The Vision Council has just released a new report on sunglass habits and the news is less than encouraging. Americans are just not doing enough to protect their eyes from the harmful effects of UVA/UVB exposure.
Part of the problem is due to lack of education. “A substantial proportion of people still do not understand that UV exposure is harmful to the eyes as well as the skin,” says Paul Michelson, MD, an ophthalmologist in La Jolla, Calif., and chairman of the Better Vision Institute, the medical advisory arm to The Vision Council.
“Even those who do understand, few understand it is the cumulative exposure that can be damaging. The good news is, some people wear sunglasses some of the time,” Michelson says. “The bad news is, not enough people wear them enough of the time.”
But, unfortunately, a large part of the problem is simply a lack of organization; many are not making sunglasses part of their everyday routine. How many times have you lost or broken your sunglasses or left them in another car? It is important to make wearing sunglasses a regular habit so that you are more prone to have them always on hand.
Another issue revealed in The Vision Council report was that few children are wearing sunglasses. While 78% of adults wear sunglasses, only 58% of their children do. Sunglasses are crucial for children’s eye health, as children are even more susceptible than adults to the harmful effects of sun exposure. To teach children about proper eye care and the importance of quality sunglasses, it’s better to start instilling these positive eye safety habits now.
You can read more about this report on WebMD.
Real Kids Shades has an extensive collection of infant and children’s sunglasses to protect your child’s eyes from the damaging effects of the sun. All of our sunglasses provide 100% UVA/UVB protection and are shatter proof and impact resistant.