Eye Care Information! -- Sun Sense!!

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Greetings List: for anyone who is interested here is information on

Cataracts and Sun Screen Sense!!

http://www.todaysvision.com/cataract.htm Index of information

http://www.drscrum-todd.com/toc.htm Index of information

Risk Factors for UV Radiation Damage

·work outdoors or spend long hours in the sun

·snow ski, mountain climb, or spend time at the beach?

·sunlamps, tanning parlor

·medications that can increase your sensitivity: diuretics,

anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive medications, antibiotics, oral

contraceptives, tranquilizers, and acne medications containing

tetracycline.

·cataract surgery

What is Ultraviolet Radiation?

Ultraviolet radiation is the portion of the invisible light spectrum

between about 100 and 400 nanometers (nm). The primary source of UV is

the sun, but artificial sources include welder's flash, sunlamps or

tanning parlors, high-intensity mercury vapor lamps used for night

sports, special lamps used in infant care units, xenon arc lamps, and

lasers.

Ultraviolet is composed of three segments, designated as A, B, and C.

UV-C (below 280 nm) is filtered by the earth's ozone layer and does not

reach earth. Because it never reaches us, UVC currently does not pose a

threat. There is much evidence, however, that exposure to both UV-A and

UV-B can have adverse short-term and long-term effects on your eyes and

visual health.

Possible Effects of UV

The most common short-term effects of UV exposure are termed " snow

blindness " and " welder's flash. " Both of these conditions result from

corneal exposure to excessive amounts of UV radiation over a short

amount time. This is like a sunburn of the eye. The exposure can come

from a welding arc or from long hours spent in snowy altitudes or the

beach without proper eye protection.

Symptoms include red eyes, a gritty or foreign sandy sensation, extreme

light sensitivity, and tearing. Though painful, these symptoms are

usually temporary and rarely cause permanent damage. Long-term effects

of UV radiation, on the other hand, are usually gradual and painless.

Vision impairment can result from premature cataract formation due to

the cumulative effects of UV exposure. It has been reported that 10

percent of cataract operations are necessitated by this type of UV

exposure.

Long-term exposure to UV radiation has also been implicated in

age-related macular degeneration. This condition affects 10 percent of

the U.S. population over the age of 52, and increases to 33 percent in

people over age 75. Age-related macular degeneration is the leading

cause of vision loss in older Americans.

Recommendations For Protection

Here are some helpful tips from the American Optometric Association that

can be used when selecting sunglasses.

You Need Sunglasses That:

· block 99-100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation

· screen out 75 to 90 percent of visible light

· are perfectly matched in color and absorption, and are free of

distortion and imperfections

http://www.ices.on.ca/docs/fb4391.htm [Excerpt from Page]

For many years, the shorter-ray ultraviolet B (UVB) light was thought to

be the primary cause of all skin cancers . . .

UVB exposure increases the production of melanin to darken and shield

the skin from UV rays. The epidermis also thickens to further defend

against the sun. Recent research points to UVB light as the probable

cause of the non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) — basal cell and squamous

cell. However, new laboratory data suggest that melanoma is initiated or

promoted by solar radiation other than UVB.

Peace

D.

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Thanks !

Lyn

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