HEALTH & MEDICINE :: APRIL/MAY 2007
What You Can’t See Can Hurt You
Summer is coming, and we know that too much sunlight can be hazardous to our skin. While it’s nice to get your vitamin D naturally from sunlight, we have all been taught to use SPF lotions to protect ourselves from skin damage. But what you may not be aware of is that the eyes, like the skin, are exposed to the same risks and benefits of sunlight.
The eyes are constantly barraged by the short high-energy wavelengths in the ultraviolet and low blue light range in the spectrum. Since the ozone layer is thinning, there is even more short wavelength radiation (ultraviolet and low blue wavelength) exposure during the summer as well as the other seasons. Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t there. These light rays can cause discoloration of the white of the eye, cataracts, floaters, and macular degeneration with vision loss. The macula is the center of the retina, responsible for your reading and color vision.
Some of us are more at risk than others, such as those who are sensitive to light or spend much of their day working outside. Eye color is also an important factor. Those with light colored eyes (blue, hazel, gray and light brown) are more susceptible to macular degeneration, since they have less protective pigment in their eyes. Children are also extremely vulnerable because their immature lens does not block these wavelengths as well as an adult’s, and since they have larger pupils, they get more light exposure.
But good eye protection is available. Just as sunblock, hats and shade protect our skin, sunglasses are equally effective tools to safeguard our eyes. Wherever you buy your sunglasses, you should have their UV measured. You want to be protected to at least 400 nm (that covers UVA and UVB). Glasses without 100% protection are not as safe and reliable. Although you may have bought them as a fashion statement, thinking in terms of long-term protection is best.
NASA has realized the need to study long-term consequences of poor eye protection. The astronauts experience increased exposure to UV during each mission in space. Therefore the astronaut program has collaborated with Silhouette Optical Company in order to design optimal solar protection, while keeping the eyewear lightweight and comfortable, especially for people in spacesuits.
You don’t have to be in orbit to appreciate the lightweight titanium of Silhouette sunglasses, which avoid the use of screws that can come loose at the temples. Silhouette sunwear has a number of lenses, frame designs, and styles in different combinations. In fact, blocking some of the blue wavelengths will provide clearer vision and eliminate glare without having to resort to a heavily tinted lens that will decrease your vision. This company has always designed their regular spectacles with emphasis on your eyes and not the frame.
This spring is an opportunity to be cautious, wise and fashionable. You can select excellent sunwear that will help you keep your vision for decades to come.
Dr. Abel is a part of the multi-specialty eleven-physician team at Delaware Ophthalmology Consultants. For more information about this article or to schedule an appointment, call 302-479-EYES (3937) or contact us via our website at www.delawareeyes.com. Delaware Ophthalmology Consultants has two convenient locations that offer a full-service optical center featuring the latest in lens technology and eyewear fashion, all with competitive pricing.
