Everyone understands the importance and dangers of sunlight with respect to our children’s skin.  In that, we need a certain amount of sunlight to create Vitamin D but it is such a small amount of sunlight, that we need to be more concerned about the damage that sunlight does to our children’s skin as the damage is cumulative.  Adding onto itself sunburn after sunburn, leading to possible skin cancers later in life.

Now how does the sun relate to the eye? And why is it more important for children to be wearing sunglasses than adults?

We all know that we need light to see and that light is made up of different wavelengths and that is what gives us the different colours we see.  But what you may or may not know is that along with the sunlight comes the damaging ultraviolet UV light (this is the same stuff that damages our skin).  Well, it also damages our eyes and as children have larger pupils than adults and a clearer crystalline lens then more of the UV light can enter their eyes and do damage.

What is UV Radiation (UVR)?  It is the light energy ranging from 100-400nm on the electromagnetic spectrum.  Ultraviolet means beyond violet (beyond the visible violet light), in other words, the rays are invisible.  UVR is actinic which means that it has energy levels high enough to produce photochemical damage to biological structures when absorbed.

Only 2 parts of our bodies are susceptible to damage by light; the skin and the eyes.  Different layers of skin and eyes absorb specific ranges of light.  Higher energy wavelengths primarily absorbed by the outer layers of the skin and eyes, while longer, less energetic waves penetrate deeper into the tissues of the skin and eyes.

Both UVA and UVB will induce cataract formation.  The removal of these wavelengths from eye exposure will greatly reduce the development of cataracts.

It has been stated that most of the damage caused by UV to eyes happens before we are 18 years of age.  So what do we do?  We get our babies and children used to wearing sunglasses as early as possible, thereby if not preventing at least delaying the results of UV damage to eyes.  Which include cataracts, Macular Degeneration, cancers (skin and ocular), and possibly Glaucoma.

The answer is very simple to avoid these possible outcomes and help prevent skin cancers around the eye, get your children wearing sunglasses that meet Australian Standards as early as you can.