UV Contact Lenses
UV-Blocking Contact Lenses
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Just as your skin must be protected from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, so do your eyes. As much as we all do our best to wear sunglasses as often as we can, it doesn't always happen. That's where UV-blocking contact lenses come in. UV-blocking capabilities are available in both
soft contact lenses and
RGP contact lenses.
While you won't be able to tell that a contact lens has UV protection in it just by looking at it, the box your contacts came in will advertise this feature.
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It wasn't until
1999
that the benefits of UV protection in contact lenses was fully realized. Following extensive research during this year, it was determined that UV-blocking contact lenses do provide significant protection against UV radiation. Excessive exposure to UV is a well-known risk factor for the formation of cataracts. It is also responsible for the phenomenon of "snow blindness," which is experienced by mountain climbers and skiers who do not wear proper sunglasses or goggles. The medical term for this is photokeratitis, which is basically a sunburn of the eye.
Since contact lenses only cover part of the eye (the cornea), the UV-blocker in contact lenses is meant as more of a complementary addition to sunglasses rather than complete protection on its own. It is important to wear sunglasses, even if you have UV-blocking contact lenses.
Johnson & Johnson have taken a step ahead of the pack by making all
Acuvue lenses
with UV protection, and I suspect that this will be the trend for most contact lens companies in the future.
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