Protect your children’s eyes this summer!

School holidays have just started and many of you will be taking your children off on your summer holidays over the next few weeks.

Find out why you should be protecting your children’s eyes as well as their skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays by ensuring they wear a good pair of sunglasses.

Our eyes are ten times more sensitive to UV light than our skin and children’s eyes are at the greatest risk of UV damage. Big pupils and clearer lenses mean up to 70 per cent more UV light reaches the retina than in an adult’s eye.

Latest figures from World Health Organisation estimate that this lack of natural eye protection combined with the disproportionate amount of time children spend playing outdoors could mean that as much as 80 per cent of a lifetimes’ UV is absorbed into the eye by the time a child reaches the age of 18.

Cumulative exposure to UV is one of the risk factors associated with age related macular degeneration, the leading cause of sight loss in the UK, and cataracts, a clouding of the crystalline lens in the eye. UV damage to the eyes is cumulative and totally irreversible.

Brimmed hats and sunshades attached to prams and pushchairs will generally provide adequate protection for babies and very young children.

When buying children’s sunglasses you should always ensure that they carry the European Standard CE mark or the British Standard BSEN 1836:1997 to ensure that the sunglasses offer a safe level of UV protection.
‘Toy’ sunglasses or those conforming with the British Standard can actually cause more damage because the tinted lenses dilate the pupil allowing more UV light to enter the eye.

Pop in to talk to one of our experienced optical team who will be happy to show you our latest range of children’s sunglasses, which we can also fit with prescription tinted lenses if required.