Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in an Influencer campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. and received a promotional item from Mom Central to thank me for participating.
Since the warm weather finally found its way to my neck of the woods, the fiancé and I have planned different activities to do just the two of us and ones to do with our brood, like going fishing, swimming, hiking, etc. Most of the things we want to do this summer are outdoors, which I love. I wait all year for summer to roll around so I can enjoy the nice weather before winter rears its ugly head again, and we end up cooped inside.
Since most of our plans involve the outdoors, we need to make sure our children’s’ skin AND eyes are protected from harmful UV rays.
Many parents like myself worry about their children’s’ skin because of sunburns and they don’t want to increase their risks of developing skin cancer when they’re older. But did you realize that their eyes are in harm’s way too?
It’s true. Some studies have actually shown that ultraviolet rays may increase your children’s risk of developing eye problems, like cataracts, later in life. The damage the could be potentially be done to your child’s eyes is irreversible. And since children have larger pupils,clearer lenses and spend more time outside than adult do, their eyes need to be protected.
See, I know firsthand how important it is to protect your eyes. I’ve been wearing glasses since I was nine or so, and I began wearing contacts around sixteen. Over the years my eyes have gotten progressively worse to the point if I do not wear contacts or glasses, I’m considered legally blind.
And I know there will come a day when I can no longer wear contacts, and I won’t be able to order glasses that are strong enough to help me see. At that point I will be left with two options. Live my life as a blind person or have surgery done that may or may not work.
Thankfully I don’t have to make that choice now. I could have surgery done now if I wanted to, but on the off-chance my eyes end up worse because of surgery, I want to be able to enjoy my sight for as long as I can.
I want to be able to look at my children and see them smile.
I want to be able to look into my guy’s eyes and see his love for me shining in them.
I want to see all the beautiful colors in this world.
I’m not ready to possibly give all that up and more.
And since I’m not ready, I have to be extremely careful with my eyesight. I have to protect it at all costs. And I have to protect my children’s’ eyesight too. I don’t want them to end up where I am.
One way that I protect my eyes is by wearing Acuvue contacts that block UV rays. My eyes can’t afford more damage, so while contacts aren’t cheap, they are worth it. And if your child is at a point where they’re wearing contacts, I strongly recommend you to check out the Acuvue brand. Don’t just assume that all contacts offer UV blocking because they don’t.
And those that do have UV Blocking don’t have the same level of protection that Acuvue does. They block 97% UV-B rays and 81% if UV-A rays.
It’s important for me to note, though, that UV-blocking contacts are NOT enough protection for your eyes and are highly recommended to be worn with UV-blocking sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats.
To find out more about eye health, please read the Acuvue article, “Fast Facts for Your Health: The Sun & Your Eyes: What You Need to Know“.
*NOTE: No specific long-term clinical studies were conducted to see if they actually reduce the risk of developing specific eye diseases or conditions.