May Is UV Awareness Month

Prevent Blindness America has declared May UV Awareness Month to help educate the public on the dangers of UV and how to protect the eyes. As ECPs know, while UV-A has lower energy, it penetrates deep into the eye and may injure the macula, the part of the retina responsible for sight in the center field of vision. UV-B radiation is presumably more dangerous and is mainly absorbed by the cornea and lens of the eye and can damage those tissues. You might want your patients to know that PBA recommends wearing sunglasses that reduce glare, filter out 99-100 percent of UV rays, protect eyes, are comfortable to wear, and do not distort colors. You could also recommend that your patients visit www.preventblindness.org/uv. You and your patients could also take the UV Awareness Quiz.