Our eyes are like other organs, and need protection in order to last. Eye specialist say that protecting your eyes as children is the most effective way to prolong 20/20 vision as you get older.
According to Ian Anderson, Chairman of Britain's Eyecare Trust, "Children need sunglasses, but parents need to be careful that they are not toys with tinted lenses. That causes the iris to open and lenses that cause more light through. Parents need to be very careful to buy sunglasses with the right CE marking to show that they filter out UV light.
Paul Michelson, MD, an ophthalmologist and chairman of the Better Vision Institute, the medical advisory arm to The Vision Council says that most people don't understand how harmful UV exposure is to the eyes.
"Even those who do understand, few understand it is the cumulative exposure that can be damaging," says Michelson.
"The good news is, some people wear sunglasses some of the time," Michelson says. "The bad news is, not enough people wear them enough of the time."
Michelson sums it up by stressing that It's never too early to put sunglasses on kids. And it's never too late to begin wearing them.