UV Protection For Your Eyes | EVO ICL

Sun

The sun is heating up and as much as sunblock is needed, we highly recommended sunglasses at all times. Sunglasses help to protect your eyes from UV rays. Check out these tips from The Vision Council that can help you understand the importance of protecting your eyes from the sun.

What are Ultraviolet Rays?

UV, or ultraviolet, rays come from the sun and are classified into three categories: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVA and UVB takes about 8 minutes and 20 seconds to reach the Earth’s surface, after passing through the atmosphere.

Why do UV Rays Hurt Your Eyes?

UVA

This accounts for up to 95% of UV radiation. These rays can pass through the atmosphere and onto the Earth’s surface where they’re 30 - 50 times more prevalent than UVB rays. Over time, they can produce long term, severe damage to skin cells.

UVB

Unlikely UVA rays, UVB rays are more likely to penetrate on cloudy days and are more prevalent at higher altitudes. They are highly reflective off of snow and ice, making it just as damaging as direct UV exposure. Water reflects up to 100% of UV rays while snow reflects up to 85%. Dry sand and concrete can reflect up to 25% as well.

Sunscreen isn’t the only thing you’ll be needing during the summer. Sunglasses with UV protection are essential in helping to prevent damage to your eyes from UV rays. The damage adds up and adults have reported to both see and feel UV’s effect overtime.Children have immature lens which make them especially susceptible to UV-related eye damage. Some examples of UV damage include:

Short Term UV Damage Effects:
  • Photokeratitis (aka sunburnt eyes)
  • Bloodshot Eyes
  • Swollen Eyes
  • Photophobia (hypersensitivity to light)
Long Term UV Damage Effects:
  • Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
  • Cataracts
  • Pterygium
  • Cancer of the Eye & Surrounding Skin

How Does UV Lights Enter Your Eye?

UVA and UVB radiation enter the eye by penetrating the cornea. Light then passes through the cornea to the pupil and moves to the iris where light intensity is controlled. Unfiltered UV light causes damage to the retina over time.

DID YOU KNOW: The Collamer material that makes up the EVO ICL (EVO) has unique properties that provide UV protection. For more on the benefits of EVO ICL click here: EVO ICL Benefits


Important Safety Information

The EVO Visian ICL Lens is intended for the correction of moderate to high nearsightedness. EVO Visian ICL and EVO Visian TICL surgery is intended to safely and effectively correct nearsightedness between -3.0 D to -15.0 D, the reduction in nearsightedness up to -20.0 D and treatment of astigmatism from 1.0 D to 4.0 D. If you have nearsightedness within these ranges, EVO Visian ICL surgery may improve your distance vision without eyeglasses or contact lenses. Because the EVO Visian ICL corrects for distance vision, it does not eliminate the need for reading glasses, you may require them at some point, even if you have never worn them before.

Implantation of the EVO Visian ICL is a surgical procedure, and as such, carries potentially serious risks. Please discuss the risks with your eye care professional. Complications, although rare, may include need for additional surgical procedures, inflammation, loss of cells from the back surface of the cornea, increase in eye pressure, and cataracts.

You should NOT have EVO Visian ICL surgery if:

  • Your doctor determines that the shape of your eye is not an appropriate fit for the EVO Visian ICL
  • You are pregnant or nursing
  • You have moderate to severe damage to the optic nerve caused by increased pressure (glaucoma)
  • You do not meet the minimum endothelial cell density for your age at the time of implantation as determined by your eye doctor
  • Your vision is not stable as determined by your eye doctor

Before considering EVO Visian ICL surgery you should have a complete eye examination and talk with your eye care professional about EVO Visian ICL surgery, especially the potential benefits, risks, and complications. You should discuss the time needed for healing after surgery. For additional information with potential benefits, risks and complications please visit DiscoverICL.com.

References

References

1. Packer M. The Implantable Collamer Lens with a central port: review of the literature. Clin Ophthalmol. 2018;12:2427-2438.

2. Martínez-Plaza E, López-Miguel A, López-de la Rosa A, et al. Effect of the EVO+ Visian Phakic Implantable Collamer Lens on Visual Performance and Quality of Vision and Life, Am J Ophthalmol 2021;226:117-125.

3. Packer M. Evaluation of the EVO/EVO+ Sphere and Toric Visian ICL: Six month results from the United States Food and Drug Administration clinical trial. Clinical Ophthalmology. 2022;16:1541-53.

4. Parkhurst GD. A prospective comparison of phakic collamer lenses and wavefront-optimized laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis for correction of myopia. Clin Ophthalmol. 2016;10:1209-1215.

5. Ganesh S, Brar S, Pawar A. Matched population comparison of visual outcomes and patient satisfaction between 3 modalities for the correction of low to moderate myopic astigmatism. Clin Ophthalmol. 2017;11:1253-1263.

6. Naves J.S, Carracedo G, Cacho-Babillo I, Diadenosine nucleotid measurements as dry-eye score in patients after LASIK and ICL surgery. Presented at American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) 2012.

7. Shoja, MR. Besharati, MR. Dry eye after LASIK for myopia: Incidence and risk factors. European Journal of Ophthalmology. 2007; 17(1): pp. 1-6.

8. Lee, Jae Bum et al. Comparison of tear secretion and tear film instability after photorefractive keratectomy and laser in situ keratomileusis. Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery , Volume 26 , Issue 9 , 1326 - 1331.

9. Parkhurst, G. Psolka, M. Kezirian, G. Phakic intraocular lens implantantion in United States military warfighters: A retrospective analysis of early clinical outcomes of the Visian ICL. J Refract Surg. 2011;27(7):473-481.

*American Refractive Surgery Council

We get it. Decisions like this take time to consider and research. We can help guide your decision with information that's the most relevant to you.

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