Sunshine is Here!

After what seemed to be a long winter, we have finally had a couple of warm weekends filled with sunshine! As you spend time outside with your family, please remember to protect your eyes from the harmful UV rays of the sun...AND keep in mind that our children need sunglasses, too! The sun is damaging to both our skin and our eyes. It can cause conditions such as sunburned corneas, cancer of the eyelid, cataracts and macular degeneration. Studies have shown that fifty to eighty percent of the damage done to the eyes is before age 18. Not only do children spend more time at beaches and pools, where there is a lot of sun reflection, but the natural lens of a child’s eye is more clear and transmits more light than that of an adult eye. As a parent, we go the extra mile to apply sunscreen to our children’s skin…why not take an extra step by encouraging your children to wear sun protection? The sooner you start the habits of protecting your children’s eyes from the rays of the sun, the healthier their eyes are going to be long term. –Shannon Fosdick, Optician