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 It has long been known that prolonged exposure to the sun can damage the skin and cause serious diseases. But many are not even aware that in the summer exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause no less harm to our eyes.
Science has proven that prolonged exposure to the sun without protection can damage the surface of the eye and its internal structure. Especially dangerous is the detrimental effects of UV rays for people who already have these or other visual disturbances.
For chronic effects of prolonged UV radiation are serious eye diseases such as:
- Cataract (eye disease at which the clouding of the lens, resulting in impaired vision and eventual blindness);
- Pterygium (an increase on the surface of the cornea conjunctiva modified);
- Squamous cell carcinoma of the eyelid skin, nevi and malignant melanoma of the conjunctiva (a type of tumor on the surface of the eye).
About 18 million people worldwide suffer from blindness, cataracts develop as a result, and 900,000 of them the disease is caused by exposure to UV radiation directly *.
The most common way to protect your eyes from UV light are sunglasses with a UV filter. However, the most dangerous, peripheral UV rays reflected from the soil, grass, sand, water and the edge of the rim, seep under the goggles and catch the eye. Therefore, it is desirable to choose the glasses tight to the face.
Those who wear contact lenses, it is possible to choose the contact lenses with UV-filter of the highest class 1 **. Such lenses to block 100% UV-B and 96% UV-A rays. This allows you to protect your eyes as much as possible, including on the harmful peripheral rays penetrate the rim sunglasses, and reduce the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation, even in those moments when no points.
In different corners of the globe the intensity of UV radiation is different, and for its quantitative assessment of the World Health Organization (WHO) developed *** Global Solar UV Index (UVI). UFI is measured on a scale from 1 to 11+, and indicates the significance of potential adverse effects of UV radiation health.
The higher the score, the greater the risk of harm to our eyes and our skin. Importantly, the use of protective equipment is necessary even when the UV index is equal to or greater than 3.
To date, a number of countries frequented by Russians during the summer holidays, is characterized by very high (8-10 units) and extreme (of 11 and above) indicators UVI. These include resorts in Cuba (11-12), Greece (9-10), Spain (8-10), and Vietnam (11-12 units from March to August), and Thailand, where an extreme measure UVB (11-12 ) held from March to September, and only 5 months of the year decreased to 8 units.
The intensity of UV radiation varies throughout the day. Our eyes are more affected by the sun, which shines at eye level, ie in the morning and in the afternoon, at any time of the year. Therefore, the use of protective equipment for eyes, such as contact lenses with UV filter and sunglasses with a UV filter, in this period of time is especially needed.
* According to the WHO (Newsletter №305, 2009)
** All Brand Contact Lenses ACUVUE® (Acuvue) equipped with a UV filter. However, it is important to remember that contact lenses that absorb UV radiation, are no substitute for wearing sunglasses with UV filter, because they do not completely cover the surface of the eye and eye area.
*** UVI index developed by the World Health Organization in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organization.
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