UV radiation is seven times more harmful in minors – Health and Medicine

2024-04-11 00:58:27

The development of the lens, which acts as a filter to prevent the passage of UV radiation to the retina, is very low in children under 12 years of age. For this reason the CGCOO recommends using sun protection glasses.

With the arrival of spring, the General Council of Colleges of Opticians-Optometrists (CGCOO) recommends the use of sun protection glasses for children to prevent the harmful effects of exposure to ultraviolet rays. The collegiate entity warns that UV radiation is seven times more harmful to the eyes of minors than to adults.

This impact of the sun’s rays on the little ones is due to the fact that “the natural filter of the lens is not fully developed until the age of 12, so the cornea allows more than 75% of ultraviolet radiation to pass to the retina,” he explains. the president of the CGCOO, Juan Carlos Martínez Moral. Likewise, he adds that children are more vulnerable because “they usually have larger pupils and their lens is more transparent.”

In this sense, parents are encouraged to go with their children to an optician, where there is a wide range of sun protection glasses that meet all health requirements as they are approved and carry the CE mark as a minimum quality standard. Likewise, the use of other protective elements such as caps, hats or visors helps reduce the risk of suffering from visual problems as a result of overexposure to sunlight.

Harmful effects on visual health

The child’s eye is more sensitive than that of adults, so good protection is essential to prevent short-term damage, such as keratitis or sunburn of the cornea, which in the case of the little ones manifests with symptoms. of pain, photophobia and redness of the eyes.

In the long term, the CGCOO warns that the damage can be more serious in the form of corneal alterations, degenerative lesions and acute retinal burns, which permanently affect vision.

Another problem added in spring: allergic conjunctivitis

During this time it is common to face seasonal allergies, including those that affect the eyes, due to high levels of pollination. However, factors such as high temperatures, drought and pollution contribute to increasing the amount of pollen in the air, as well as the times of exposure to it and its aggressiveness.

Allergic conjunctivitis, in particular, causes inflammation of the membrane that covers the ocular surface and the inside of the eyelids with ocular symptoms such as itching and redness, swelling of the eyelids, tearing and photophobia.

To alleviate the effects of allergies on the eyes and avoid serious eye complications such as keratitis, infectious conjunctivitis or even glaucoma, opticians-optometrists advise:

• Avoid areas with high pollen concentrations such as fields and parks.
• Use sun protection glasses to protect yourself from dust and other particles.
• Avoid exposing yourself to irritating agents that aggravate symptoms.
• Close the windows at home so that pollen or dust does not accumulate.
• Extreme daily eye hygiene.
• Do not rub your eyes.

RV: Ana Mera, pharmacist. Barcelona