Posted by: Clemson Eye in News
Upstate Parent, August 2015
Clemson Eye’s Dr. Kara Jo Dodgens was the expert consulted about children’s summer eye safety in the August edition of Upstate Parent. Read her response.
Q. Does my child really need to wear sunglasses?
A. Yes! Sunglasses with lenses that screen out 99 – 100 percent of UV rays are the single most important thing a parent can do to protect their child’s sensitive eyes from the sun’s radiation. Evidence shows that we get 25 – 50 percent of our lifetime exposure to dangerous UV rays by the time we are 18. Make sure the glasses you pick say they block 99 – 100 percent of UV rays. Also, get sunglasses with impact-resistant, polycarbonate lenses. These will be less likely to break during active sports. If your child already wears glasses, get her sports glasses to wear to play outside. I worry about kids who wear glasses every day and then wear those glasses on the basketball court or playing field. They just aren’t built for that.
— Dr. Kara Jo Dodgens, Optometrist, Clemson Eye
Click here to download/read the entire article in PDF
