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.
Our eyes are so important. They are truly windows to the world around us. They allow me to see my amazing children each day, my family, beautiful destinations and so much more. Taking care of our eyes needs to be a very important part of our daily routines. We all know we should wear sunglasses but sometimes we forget and sometimes we just don’t.
It isn’t the only way for you to have healthy eyes. It’s also not the only way to protect them. Our eyes should be checked on an annual basis and most health insurance carriers even cover them. My family and myself all go yearly.
CUMULATIVE DAMAGE: Experts say it is difficult to isolate the exact amount of damage that Ultraviolet Radiation (UV) imposes on the eye over a long period of time. However, a number of studies have shown that the effects of UV radiation are mostly cumulative and may increase the chance of developing eye problems later in life, including cataracts, a leading cause of reduced vision in the United States.
IRREVERSIBLE: Short-term damage to the eyes may be hard to notice, but over the long-term, the sun can cause irreversible harm to all structures of the eye and surrounding tissue that are left unprotected or under-protected. These conditions may not manifest for years at which point the damage is already done and it is too late to reverse the effects of the sun. Thats why it is important to start protecting eyes from childhood.
CHILDREN, TEENS AT GREATER RISK OF EXPOSURE THAN ADULTS: Younger eyes are more susceptible to exposure to the suns harmful rays than adults. Children have larger pupils (allowing more light into their eyes), clearer lenses, and are outside without eye protection much more frequently and for longer periods than most adults. It is estimated that a significant amount of lifetime exposure to UV rays may occur by age 18 and that childrens annual dose of UV radiation is three times that of adults.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE UV EXPOSURE – Although direct light from the sun itself can be damaging to eyes, reflected ultraviolet (UV) rays from surfaces such as grass, soil, dry sand, water, and snow can also be harmful. UV protection also is important on a cloudy day as the sun’s rays can pass through thin clouds, exposing your eyes to harmful UV radiation.
SUNGLASSES ALONE SOMETIMES ARE 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 ground surfaces such as pavement, sand, and water.
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 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.
My husband and myself both wear glasses too so we also have to go in and make sure our lenses are still accurate. Just a few years ago I finally made the leap and started wearing ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses. I loved the freedom of no longer walking around in glasses. Hitting the trails was a whole new experience. What I never realized was that they too protected my eyes from the sun! It never even dawned on me that my contacts would have protection! It wasn’t until these facts were shared with me that I discovered it!
If you want to learn more about the protection provided by contacts make sure to check out the complete article ‘The Sun & Your Eyes: What You Need to Know‘ where they can let you know many of the facts you need to know and all the right questions you should be asking your personal eye care professional.
I had no idea how harmful the sun could be to myself and my family’s eyes! Thank you for sharing this information! & it was interesting to learn about UV Blocking Contact Lenses. Your article will make me think twice about bringing the sunglasses with us the next time we go out! : )
Sounds like the next time I should order UV Blocking Contact Lenses. I never even thought about UV rays being reflected from grass, concrete, etc..
Very informative post. Especially with summer just around the corner. We have always been careful about using sun screen and having eye protection but this is still good to read and follow. Thank you!
i always check the UV amount when buying sunglasses
This is really good to know. I’m so careful to take care of my skin in the sun, I don’t think about my eyes.
I need to make sure I take care of my eyes. I was told I have dry eye and need extra tears. :/
We are worried so much about our skin, I think we forget about the potential damage to our eyes.
I once got blisters on the inside of my eyelids from being in the sun too long. It was extremely painful. Needless to say, I never go anywhere without my sunglasses now. Thanks for sharing!
Im really bad about this. I have to wear glasses but I dont like carrying around a second pair of prescription sunglasses, and I dont think the transitional lenses do a great job. I typically just squint in heavy sun 🙁
I am not the best at protecting my eyes… however I do value my eyeballs because they are the only ones I have 🙂
I had no idea you could get UV contacts!!
UV-blocking contacts, whoa! I had no idea!
I have a few pairs of sunglasses, I keep one in my car, one in my purse, and one at home. My kids also have there own sunglasses when we our gonna be out in the sun for long periods of time. It’s also a good idea to always wear sunblock with a spf of 30 or higher. But I also had no idea you could get UV blocking lenses. Very interesting.
I didn’t protect my eyes as a kid and now they are super, super sensitive. I always encourage my son to wear his sunglasses!
Wow, I had no idea UV blocking contact lenses existed. Going to keep in mind as we need to order new conract lenses in the next month. Thank you for sharing!
Yea, I had no idea my contacts were providing protection either. I just figured they made me SEE LOL
I’ve never really worn sunglasses in my life. I just tend to squint. Isn’t that awful? I did just get transition lenses though to help!
It is so important to protect your eyes. I think too many people forget about that.
i didn’t know contacts protected your eyes. thanks for all the info
I never leave home without my sunglasses and get my eyes checked every year.
thanks for the info and the great tips. i did not know a lot about protection and what uv light can do.