Children’s eyes are more at risk
by Patricia Feehan
A child’s eye lens is not as mature and cannot filter the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays as easily as an adult’s. This puts them at an increased risk of greater damage to the retina when exposed to sunlight.
Children spend more time outdoors with studies showing that more than half of our lifetime exposure to sunlight occurs before the age of 18.
A 2006 study conducted by the University of New South Wales found that Australian children as young 8 are showing signs of serious eye damage from the sun. 26% of 9-10 year olds showed damaging changes, while 81% of 12 – 15 year olds showed damaging changes.
Short term effects of UV radiation on eyes include:
• Discomfort, blinking & swelling, snow blindness
Long term effects of UV radiation on eyes include:
• Cataracts (cloudiness of the lens)
• Macular degeneration (damage to the retina)
• Solar keratopathy (cloudiness of the cornea)
• Cancer of the conjunctiva or the membrane covering the white part of the eye
• Pterygium, a growth of tissue on the white of the eye that may extend onto the cornea where it may distort or block vision
• Skin cancer of the eyelids and facial skin
Being outdoors has many health benefits for growing bodies and children’s eyes actually need exposure to daylight to prevent or slow the development of myopia (near sightedness). The good news is that good quality sunglasses will still let light through, but will protect children from harmful UVA and UVB rays. It is important to choose sunglasses that comply with the Australian and New Zealand Standards. All pye sunglasses comply with the mandatory requirements of the Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1067:2003.
So no need to keep the kids inside, just protect their eyes as you would their skin when they are outdoors playing sport or just having fun in the sun!
Children spend more time outdoors with studies showing that more than half of our lifetime exposure to sunlight occurs before the age of 18.
A 2006 study conducted by the University of New South Wales found that Australian children as young 8 are showing signs of serious eye damage from the sun. 26% of 9-10 year olds showed damaging changes, while 81% of 12 – 15 year olds showed damaging changes.
Short term effects of UV radiation on eyes include:
• Discomfort, blinking & swelling, snow blindness
Long term effects of UV radiation on eyes include:
• Cataracts (cloudiness of the lens)
• Macular degeneration (damage to the retina)
• Solar keratopathy (cloudiness of the cornea)
• Cancer of the conjunctiva or the membrane covering the white part of the eye
• Pterygium, a growth of tissue on the white of the eye that may extend onto the cornea where it may distort or block vision
• Skin cancer of the eyelids and facial skin
Being outdoors has many health benefits for growing bodies and children’s eyes actually need exposure to daylight to prevent or slow the development of myopia (near sightedness). The good news is that good quality sunglasses will still let light through, but will protect children from harmful UVA and UVB rays. It is important to choose sunglasses that comply with the Australian and New Zealand Standards. All pye sunglasses comply with the mandatory requirements of the Australian and New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1067:2003.
So no need to keep the kids inside, just protect their eyes as you would their skin when they are outdoors playing sport or just having fun in the sun!
Sources:
• “Position Statement_Eye Protection” (2006) by Cancer Council Australia in partnership with Eye Research Australia
• Ripps, David, President and CEO Younger Optics, ODMA Basic Lens Dispensing, 2011
• Research conducted by Professor Minas Coroneo, UNSW published in American Journal of Opthamology 2006
• All About Vision
• “Position Statement_Eye Protection” (2006) by Cancer Council Australia in partnership with Eye Research Australia
• Ripps, David, President and CEO Younger Optics, ODMA Basic Lens Dispensing, 2011
• Research conducted by Professor Minas Coroneo, UNSW published in American Journal of Opthamology 2006
• All About Vision
