The College of Optometrists

Fashion-conscious Brits are far more concerned with looks when it comes to sunglasses than protecting their eyes – despite an increasing health risk as summer approaches, according to The College of Optometrists.

Despite potential damage from the sun’s UV rays, almost 80 per cent of under 25 year-olds will focus on fashion and price over safety standards when it comes to purchasing sunglasses this summer - and one in ten will not wear sunglasses at all, even though wearing a good quality pair can reduce the risk of serious conditions such as cataracts.

The survey shows that only the 66+ age group focuses on protection over anything else when buying sunglasses, yet this group is also least likely to have a pair. Overall, the majority of Brits (62.6%) are more influenced by how sunglasses look and how much they cost than whether they actually protect eyes; and nearly 14% do not wear them at all.

Dr Susan Blakeney, Optometric Adviser at The College of Optometrists, says: “With increasing awareness of the risk of skin cancer, most of us wouldn’t dream of going outside on a sunny day without suncream protection. Yet many of us forget or are unaware of just how delicate the eyes can be and go on our summer holidays with totally unprotected eyes, or with sunglasses that are not up to scratch.”

“It is particularly worrying that younger people have so little regard for their eyes when up to 80% of exposure to UK over a person’s lifetime occurs before the age of 18,”* says Dr Blakeney. “It’s therefore especially important to make sure that children wear sunglasses so that any long-term damage is minimised.”

“Summer is just around the corner, so it’s time to protect your eyes by making sure that you’ve got a good quality pair of sunglasses to wear.”

The College of Optometrists provides advice below on what to look for when making a purchase and how best to protect your eyes this summer:

• Buy good quality, dark sunglasses - Sunlight can damage the retina and the lens of the eye, and we risk causing long term damage to our eyesight, developing conditions such as cataracts and possibly AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration) by remaining unprotected.
• Check they are up to standard - Good sunglasses don’t need to be expensive: you can purchase perfectly adequate protective sunglasses from high street stores.  Look out for glasses carrying the "CE" Mark and British Standard BS EN 1836:1997, which ensures that the sunglasses offer a safe level of UV protection.
• Don’t forget your kids – The World Health Organisation estimates that up to 80 per cent of a person's lifetime exposure to UV is received before the age of 18.* What’s good for you is good for them, too.
• They’re not just for summer though - The sun’s UV rays can be present in high enough levels to warrant protection throughout the year (so while some celebrities may be laughed at for wearing sunglasses in the winter, it actually may be good for eye health.)  In fact, some people find the glare of the sun more noticeable in winter, particularly when they are driving, as the sun is lower in the sky. If you drive it is handy to keep a pair of (prescription if you need them) sunglasses in the car. And sunglasses should never be worn when driving at night.
• Light coloured eyes are especially vulnerable - People with light coloured eyes are most at risk from sun damage.  If you have blue eyes, take even more care to wear glasses in the sun.
• People who wear glasses can wear sunglasses too – Sunglasses can be made up to any prescription: distance, reading, bifocals or varifocals.