One in three people do not concern themselves with the UV rating on their sunglasses, choosing fashion over protection.

June 28 2016 — a recent report by Vision Express in the UK announced that one in three people do not take any notice of UV rating when purchasing a pair of sunglasses despite nearly 95% of them thinking it is important.

It is a worrying trend that people choose style over eye protection and this highlights that eye damage is not something people are genuinely concerned about with regards to UV exposure.  Is this because, unlike skin damage, potential UV damage to eyes is not publicised enough?

Omar Hassan, Head of Professional Services at Vision Express states, ‘Our concern highlighted by the research is that people are prioritising style over safety, mistakenly believing that all sunglasses are made to an equal standard to block all harmful UV rays. This just isn’t the case. It’s a huge problem because wearing tinted lenses with no protection “tricks” the pupil into dilating and ultimately may cause more damage to the retina than no protection at all’

Omar Hassan continues, ‘It’s estimated that every year three million people lose their sight due to prolonged exposure to UV, so while sun-safety is important for our skin, it’s crucial to protect the eyes too. Anyone buying sunglasses off the shelf without prescription should use a reputable retailer and check the frames are CE marked as UV400.’

SmartChoice Fitness welcome this report, and hope people will take notice when choosing their sunglasses this summer.  ‘UV damage is no joke, and sunglasses should not only be worn when on holiday.   A pair of sunglasses should be worn as a matter of course on any sunny day when outside.’  Says Nigel Piper of SmartChoice Fitness.  ‘Even on cloudy days UV rays penetrate through and sunglasses should be worn.’

Light is measured in nanometres (nm) with UV rays measuring between 320nm and 400nm.  UV400 protection indicates that no more than 5% of rays below 400nm can penetrate.   With the British guidelines stating they must block 380nm or more, UV400 exceed the guidelines and provides plentiful protection.

For further information about UV protection, please visit smartchoicefitness.com

For an affordable but great quality pair of sunglasses check out SmartChoice’s Sport Sunglasses on Amazon.co.uk (or Amazon.com if you are in the States). They are lightweight, durable, have wrap around lenses ensuring the UV400 protection is covered from all angles.

SmartChoice Fitness is a family run business whose aim is to provide top quality products in the fitness, health and holistic range for fantastic prices.  Their ethos is to help people, no matter what their abilities or goals, to welcome changes in their lives which will improve both their well-being and fitness.    Visit our website http://smartchoicefitness.com for further information.
Contact: Nigel Piper
SmartChoiceFitness
1812 N Columbia Blvd
Suite C15-534257
Portland
Oregon 97217
Email: [email protected]
Website: smartchoicefitness.com
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