{"id":16871,"date":"2021-08-12T15:50:10","date_gmt":"2021-08-12T15:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=16871"},"modified":"2021-08-12T15:50:10","modified_gmt":"2021-08-12T15:50:10","slug":"children-and-sunglasses","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/children-and-sunglasses\/","title":{"rendered":"Children and Sunglasses"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>By age 18, our eyes have received 80% of their lifelong UV exposure from the sun (World Health Organization).<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Many parents question if their children need to wear sunglasses. The answer is simple &#8211; yes, they do! Since the sun\u2019s UV rays accumulate over time, children should begin wearing sunglasses as soon as they begin to play outdoors.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Why should children wear sunglasses?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Children&#8217;s eyes are more susceptible to UV rays than adult eyes, necessitating the use of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/glasses-for-children\/do-children-need-sunglasses\/\">sunglasses<\/a> from an early age.<\/p>\n<p><b>Children are at a higher risk for a number of sight-threatening eye diseases later in life because UV light causes cell damage in the eye.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Another reason children may require more eye protection than adults is that they spend more time outside. Because of this higher exposure, as well as their heightened susceptibility to UV rays, eye protection is necessary.<\/p>\n<h2><b>What are common eye problems caused by sunlight?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>UV radiation has been linked to an increased risk of the following eye diseases:<\/p>\n<h2><b>Cataracts<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-conditions\/guide-to-cataracts\/\">Cataracts<\/a> are the clouding of the eye\u2019 lens. For those who have cataracts it\u2019s as if looking through a frosty window.<\/p>\n<p>In 2017, the International Journal of Scientific Study conducted a study on the effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and whether it triggers various ophthalmic problems. Cataracts were more likely to occur than any other eye condition.<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\">Contact an eye doctor near you<\/a> to find out what sunglasses will best protect your child\u2019s eyes.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><strong>SEE RELATED:<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/glasses-for-children\/\"> Choosing Glasses for Children<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t<div class=\"practice-search-widget\">\n\t\t<h3>Find an eye doctor near you<\/h3>\n\t\t\n\t<form class=\"practice-search-form practice-search-form-widget\" action=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/results\/\" method=\"get\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"page\" class=\"practice-search-page\">\n\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_latitude\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"address_longitude\">\n\n\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"address\" class=\"practice-search-address\" placeholder=\"City, Surburb or Address\" value=\"\">\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"distance\" value=\"100\" class=\"practice-search-distance\">\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t<button type=\"submit\" class=\"practice-search-button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M10.6796 0.130005C9.15708 0.130059 7.66615 0.5646 6.38198 1.38258C5.09781 2.20057 4.07373 3.36803 3.43004 4.74783C2.78634 6.12763 2.54976 7.66246 2.74808 9.17205C2.9464 10.6816 3.57139 12.1033 4.54964 13.27L0.729639 17.08C0.6364 17.1732 0.562439 17.2839 0.511979 17.4058C0.461519 17.5276 0.435547 17.6581 0.435547 17.79C0.435547 17.9219 0.461519 18.0524 0.511979 18.1743C0.562439 18.2961 0.6364 18.4068 0.729639 18.5C0.917942 18.6883 1.17334 18.7941 1.43964 18.7941C1.5715 18.7941 1.70207 18.7681 1.82389 18.7177C1.94571 18.6672 2.0564 18.5932 2.14964 18.5L5.99964 14.62C7.35406 15.6038 8.98566 16.1324 10.6596 16.13C12.7814 16.13 14.8162 15.2871 16.3165 13.7869C17.8168 12.2866 18.6596 10.2517 18.6596 8.13C18.6596 6.00827 17.8168 3.97344 16.3165 2.47315C14.8162 0.97286 12.7814 0.130005 10.6596 0.130005H10.6796ZM10.6796 14.13C9.49295 14.13 8.33291 13.7781 7.34622 13.1188C6.35952 12.4595 5.59049 11.5225 5.13636 10.4261C4.68224 9.32975 4.56342 8.12335 4.79493 6.95946C5.02644 5.79558 5.59788 4.72648 6.437 3.88736C7.27611 3.04825 8.34521 2.4768 9.5091 2.24529C10.673 2.01378 11.8794 2.1326 12.9757 2.58673C14.0721 3.04085 15.0092 3.80989 15.6685 4.79658C16.3277 5.78328 16.6796 6.94332 16.6796 8.13C16.6796 9.7213 16.0475 11.2474 14.9223 12.3726C13.7971 13.4979 12.2709 14.13 10.6796 14.13Z\" fill=\"#fff\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"practice-search-use-my-location\">\n\t\t\tSearch near me\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\n\t<\/form>\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<h2><b>Pterygium<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/general-practice-optometry\/guide-to-eye-conditions\/eye-conditions\/corneal-diseases\/pinguecula-and-pterygium\/\">Pterygium<\/a>, often known as &#8220;surfer&#8217;s eye,&#8221; is a benign tumor caused by UV radiation causing cells in the conjunctiva, the eye&#8217;s outer protective layer, to divide abnormally, resulting in a whitish growth near the cornea.<\/p>\n<p>Pterygium is a condition that affects both eyes and can develop to the point where the front of the eye becomes misshapen. As the cornea becomes distorted, your eyesight may become significantly blurred.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Photoconjunctivitis &amp; Photokeratitis<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>UV radiation from the sun induces inflammation of the tissues within the eye in both circumstances, this is often called \u2018eye sunburn\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>Photoconjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, while photokeratitis is an infection of the cornea.<\/p>\n<p>These conditions are common in children and can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms, such as pain and blurred vision.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Skin cancer near the eyes<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Despite the fact that sunscreen is needed for skin protection during outdoor activities, most people avoid applying it near their eyes since it stings.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, UV radiation can harm the skin around the eyes, increasing the risk of skin cancer in that area.<\/p>\n<p>The sooner you start protecting the skin around your child&#8217;s eyes, the better.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Regular eye exams<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Regular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/pediatric-eye-exams-2\/\">eye exams<\/a> with your eye doctor are the best way to ensure that your child\u2019s eyes stay healthy.<\/p>\n<p>An eye doctor can\u00a0 correct your child\u2019s\u00a0 vision (if needed), diagnose any eye problems and discuss the types of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/glasses-for-children\/do-children-need-sunglasses\/\">sunglasses<\/a> that are available for vision correction and\/or UV protection.<\/p>\n<p><strong>LEARN MORE:<\/strong> \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/\">Guide to Children\u2019s Eye Exams<\/a><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/practice-search\/\">Schedule an appointment with an eye doctor<\/a> near you to help you pick out the best sunglasses for your child.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><i>Protecting a child\u2019s eyes from harmful UV rays is vital to reduce the risks of sight-threatening eye conditions later in life.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By age 18, our eyes have received 80% of their lifelong UV exposure from the sun (World Health Organization). Many parents question if their children<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1206,"featured_media":16872,"parent":12318,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-article.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16871","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Children and Sunglasses - Optometrists.org<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/children-and-sunglasses\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Children and Sunglasses - Optometrists.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By age 18, our eyes have received 80% of their lifelong UV exposure from the sun (World Health Organization). Many parents question if their children\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/children-and-sunglasses\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Optometrists.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Dad-Child-Sunglasses.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"350\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/children-and-sunglasses\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/children-and-sunglasses\/\",\"name\":\"Children and Sunglasses - Optometrists.org\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/children-and-sunglasses\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/children-and-sunglasses\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Dad-Child-Sunglasses.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-08-12T15:50:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-08-12T15:50:10+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/children-and-sunglasses\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/children-and-sunglasses\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/children-and-sunglasses\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Dad-Child-Sunglasses.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Dad-Child-Sunglasses.jpg\",\"width\":640,\"height\":350},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/children-and-sunglasses\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Children&#8217;s Vision\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Guide to Children\u2019s Eye Exams\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Children and Sunglasses\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/\",\"name\":\"Optometrists.org\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Children and Sunglasses - Optometrists.org","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/childrens-vision\/guide-to-childrens-eye-exams\/children-and-sunglasses\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Children and Sunglasses - Optometrists.org","og_description":"By age 18, our eyes have received 80% of their lifelong UV exposure from the sun (World Health Organization). 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