DR. HANNAH'S PICKS: Babiators
Protecting our Children’s Eyes: Start Smart!
Creating a habit of protecting your child’s eyes from harmful ultraviolet light early is crucial to their long term eye health. Exposing our eyes on a daily basis can increase our risk of the development of pingueculae (a growth on the front of the eye), early cataracts, macular degeneration and even the development of ocular melanoma, a rare form of cancer. UV light ages your eyes and it starts from the day we are born.
Proper sunglasses are to the eyes what sunscreen is to the skin and not all sunglasses are created equal.
Polarization has nothing to do with UV protection. It is an option that minimizes glare.
The shade of the tint, including mirrored sunglasses, has nothing to do with UV protection. It is a personal preference.
Price is not a factor in determining if your glasses have proper UV protection.
It is important to ensure that your sunglasses are actually embedded with UV protection rather than a spray that washes off over time.
Most optical shops have an instrument called a photometer which can measure the UV protection your sunglasses are providing.
High Quality UV Protective Sunglasses Must Offer 100% UVA and UVB Protection
The most important advice we can give to our patients is to help your child develop the habit of wearing their sunglasses every time they go outside. Proper protection on a daily basis over the course of their lifetime can significantly impact their quality of life for years to come.
Our recommendation for sunglasses fitting most children under the age of 10 years is:
The combination of their high-quality lenses embedded with UV protection, their flexible frames, their excellent customer service as well as their Lost & Found Guarantee Program makes Babiators our sunglass of choice for our younger patients at All Eyes On Rockville.
We love them so much we sell them too!
This has been one of Dr. Hannah’s Picks, a monthly suggestion on products for your eye health. To read past entries, please click here.