Sun Protection: Why Patients Need Sunglasses This Winter

2015 • Staff Education

Whether they wear them or not, most consumers understand that sunglasses are important in the summer. Most will, however, say there’s not nearly as much need for them in the winter.

Tip: Be sure to ask what medication patients are taking. Some can triple the speed of sunburn to the eyes.

5% Exposure to UV radiation rises by almost 5% every 1,000 feet above sea level.

The reality is that sunglasses are even more important in the snow and, especially, for sun protection with outdoor winter sports.

Here are six things your patients need to know.

1. SUN’S POSITION
During winter, the sun actually sits lower and at an angle that results in more exposure than during the summer months.

2. ALTITUDE
Partly because the air gets thinner at higher altitudes, exposure to UV radiation rises almost 5% every 1,000 feet above sea level. What does that mean if a patient is, for example, skiing at 10,000 feet? According to skincancer.org, “At that altitude, UV radiation may be 35 to 45% more intense than at sea level.”

3. UV INDEX
What exactly is The UV Index number that your patients see everyday? It represents the intensity of UV at its highest point, called solar noon, which is midway between sunrise and sunset. Even when the UV index is moderate, as it is at lower altitudes in much of the U.S. this time of year, AccuWeather, Inc., reports it takes 45 minutes or less of unprotected sun exposure for damage to occur.

4. REFLECTIONS
Why can winter cause more eye damage than sunny summer days? One reason is something patients don’t think about…reflections. In the summer, green grass and trees reflect less than 7% of light. According to The Vision Council, because snow is so reflective, up to 85% of UV rays from the sun are reflected upward from the snow.

5. MEDICATIONS MIX
Be sure to ask what medications patients are taking. If, for example, someone is taking diuretics or sulfa antibiotics, they are likely to experience sunburn to the surface of the eye at least three times faster than someone who is not on those meds. And, that burn occurs faster in winter than other seasons.

6. SHORT-TERM DAMAGE
As many skiers know, UV rays can cause snow blindness, which is actually a sunburn to the surface of the eyes and can last for up to a week. That’s just short-term damage, however.

7. LONG-TERM DAMAGE
Explain to patients that all sunlenses are not created equal, including how much blue light they block. While most UV is absorbed by the front of the eye (a cause of cataracts), blue light can reach the retina (a major contributing factor to macular degeneration).

How do you explain to your patients the importance of sunwear in wintertime? Tell us what works and join in the conversation on our Facebook page here.