Hands On - LENS TIPS
Photochromics and the Aging Eye
Karlen McLean, ABOC, NCLC
Emphasizing healthy vision as part of overall health will get the attention of your older adult patients. Detailing the best protection for aging eyes--100 percent UV protective photochromic lenses--will keep it.
Anti-aging. Anti-aging is an in-your-face topic. Explain to older patients that wearing fixed-tint sunglasses and photochromic lenses helps keep the sun from damaging eyes and surrounding skin, and also cuts down on squinting, which causes fine lines and wrinkles.
Vision loss. More important, communicate that UV exposure is a probable cause of macular degeneration, cataracts, and other causes of irreversible vision loss.
Increased danger. Since many seniors spend more time outdoors and have migrated to climates closer to the equator or at higher altitudes, they are being exposed to more UV rays and surface reflectivity.
Glare. AR with photochromic lenses will significantly minimize the effects of low-intensity glare. Indoor light transmission is increased with AR by 5 percent to 6 percent, thereby allowing almost total transmission of visible light.
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quick tips |
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According to the EPA's SunWise Website, www.epa.gov/sunwise, you can roughly judge your UV exposure by taking a look at your shadow. If your shadow is taller than you, usually in the early morning and late afternoon, UV exposure is likely to be low. If your shadow is shorter than you, usually around midday, seek shade and protect your skin and eyes from high levels of UV radiation. |
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The medical case. According to a study entitled "Performance-based and Self-assessed Measures of Visual Function as Related to History of Falls, Hip Fractures, and Measured Gait Time," vision is related to "important traumatic events in older persons, which may impact on mobility, independence, and quality of life."
Distance visual acuity and visual field loss are risk factors for falls, and depth perception and contrast sensitivity are key in detecting hazards. In addition, the ability to discriminate between colors often decreases with age, as do pupil diameter and contrast sensitivity.
For most patients, traditional photochromics help. For others--especially those who suffer from retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, or other ocular conditions--medically applied photochromic lenses with blue-light filtering are necessary.
Whether it's general-purpose or specialized photochromics, efficient communication is essential when working with the senior and baby boomer populations.
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