Most people understand that UV damage is cumulative over a lifetime and that investing in skin protection with lotions and eye protection with sunglasses is a must. What most may not realize is on overcast days, our eyes still require that protection and your contact lenses are all that stand between you and UV exposure. Do your contact lenses protect you from the damaging rays of the sun?
- Children's eyes are exposed to more UV due to larger pupil size and more time being spent outdoor (morning and afternoon breaks at school, etc.)
- Peak UV exposure for our eyes happens mid-morning and mid-afternoon when the sun is 45 degrees, and not high noon as most people believe
- UV damage is cumulative over a lifetime, so the more you protect, the less likely sun damage will occur to your eyes and skin
- By using UV blocking contact lenses, you minimize UV damage to the outer and inner eye. Although sunglasses provide good UV protection, they can still allow some light to reach the eye, which is why a UV blocking contact lens is important to obtain full coverage
Are your contacts protecting your eyes from UV damage? Watch the following video that shows which lenses ARE UV blocking.