- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Air Quality Better in Northeast, Midwest
- Climate Change Could Sting Allergy, Asthma Sufferers
- Obesity May Raise Kids' Allergy Risk
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Ginger Can Ease Nausea From Chemotherapy Treatments
- When Healing Becomes a Commodity
- Acupuncture Eases Breast Cancer Treatment Side Effects
- ANIMAL CARE
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Beware of Dog Bites
- BONES & JOINTS
- Resistance Training Boosts Mobility in Knee Arthritis Patients
- Cane Use May Cut Progression of Knee Osteoarthritis
- Too Few Screened for Abdominal Aneurysm, Study Says
- CANCER
- Immune Therapy May Aid Kids With Neuroblastoma
- Vitamin D May Improve Melanoma Survival
- Smoking Exposure Now Linked to Colon, Breast Cancers
- CAREGIVING
- MRSA Infections Spreading to Kids in Community
- Exercise During Pregnancy May Help Baby
- Study Casts Doubt on Influential Hospital Safety Survey
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- A Brisk Pace May Keep Stroke at Bay
- Obesity Linked to Heart Failure Risk
- High Blood Fat Levels Common in Americans
- COSMETIC
- What to Do If You Have Unsightly Veins
- Wrinkle Fillers Need Better Label Warnings: FDA Panel
- Science May Banish Bad Hair Days
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Gummy Bears Join Cavity Fight
- A Sweet Way to Shield Baby's Teeth
- Holistic Dentistry-My View
- DIABETES
- Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes Updated
- Americans Consuming More Sugary Beverages
- Findings Challenge Tight Glucose Control for Critically Ill Patients
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Folic Acid Might Offer Allergy Relief
- Is Your Refrigerator Getting Enough Attention For Your Raw Food Success?
- Diet, Exercise May Slow Kidney Disease Progression
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- What's Cookin'? It Could Be Air Pollution
- Population-Based Strategy Urged to Cut U.S. Obesity Rate
- Pesticides Linked to Parkinson's
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Clues Found to Brain Mechanism Behind Migraines
- Protein Might One Day Prevent Blindness
- Magnetic Pulses to Brain Improve Lazy Eye in Adults
- FITNESS
- More Steps a Day Lead to Better Health
- Run for Your Life
- Walk Long, Slow and Often to Help the Heart
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Gum Chewing May Speed Colon Surgery Recovery
- Peppermint Oil, Fiber Can Fight Irritable Bowel
- New Yogurt May Ease Stomach Ulcers
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Workplace Wellness Seems to Really Work
- More Medicinal Uses for Pomegranate
- Hoping for a Happy Family Holiday? Here's How
- HEAD & NECK
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Save Your Aging Brain, Try Surfing The Web
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- E-Mailing Your Way to Healthier Habits
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Cherry-Enriched Diet Cut Heart Risks in Rats
- Brown Rice Tied to Better Heart Health in Study
- Drinking Your Way to Health? Perhaps Not
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Poor Restroom Cleaning Causes Cruise-Ship Sickness
- Bacterial Infections May Succumb to Honey
- Grapefruit Compound Inhibits Hepatitis C Virus
- KID'S HEALTH
- 3 Home Habits Help Youngsters Stay Slim
- Breast-Feeding May Protect a Woman's Heart
- Guard Kids' Eyes Against Long-Term Sun Damage
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Could Chinese Herb Be a Natural Viagra?
- Vigorous Exercise Cuts Stroke Risk for Men, Not Women
- Countdown to Hair Loss
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Musicians' Brains Tuned to Emotions in Sound
- Living Alone Increases Odds of Developing Dementia
- Vitamin C Protects Some Elderly Men From Bone Loss
- PREGNANCY
- Breast-Feeding May Protect a Woman's Heart
- Prenatal Stress May Boost Baby's Asthma Risk
- Breast-Feeding Benefits Moms and Babies
- SENIORS
- Keeping Mentally Active Seems To Keep The Brain Active
- Older People at Greater Risk of Swine Flu Death
- Seniors Who Volunteer May Live Longer
Just Like Skin, Eyes Can 'Burn' in Strong Sun
By eHolistic.com Published: 05/25/2008
SUNDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) -- Don't overlook your eyes when you're thinking about ultraviolet (UV) protection as the weather heats up, experts say.
Overexposure to the sun's UV rays has been linked to a number of eye problems, such as age-related cataracts, pterygium, photokeratitis and corneal degenerative changes, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA).
These conditions can cause blurred vision, irritation, redness, tearing, temporary vision loss and, in some cases, blindness.
"Just as skin is 'burned' by UV radiation, the eye can also suffer damage. The lesson -- especially for young people -- is that eyes need protection, too. Protection can be achieved by simple, safe and inexpensive methods such as wearing a brimmed hat and using eyewear that properly absorbs UV radiation," Gregory Good, a member of AOA's commission on ophthalmic standards, said in a prepared statement.
Children and teens are particularly susceptible to sun-related eye damage, because they typically spend more time outdoors than adults, and the lenses of their eyes are more transparent than those of adults, which means that more harmful light can reach the retina.
But it appears many people still don't fully understand the danger the UV rays pose to eyes.
A 2007 AOA survey found that 40 percent of Americans don't think UV protection is an important factor to consider when buying sunglasses. The survey also found that 61 percent of Americans buy sunglasses for their children, but 23 percent don't check if the lenses provide protection against UV rays.
The AOA offers the following advice about sunglasses:
* Wear protective eyewear any time your eyes are exposed to UV radiation, even on cloudy days and during the winter.
* Purchase quality sunglasses that offer good UV protection. They should block out 99 percent of UV-A and UV-B radiation and screen out 75 percent to 90 percent of visible light.
* Make sure sunglass lenses are perfectly matched in color and free of distortions or imperfections.
* Buy gray-colored lenses. They reduce light-intensity without altering the color of objects, providing the most natural color vision.
* Make sure children and teens wear sunglasses. They typically spend more time in the sun than adults.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about sun exposure.
-- Robert Preidt
SOURCE: American Optometric Association, news release, May 2008
Last Updated: May 25, 2008
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