SOME IN U.S. FREQUENTLY FACE VERY
HIGH OR EXTREME RISK OF UV EXPOSURE
~ Vision Experts
Highlight Importance of Protecting Eyes from UV Damage
~
May 2011
(May, 2011, Alexandria, VA.)
- Without protective measures, residents' eyes and skin
in some U.S. cities are at very high or extreme risk
of exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation
at least one day out of every four. Yet despite the
danger, less than one in three Americans makes the link
between UV rays and eye damage.
With the approach of summer
- the season when UV levels peak across the U.S., the
Vision Council is releasing a new report about the importance
of protecting eyes and the skin that surrounds the eyes.
"Hidden Dangers of UV: Keeping Your Eyes Safe" explains
the factors that exacerbate exposure risks, highlights
forecasts that show the intensity of solar UV in cities
across the country and offers tips for preventing vision
problems that can be caused by UV exposure.
It's important for people
to understand both how to shield their eyes from dangerous
UV radiation and the UV intensity of the places they
live. The report notes that many of the 58 cities for
which UV levels are indexed by the National Weather
Service have very high or extreme UV radiation levels
more than 20 percent of the year.
The list of UV-intensive cities
includes entries that may come as a surprise, such as
Wichita, Boise, and Norfolk. From Cheyenne, Wyoming,
to Oklahoma City, to Charleston, West Virginia, this
type of UV intensity causes eyes real harm, including
cancer, growths on the eyes and other serious conditions.
Children are particularly vulnerable, because they tend
to spend more time outside and because their eyes aren't
able to filter UV rays as effectively as adults' eyes.
Wearing sunglasses or other
eyewear that offer UV protection is the best way to
shield the eyes from the sun. "Hidden Dangers of UV:
Keeping Your Eyes Safe" details what consumers should
consider when choosing eyewear.
The Vision Council has partnered
with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's SunWise
Program, an environmental and health education effort
to teach children and their caregivers how to protect
themselves and their vision from overexposure to the
sun. To download a copy of "Hidden Dangers of UV: Keeping
Your Eyes Safe" and a comprehensive list of sun-safe
tips, please visit www.thevisioncouncil.org/sunglasses.
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