During holidays in the sun, never forget to protect your eyes with well-adapted glasses.
The sun is not the eyes’ best friend. In summer, 10 to 15 seconds are enough for the sun to burn your eyes if you stare at it without protecting yourself. Responsible, ultraviolet and, among them, UVA which are the most dangerous. In adults, they directly reach the lens, this kind of perfectly transparent gelatinous bubble contained in the eye. In children, UVA goes to the retina, that is to say the back of the eye, which is more problematic.
Cataract, the main cause of visual impairment in the elderly
As for UVB rays which cause sunburn and are also responsible for skin cancer, they are absorbed almost entirely by the lens and therefore also participate in the opacification of this part of the eye at the origin of the cataract. This eye damage is the main cause of visual impairment in the elderly and it is absolutely necessary to prevent it by protecting the eyes.
In summer, in our hemisphere, the amount of UV rays is very high, especially between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m., the time of all dangers for the skin and eyes.
Protect yourself systematically, especially for toddlers
But our eyes also receive a very large amount of UV through reverberation: 85% of UV is reflected by snow, 5 to 10% by water and white sand. It is therefore necessary, at the sea, in the mountains and wherever you spend your holidays, to protect yourself systematically, especially for toddlers.
And the only protection is sunglasses. Choose carefully: those that are the most enveloping offer better lateral protection against reflection. With regard to protection against ultraviolet rays, it’s very simple: all models of sunglasses sold in France must provide 100% UV protection, including the lowest-end glasses.
