Don't Put Eye Health In The Shade

When the sun’s out, you might be tempted to cover up in style but the College of Optometrists is urging the British public to slide on some quality sunnies, too. The advice is to look further than the price-tag and think about how they’ll look after your eyes.

Sunlight can damage the retina and lens of the eye, increasing the long-term risk of developing conditions such as cataracts and possibly AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration).

Dr Susan Blakeney, optometric adviser at The College of Optometrists said: “It’s just as important to cover your eyes from the sun as it is to protect your skin. Many people regard sunglasses as merely a fashion accessory but they have an important part to play in protecting our eyes from harmful UV rays so you need to ensure that the pair you buy are fit to do the job.”

Dr Blakeney added: “Up to 80 per cent of exposure to UV over a person’s lifetime occurs before the age of 18 so it’s particularly important for younger people to take care of their eyes and for parents to make sure that children wear sunglasses so that any long term damage is minimised.”

Here are some basic but essential tips for buying new sunnies!

Buy good quality, dark sunglasses.

Check they carry the “CE” Mark and Bristish Standard BS EN 1836:2005, ensuring a safe level of UV protection.

Don’t forget your kids – what’s good for you is good for them, too.

They’re not just for summer – some people find the glare of the sun more noticeable in winter, particularly when they’re driving. If you drive, it’s handy to keep a pair of (prescription if you need them) sunglasses in the car, though never wear them at night.

If you have light coloured eyes, take even more care.

People who wear glasses can wear sunglasses too – they can be made up to any prescription: distance, reading, bifocals or varifocals.

Look out for deals at your local optician. In the summer you can often get a free pair of prescription sunglasses if you update your regular specs.

Research conducted by the College of Optometrists revealed that:  

Almost 80 per cent of under 25s put fashion and price before safety standards when choosing sunglasses.

The 66 and over age group is the only one to focus on protection over anything else although they’re also the group least likely to have a pair!

Overall, the majority of Brits (62.6%) are more influenced by how sunglasses look and how much they cost than whether they actually protect eyes.

Around one in seven of us never wear sunglasses at all

Three quarters of parents don’t protect their kids’ eyes in the sun