Protecting Your Eyes is A Must-Do This Summer (NAPSA)—As surmmer approaches, there are constant reminders to protect your skin from the sun’s damaging rays. But did you know that your eyes could be in danger, too? According to American Academy of Ophthalmology, evidence has shown that repeated exposure to the surn’s rays can contribute to the development of eve disorders that commonly occur as we age, such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Unknown te many, AMD is the leading cause of blindness in people over 5G. AMD causes the loss of central vision, making daily activities such as reading, driving or recognizing faces nearly impossible. Karly detection is critical for successful treatment of AMD, so annual eye exams are key. In addition to annual eye exams, evidence shows that protecting your eyes from repeated exposure to the sun’s harmful rays can help reduce the risk of AMD. What causes the sun’s rays to be so damaging to your eyes? The most common answer is ultraviolet radiation, which is energy from the sun that reaches the earth as ultraviolet (UV) rays. Two forms of UV rays are responsible for pre- mature aging, wrinkling, skin cancer and possibly AMD. In addition to UVrays, many researchers believe blue/high energy visible (HEV) ight may also be one of the factors in developing AMD. Unhke UV rays, blue/HEV light can get to the retina. It is through the retina that stimulation of light occurs, initiating the sensation of vision. How can you protect your vision from these rays? Wear sunglasses every day. Here are a fewtips for select- off ing the proper type of sunglasses to protect your eyes from both UV rays and blue/HEVhight: Make sure to select sunglasses that block 99 te 100 percent of UV rays; don’t depend on the darkness of the lenses to determine the amount of UVprotection-—the two aren’t related. * Choose sunglasses that wrap to the side to protect your eves fromall angles. Make sure your sunglasses are “blue-blocking.” Blue-blecking lenses usually appear amber and make your surroundings look yel- lowor orange; the tint makes distant objects appear moredistinct. * Even if your contact lenses have UVprotection, you still need to wear sunglasses. The effective- ness of these UV-abserbing lenses protecting against eye disorders has not been proven. Wear your sunglasses every day—even if it’s cloudy. The sun’s damaging rays can pass through thin clouds and haze. For more information about healthy eyesight or AMD, please call 1-888-633-2167 and speak to a live operator or visit www.amd facts.com.
