By Preston Fassel
I’d like to imagine you’re holding this article in your lap on the beach, watching the waves roll in and your children frolic in the sun, because of course 20/20 is destination reading for your vacation retreat. All right, so, you’re probably browsing this in your office or living room, but a certain point still stands - it’s time to be proactive in reminding your patients with children that their kids’ eyes are extra susceptible to the sun in all seasons and locales.
Though children may be more focused on digital screens, contrary to popular imagination, they haven’t completely transformed into Morlocks, and kids do still spend a substantial amount of time outdoors. Even in winter, they’ll be exposed to sunlight, tropical vacation or not. And how about that ski vacation? Snow can reflect as much as 80% of UV radiation. Unfortunately, many parents—who themselves may not be sunglass wearers—don’t realize that children’s eyes are more susceptible to UV damage than adults. Indeed, University Hospitals estimate that half of all parents don’t provide their children with any sunwear whatsoever, a staggering figure when you consider the vulnerability of our eyes before we reach eighteen. Prior to that age, we receive 80% of our lifetime exposure to harmful UV rays, and the child’s eye is receptive to 70% more UV than an adult eye.
According to Dr Alina Zeldovich, Eye Surgeon and Clinical Lecturer at Sydney University, UV exposure in children “is linked to eye disease later in life, including cataracts, pterygium, solar keratopathy, and skin cancer of the eyelids and around the eyes.” Especially concerning is that, per NASA, as a result of decreasing ozone, UV levels have been rising for the last thirty years, especially in mid-and-high latitudes. For example, in central Texas alone, UV has risen 6% on average since 1979. This means that, for many Gen-Xers and older Millennials, their children are now facing greater risks of UV damage than they themselves did.
Taking all of this into account, it’s imperative we as eye care professionals make our adult patients with children aware of the risks their kids are facing and arm them with the information and tools necessary to protect them. Encourage them to make sure their kids have and wear sunglasses that provide the proper amount of UV protection. Remember, some inexpensive shades available at discount retailers may not be 100% UV filtering. Let them know that, while they don’t have to buy their kids expensive designer eyewear they might lose or misplace, they need to be mindful of the quality of the frames and lenses they’re choosing to protect their children’s eyes.
In the case of kids who wear prescription eyeglasses, encourage either photochromic lenses or a second pair of RX sunglasses for them to switch into when they’re outdoors. Also, make your patients aware that, even when they come back indoors, children face potentially damaging exposure to HEV light from digital devices, so lenses and AR treatments that protect against blue light are similarly imperative. Don’t try to scare your patients into thinking danger is imminent but educate them to best protect their children’s eye health. After all, outdoor time should be a fun time in a child’s life - and they’ll look super cool in the shades their parents pick for them.
