A new report from the Vision Council in the US has highlighted a lack of awareness as to the dangers of prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays.
The report, titled Picture This: A Lifetime of UV Eye Protection, found that 46 per cent of over 10,000 Americans surveyed only wore sunglasses when it was sunny outside, therefore exposing their eyes to UV rays still present on partially cloudy and cloudy days. The number of respondents who said they rarely or never wore sunglasses outside was 27 per cent. The same percentage stated that they always wore sunglasses outside. Of the respondents wearing sunglasses when interviewed, 35 per cent did not know if their eyewear provided UV protection and 10 per cent believed they did not offer any protection at all.
The findings are part of the Vision Council’s annual research initiative, the Sun Protection Survey, which was created in 2011 to measure UV knowledge and sunglass use, as well as educating patients in every age group on subjects such as lens and frame types.
In the 2014 report, the Vision council said a full day outside without sunglasses could cause immediate, temporary issues such as swollen or red eyes and hypersensitivity to light. It added that prolonged exposure could cause cancer of the eye or eyelid and accelerate cataracts, which affected nearly 22 million Americans over the age of 40. Nearly half (49 per cent) of adults surveyed were not aware that UV exposure could increase the likelihood of cataract formation and 36 per cent did not know that eyes could be sunburned.
‘The small act of grabbing sunglasses before heading out the door can mitigate serious vision risks—some of which lead to blindness or severe vision impairment. It’s never too late to modify your behaviour and begin a healthy routine of UV protection—over the lifetime,’ a Vision Council spokesperson concluded.