UV protection for eye health

OPTICIANS in Runcorn and Widnes have urged residents to beware sun glasses that lack adequate ultra violet (UV) protection this summer.

Specsavers said the risk of UV exposure rises with the longer hours of daylight and more sun.

A spokeswoman for the firm said excessive amounts over a protracted period of time can cause or accelerate the development of cataracts or macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness in later life.

She said it can also cause other changes to the front of the eye.

Chris Graham, Specsavers Runcorn store director, said: “When the sun comes out at this time of the year, many people get worried about protecting their skin form the sun, while forgetting that sunlight can similarly be the source of irrevocable damage to the eyes.

“This becomes even more serious an issue when you consider that many available sunglasses on the high street are built with style rather than safety in mind.

“Sunglasses without the CE kite mark and which do not have the mark UV-400 shown on their labelling simply do not offer the 99-100% UV protection required to keep your eyes safe.

“The tint, the darkness, and even the price of sunglasses do not necessarily promise adequate protection to your eyes without those CE and UV-400 markings. In fact, dark tinted throwaway-fashionable sunglasses actually threaten the safety of your eyes more than would be the case without sunglasses at all, as they will encourage your eyes to widen, letting in more light and more damaging UV rays over time.

“It is especially paramount for parents buying sunglasses for their children, as a child’s eyes let in more UV rays due to their having clearer lenses and larger pupils.

He added: “Because of this, I would strongly advise parents to make sure that their children are wearing the correctly CE and UV-400 marked sunglasses from as soon as they will keep sunglasses on, which is typically from around the age of two.”