Dave uses ACCUVUE contacts and has been pleased with them for years. He is also one of the first of us to put on a good pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap to top it off. He is doing a great job of modeling good eye protection practices for Kora and Logan.
This summer we have been very proactive about Kora & Logan wearing their sunglasses and keeping proper eye health in mind. We are a family who loves to be outside enjoying the sunshine, blue skies, and warm temps especially after being cooped up inside all winter here in Cleveland. That’s why we are taking our family eye care even more seriously, and as the days grow longer the incidence of exposure is extended which is important to keep in mind.
What about you? How do you keep your eye’s safe in the summer?
Great info! I have always made sure that my kids were sunglasses even when they were babies. One thing I didn’t know was that there are UV Blocking Contact Lenses. That’s great! Thanks for sharing this info!
I think it very important for everyone to wear sunglasses/ eye protection. The sun can really do damage to our sensitive eyes. But I think some kids embarrassed to wear sunglasses , not cool enough!