Th e HEALTH | MAY, 2019
EYE HEALTH
26
VISION 2020
Are your
sunglasses
providing enough
UV protection?
We all know that sunscreen helps protect our skin from those
harmful ultraviolet rays. But what about our eyes, is slapping on a
pair on sunglasses really do the trick?
T
HE Health met up with three industry
experts, Association of Malaysian
Optometrists President, Woon Pak Seong,
Professor Dr Azrin Esmady Ariffi n, Deputy
Vice Chancellor, Student Aff airs & Dean
Faculty of Optometry & Vision Science
of Segi University and Zoey Lam, the National Sales
Manager of Johnson & Johnson to get the low down on
why we need more than just sunglasses.
Knowing your A, B and C’s
“Th e sun emits three diff erent types of UV radiation,
UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVC is not really a threat because
it is absorbed by the ozone layer – however if you are
in a place where the ozone layer is depleted, then it’s a
cause for concern. UVC goes right into the eye and onto
the retina. UVB however tends to be absorbed by the
interior structures of the eye and is often associated
with cataract,” explains Dr Azrin.
Standard sunglasses may not be
enough/Sunglasses only provide
partial protection
So if you’re sporting a pair that boasts 100 percent UV
protection, you’re golden, right? Wrong. Th e reality is
sun light is everywhere and enters the eyes from all
angles, UV light still reaches the eyes even when tra-
ditional sunglasses are worn due to side and backside
exposure.
“A lot of people have the preconceived notion that UV
rays come from the front, so the sunglasses will protect
them. However UV rays come from all directions, so
when it enters from the side of sunglasses. Th is is called
the peripheral light focusing eff ect and it can actually be
just as hazardous to the eyes as direct sunlight,” explains
Lam.
According to Lam, many sunglasses styles do not
protect the eyes from the solar radiation entering from
the sides or around sunglasses. When the light rays
come from the side, because it is transparent and has
no form of protection, the damage done to the eyes can
be ten to twenty times worse than direct sunlight.
“Th is can lead to cataract at an older age. Unfor-
tunately there are conditions where if the person is
exposed to a high amount of UV rays over a period of
time – and they can develop cataract at an earlier age.”
Second line of defense
(From left) Zoey Lam, Professor Dr Azrin Esmady Ariffi n, and Woon Pak Seong.
Cataract and other eye diseases are not simply
just diseases that develop at later stages in life.
They are an accumulation throughout years – this
is why we need to educate our children on the
importance of taking care of their eyes.”
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CLEAN AIR,
our right
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obacco use is the
leading preventable
cause of death in the
world. Apart from the harms
smoking causes to smokers,
exposure to second-han d
smoke is a major public
health hazard. Everyone has
the right to breathe. Clean
air is our fundamental right.
Th e Health supports the Blue
Ribbon Campaign to inform
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alike about tobacco smoke’s
harms. – p08-11
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People living with heart failure faces
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Sunglasses are a good form of ultraviolet ray protec-
tions when the rays come from the front. However Lam
recommends that its best for wear a contact lens that
provides UV ray protection with the addition of sun-
glasses. UV contact lenses absorb ultraviolet radiation,
limiting the amount that reaches the surface of your eye.
Th e contact lenses also function as an additional layer
of protection from the radiation that sneaks in from the
top or sides of sunglasses.
Awareness since young
“Cataract and other eye diseases are not simply just
diseases that develop at later stages in life. Th ey are an
accumulation throughout years – this is why we need to
educate our children on the importance of taking care
of their eyes,” says Woon. — Th e Health