WE often think about wearing sunglasses to protect our eyes from the sun’s glare, but as a contact lens wearer do you know if your contact lenses filter harmful UV light?
A study conducted by the American Academy of Optometry on 400 contact lens wearers in the UK found that a huge 74 per cent didn’t know that many contact lenses have UV blocking technology.
The sun radiates UVA and UVB rays which are damaging to both the body’s eyes and skin and over exposure to either can cause eye conditions and diseases such as photokeratitis (sunburn of the cornea) and in more extreme cases as a result of long term damage, cataracts. Ultraviolet light can also enhance the effects of Age-Related Macular Degeneration, a condition that usually occurs in those aged over 50 where the central vision begins to deteriorate due to the destruction of the macular.
“It’s very important to protect your eyes from the sun to prevent conditions that can lead to sight loss and even blindness in the future. By wearing CE marked sunglasses you can be assured you are blocking high levels of both UVA and UVB rays. Contact lenses with UV blocking technology are also a great way to provide additional protection to the eyes.
“By wearing both sunglasses and UV contact lenses you can cover and protect a greater surface of the eye,” says Brendan O’Brien resident optician at GetLenses.ie.
All Acuvue contact lenses from Johnson & Johnson block at least 85 per cent of UVA rays and 98 per cent of UVB; in fact Acuvue is the only major brand to provide UV filtering technology in all its lenses.
Acuvue Oasys block 96 per cent of UVA rays and 99 per cent of UVB rays, the highest of their reusable lenses, whilst 1-Day Acuvue Trueye offer the best protection from their daily lenses blocking the same percentage of UV light as Oasys.
Coopervision contact lenses including: Avaira, Avaira Toric, Biomedics 55 Evolution, Biomedics Toric all have an in-built UV filter. Healthcare manufacturers Bausch & Lomb have recently developed the Biotrue ONEday contact lens which is the first of their range to include UV protection.
UV filtering contact lenses should not be viewed as a standalone solution to protect the eyes against the sun but are an excellent addition to a good pair of sunglasses for any contact lens wearer.
About:
GetLenses.ie was founded in 2000 by Brendan O’Brien, who is their resident optometrist to this day. Being founded by opticians ensures that the eye health of their customers always comes first. The website is Ireland’s largest online retailer of contact lenses, solutions and eye care products and they offer the widest range of products bought directly from the manufacturers at fantastic prices.
Contact:
Emma Haskell
Marketing Assistant
Suite 3a Lyttelton House, 2 Lyttelton Road, London N2 0EF
Tel: 020 3397 7614
Email: emma.haskell@getlenses.co.uk
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