Sumer is here! Kids are out of school, and summer activities are on the board! From camping to surfing, summer means outdoor activities for parents and kids alike.
From baseball games to beach parties, there is a lot of exposure to the sun's rays in summer time and therefore extra precautions need to be taken.
Whether your favorite summer past time is bird watching or baseball, the sun's ultra violet rays can be very damaging to our skin, but also to our eyes.
Over-exposure to the sun's UV rays has been linked to a number of eye problems, such as age-related cataracts, pterygium, photokeratitis and corneal degenerative changes, according to the American Optometric Association.
But protecting our eyes can be done simply by wearing a brimmed hat and wearing Sunglasses that properly absorb UV radiation.
The AOA offers the following advice about sunglasses:
Wear protective eyewear any time your eyes are exposed to UV radiation, even on cloudy days and during the winter.
Purchase quality sunglasses that offer good UV protection. They should block out 99 percent of UV-A and UV-B radiation and screen out 75 percent to 90 percent of visible light.
Also, make sure children and teens wear sunglasses. They typically spend more time in the sun than adults.
So before you head out to have some summer fun with your kids, remember to pack sunglasses along with cameras, baseball bats, binoculars and everything else that says "vacation" time!