Provider Blog written by Neha Dada, O.D.
Our eyes are precious; unfortunately, without adequate protection, our eyes are at an increased risk for damage or injury. For instance, UV light, harmful glare, blue light, sports/work related injuries are all factors that can put our eyes at risk. Taking care of our eyes with a healthy diet and lifestyle can help in many ways; however it is equally important to wear the correct protective eye wear. Help reduce your chances of injury or damage by choosing the correct eye wear to protect your eyes.
Too much UV light exposure can raise the risk for early onset cataracts, growths on the eyes, macular degeneration, and ocular cancers. Protect your eyes from UV light by wearing good coverage sunglasses with 100% UV A/B protection. Even on a cloudy day, the sun’s UV light passes through clouds, so it’s still important to wear sunglasses even if you don’t see the sun.
Harmful glare can be very distracting while driving, playing sports, or while enjoying leisure activities. Sunlight can produce glare as light is reflected off surfaces in our surroundings. Polarized sunglasses make for an ideal solution, they filter glaring light allowing you to see clearer and be safer, this is especially important when you drive.
Do you use a computer, tablet or smartphone? Unfortunately, these devices and other sources of light, such as fluorescent or LED, emit a high amount of blue light. A particular range of blue light wavelength has been identified as increasing the risk for macular degeneration. You can now protect your eyes with blue-light filtering lenses. Many companies now use this technology in their anti-reflective coatings. Be sure to ask your local eye care professional about this, as not all anti-reflective coatings protect your eyes from blue light.
Often times eye care professionals treat sports and work related eye injuries. Unfortunately, sports related injuries are most commonly seen in children. Yet, still only a small percentage of children wear protective eye wear. It’s important for children to wear protective eye wear, such as sports goggles, when playing sports. Choose materials that meet impact standards set by the American Standard for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Protecting your eyes while you work is equally important. All too often patients present to an eye doctor’s office for removal of a piece of metal or another material that became lodged in the delicate structures of the eye while at work.
Have you have been diagnosed with any condition or disease that compromises your vision? These conditions may include lazy eye (amblyopia), glaucoma, macular degeneration, or many others. In these instances protecting the better-seeing-eye is imperative. Often times, strong polycarbonate lenses are prescribed to help protect your better eye from injury.
Remember, there are many ways in which our eyes can become damaged or injured. Protecting your eyes at all ages is key! If you have any questions about eye protection or would like to make an appointment at Cornerstone, please call (845) 563-8000 or visit us online at www.wordpress-214991-667688.cloudwaysapps.com.
