Here comes the Sun, doo-doo-doo-doo……it’s all right!

Blog vol 3. 1. Here comes the Sun, doo-doo-doo-doo……it’s all right!

That famous Beatles tune reminds us of the coming summer months, three cheers for the sun! Well almost…  how about two cheers and bottle of SPF 40.  When the UV index climbs, we need to think of protecting ourselves from overexposure.

We all know about SPF, the sun protection factor, the rating given to lotions that we use to protect our skin.   We also know to slather it on our children during the hot summer days. 

We also need to put “sunscreen”, also known as sunglasses, on our eyes and our children’s eyes.

All sunglasses must have UVA and UVB coverage. There was a time when you could buy cool shades and actually be causing damage to your eyes, especially your lens and retina. The dimming effects of the lenses caused the pupils to dilate and actually permitted more light into the eyes and consequently, more UV. Thank goodness that these glasses can no longer be sold in Canada. 

Children have much larger pupils than adults, actually allowing up to 2X more light into the eye, which means 2X more UV. Just like the skin, the eye ages prematurely when exposed to UV, getting earlier cataracts, possibly developing macular degeneration, at a younger age and more severely. Ideally you should also wear a wide brim hat to reduce your exposure during high UV indices, especially early afternoon.

When you are shopping and planning for your summer, put sunscreen for the eyes on your list: sunglasses. 

You do not have to invest in Prada to get protection, all product out there will help. The best sunglasses reduce glare from water and sand, and have polarization features. Our favorite sunglasses are Maui Jims which even “digitally” enhance the light coming through. 

The main message is protection. 

til next week,

the good doctor