|
Your eyes and the sensitive skin around them can be damaged if exposed to too much sunlight. While cancer of the eye is rare, basal cell carcinoma of the surrounding skin is relatively common. In addition, UV radiation (UVR) is associated with cataracts and a condition known as pterygium. It can cause the short-term condition known as snow-blindness, which can follow a day’s skiing without wearing appropriate eye protection.
A wide-brimmed hat can reduce UVR to the eyes by up to half, but good quality sunglasses provide considerably more protection. Ideally, the lenses should cut out 100 percent of UVR, but it is not just the lenses which provide protection. The shape of the glasses is also an important factor. Up to 35 percent of UVR can come around the edges of ordinary spectacle frames. The glasses should be close-fitting and with large lenses. And the best protection is provided by wrap-around styles.
It is important to avoid small-lens ‘John Lennon’ type glasses because they offer less protection.
Children and sunglasses
There is no agreement among ophthalmologists over whether children should wear sunglasses. On the one hand, there is evidence that overexposure to UVR early in life can cause a predisposition to eye problems later on. However, it appears that children also need some exposure to UVR in order to develop protection against eye problems. Around highly reflective surfaces (water, sand and snow) sunglasses should be worn if practical.
A legionnaire, broad-brimmed or bucket (minimum 6 cm brim) hat provides significant protection for the eyes, and children should be encouraged to wear one while playing outside. If sunglasses are worn, they should conform to the AS/NZS1067: 2003 sunglass standard.
Standards for sunglasses
A revised version of the joint Australia/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS1067 was published in 2003.
The Cancer Society recommends buying sunglasses which conform to this standard. Check the label for compliance.
The new standard divides sunglasses into five categories.
Lens categories and descriptions
|
Lens Category
|
Description |
Additional Required Warning
|
|
0
|
Fashion spectacles:
providing some protection from UVR, but no reduction of sun glare.
|
|
|
1
|
Fashion spectacles:
providing some protection from UVR, but no reduction of sun glare.
|
Not suitable for driving at night.
|
|
2
|
Fashion spectacles:
providing some protection from UVR, but no reduction of sun glare.
|
|
|
3
|
Fashion spectacles:
providing some protection from UVR, but no reduction of sun glare.
|
|
|
4
|
Fashion spectacles:
providing some protection from UVR, but no reduction of sun glare.
|
Must not be used when driving.
|
Wear sunglasses that are close-fitting and wrap-around and conform to the AS/NZ1067:2003 sunglass standard.
Reproduced with kind permission from the Cancer Society of New Zealand.
{source}[[script src="http://static.ak.connect.facebook.com/js/api_lib/v0.4/FeatureLoader.js.php" type="text/javascript"]][[/script]] [[fb:comments xid="1050"]][[/fb:comments]] [[script type="text/javascript"]] FB.init("77e6399157db8779c45eaf6ac4541368", "xd_receiver.htm"); [[/script]]{/source}
|
Featured Articles 
