BALTIMORE, MD, June 11, 2019 – Versant Health, a leading national managed eye health and vision plan company, wants you to know the risks associated with cataracts and what you can do to prevent vision loss during Cataract Awareness Month.
Cataracts are the leading form of blindness in the world, as well as here in the United States. A cataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye. The number one cause of cataracts is advanced age, but a close second is unprotected exposure to sunlight.
“Most people don’t realize that excessive exposure to sunlight not only increases your risk for skin cancer, but for vision loss as well,” explains Dr. Mark Ruchman, Chief Medical Officer, Versant Health. “Studies from both the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health as well as the Journal of the American Medical Association have found that people with the most sun exposure had greater risk for cataract. In fact, researchers have gone so far as to say there is no safe dose of sun exposure to UVB rays from the sun.”
To protect your eyes and reduce your risk for cataract, be sure to wear sunglasses whenever you are outside. Choose sunglasses that provide 100% UV protection, or UV 400 protection. This means they protect you from both UVA and UVB radiation. And if you wear prescription eyeglasses, be sure they have a 100% UV protective coating to ensure you are not caught unprotected unnecessarily.