I recently attended a seminar where these and other eye protection/safety tips were discussed, along with the reasons why. Some surprising facts, in addition to the ones above, are below.
- Activity determines use. When walking, driving, or going to the beach, people are more likely to grab their sunglasses than not. When gardening, running, biking, or engaging in team sports, they are not.
- People choose sunglasses for comfort over protection, affordability, or style
- Children receive three times the annual adult dose of UV radiation
- There are both short and long-term implications for not protecting your eyes
Attendees also learned some very helpful tips about sunglasses. The first and far most important was that not all sunglasses are created equal. Since UV protection is crucial, it is very important to look for sunglasses that have a sticker on them showing the amount of UV protection that is provided in the glasses.
Another helpful hint that I didn't know is color means nothing. Many are under the assumption that the darker the tint, the more protective the shades. That is simply not true. In fact, dark glasses without UV protection can be worse for you because they cause your pupil to dilate which can increase retinal exposure to the unfiltered UV.
How to Protection Your Eyes
- Wear UV protective eyewear (UVA & UVB) as often as possible.
- Find comfortable, protective eyewear for your children
- Lead by example: Let your children see you wearing protective eyewear consistently
- Purchase non-hinge sunglasses for children so they don't pinch (comfort wins over many other factors for adults and children when it comes to eyewear)
Of course there are many other facts that you should learn and practice when it comes to protective eyewear, for you and everyone in your family, and I think it's definitely worth taking the time to do so.
Learn more by visiting thevisioncouncil.org
More about that on www.nationalsunglassesday.com I look forward to seeing your pictures. :)