Thursday, September 10, 2009

Parents Ignorant About Eye Risk From Sun Exposure

Parents Ignorant About Eye Risk From Sun Exposure

Submitted by Ricky on August 19, 2009 – 9:15 pm

In an appalling revelation, experts have cautioned that three out of four parents are putting their children’s eyesight in jeopardy by exposing them to bright sunlight without the use of apposite eye protective gear.

Parents Ignorant About Eye Risk From Sun ExposureIn a survey undertaken by the College of Optometrists on two thousand people, it was found that close to a third of British-origin parents didn’t invest in sun-protective glasses for their children. Even in those that did buy them, close to half of them laid greater emphasis on costing rather than adequate protection and merely a quarter of them bought sun-protective eyewear from reputed brands.

The College of Optometrists advocates the choice of dark coloured glasses bearing the CE quality trademark. Experts have counselled that those with light eyes are at greater risk from sun damage, with those having blue coloured eyes must constantly use sunglasses.

The ultra-violet rays emitted from the sunrays can harm the retinal area and lens of the eyes that can cause considerable damage in the long run. Excessive sun exposure is being strongly related to cataracts and age-associated macular deterioration. Wearing inferior quality sunglasses that have no UV filter protection causes greater damage than not wearing any sunglasses as improper eyewear causes pupil dilation that in turn allows more damaging sunrays to penetrate the eyes. The risk is directly proportional to the UV exposure.

Experts at the Royal College of Optometrists state that even good-quality; CE-marked sunglasses needn’t be highly priced, with budget-friendly options being plentiful. Wearing a sunhat along with sunglasses is the right choice as children tend to often remove off their shades. The use of sun protective glasses should be followed when venturing out to the beach.

The studies undertaken in this regard have however revealed diverse end result s regarding whether UV rays cause major damage. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists states that really young children should be majorly kept away from bright sunlight.

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