Categories: Spark

UV radiation Is Year-Round! #WorldSightDay

Disclosure:  I worked with The Motherhood on sharing this information and my thoughts.

Did you know that more than 40 percent of parents don’t proactively ensure their children wear UV protective sunglasses?  I admit I don’t push sunglasses on my three kids all the time.  I have tried to make wearing them fun by buying ones that are fun looking and colored, but they end up taking them off and I give up arguing with them. UVA and UVB rays though are extremely dangerous for kids, especially those under ten, and it is so important to keep growing eyes safe from them.

Last week hundreds of health, business and vision-related organizations and The Vision Council celebrated World Sight Day.  The goal was to focus the attention on vision impairment and encourage adults and children to get their eyes examined.  I know in my sons’ school district it is actually required to get an eye exam and send proof of it to the school, which I think it is a great reminder for parents.  I honestly probably wouldn’t have had my son’s eyes checked unless they came to me and said something seemed wrong, but really they are kids and they may not realize something is wrong.

Eyes are the strongest muscle in your body, processing 36,000 bits of information every hour.  Approximately 80% of what children learn comes from what they see and for those that have vision problems also have social development issues as well as self-confidence.  I never thought about how much bad or poor vision can impact one’s life!  During eye exams, eye doctors can also uncover chronic systemic diseases like high blood pressure and high cholesterol, brain disorders, stroke, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and even some types of cancer – all in addition to eye diseases and incremental vision loss.

So back to UV rays, which many people forget about now that summer is over.  UV radiation is present year-round and any damage can lead to bigger issues.  I recently found some good sunglasses for my kids and while I still have to remind them to wear them a good pair definitely makes a difference.  Comfortable, colorful and most importantly effective is important!  Elastic straps are important for young kids, to help keep them on and look for a nose pad too.  Offering sunglasses only when leaving the house can help too since sunglasses will be treated as a reward and not a chore.  Once your eyes are damaged from the sun, there is no automatic repair, so it is super important for parents to instill good eye protection habits in kids at a young age.

Stay Connected With The Vision Council:

VISION COUNCIL WEBSITE | FACEBOOK

Cher

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