Survey Shows Americans Underestimate Importance of Sun Protection for Their Eyes
American Eye-Q® Survey Shows UV Protection Secondary to Price and Style
Colleyville, Texas - June 3, 2009 -- When most people think of ultraviolet (UV) radiation their first thought is protecting their skin. While protecting our skin is hugely important, after all it is our largest organ, we must remember to consider protecting our eyes from UV radiation as well. Protecting our eyes and bodies from UV radiation is important on sunny days as well as overcast days.
The American Optometric Association's 2008 American Eye-Q® Survey, evaluated Americans thoughts regarding eyecare related issues and found that only 49% of Americans said UV protection was the most important factor when purchasing sunglasses. Price and style superseded UV protection in selecting sunglasses.
"UV radiation is known to be a contributing factor in the cause of cataracts and and corneal disorders" says Dr. Richard Driscoll of Total Eye Care.
Dr. Driscoll went further to say we should not forget UV protection for our children's eyes as well "most of our sun exposure occurs when we are children, yet the adverse affects are not apparent for decades to come in the form of early cataracts and growths on the front of our eyes". The cumulative exposure to UV radiation increases our risk of cataracts, macular degeneration and pterygia (a reddish growth on the white and clear part of the eye). Proper sunglasses are very important to limit this exposure.
It is not known how much exposure to UV radiation is necessary to cause damage, therefore the doctors at Total Eye Care recommend that their patients wear protective eye wear at all times when they are out doors. It is especially important to wear sunglasses when boating and during winter sports as well.
The following top five tips from the American Optometric Association can help prevent eye damage from exposure to UV radiation:
- Wear protective eyewear any time the eyes are exposed to UV rays, even on cloudy days and during the winter.
- Look for quality sunglasses or contact lenses that offer good protection. Sunglasses or protective contact lenses should block out 99 to 100 percent of UV-A and UV-B radiation and screen out 75 to 90 percent of visible light.
- Check to make sure sunglass lenses are perfectly matched in color and free of distortions or imperfections.
- Purchase gray-colored lenses because they reduce light intensity without altering the color of objects to provide the most natural color vision.
- Don’t forget protection for young children and teenagers, who typically spend more time in the sun than adults and thus are at greater risk for damage.
In addition to wearing the proper protective summer eyewear it is also important to get yearly eye exams from your optometrist. Yearly exams are the best way to monitor one's ocular health to detect and prevent eye conditions such as eye cancer, glaucoma, macular degeneration and even dry eyes.
A number of interesting facts in the American Eye-Q® Survey include:
- 46 percent of survey respondents have worn lenses (contacts lenses or regular glasses) that provide UV protection.
- just over 1/3 of respondents reported wearing prescription sunglasses.
- approximately 1/3 of the respondents understood that temporary blindness, sunburn and dry eyes could be the result of overexposure to the sun
- significantly less that a third of the of the respondents linked macular degeneration, cataracts or glaucoma to excessive sun exposure.
- two thirds of the parents reported buying sunglasses for their children and most of the parents checked to make sure that their children's sunglasses protected them from UV rays.
About the survey:
The third
annual American Eye-Q® survey was created and commissioned in
conjunction with Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates (PSB). From May
17-19, 2008, using an online methodology, PSB interviewed 1,001
Americans 18 years and older who embodied a nationally
representative sample of U.S. general population. (Margin of error
at 95 percent confidence level.)
About Dr. Richard A. Driscoll
Optometric Glaucoma Specialist, Dr. Rich Driscoll is a residency trained therapeutic optometrist. Dr. Driscoll has been serving the eye care needs of patients in Tarrant County since 1995.
About Total Eye Care
Total Eye Care is a full service eye care practice with two offices serving northeast Tarrant County. The Colleyville office is located at 6114 Colleyville Blvd., Keller, Texas. Total Eye Care’s Keller office is located at 1834 Keller Parkway, Keller, Texas. More information can be found on The Eye Doc Blog or at totaleyecare.com
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Media Contact:
Dr. Rich Driscoll
Total Eye Care
817.416.0333
Press @ totaleyecare.NET
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