Children today are more exposed to vision stress due to constant exposure to television, computer screens, gadgets; and hence need better protection
Crizal Prevencia is the first lens to offer selective protection against harmful blue light and UV rays; while letting in essential light
New Delhi, June, 2014: Is your child’s addiction to computer, television and gadgets leaving you worried about her eye sight? Do you know that I Pads, smart phones etc emit harmful blue light that can be dangerous to your child’s eyes? If yes, it’s time to take preventive measures.
Essilor, the world leader in corrective lenses, has launched Crizal Prevencia – the first preventive spectacle lenses that selectively filter out blue violet light that is harmful to retinal cells – to provide greater protection to children’s sensitive eyes. At the same time, Crizal Prevencia lens lets in essential light, which your body needs to function properly.
For children to have healthy eyes throughout their lives, it is imperative that prevention and care begin right from the beginning. Prevention, such as protecting the eye from harmful light, is currently the first line of defence against the problems of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. These conditions currently affect more than 350 million people around the world.
Vision is one of the most empowering senses of human body. In a highly competitive world where everyone is bowled over by the digital technology, good vision is one of the prime requisites to enjoy the digital gadgets and also face the competitive world with confidence.
For a healthy vision, make sure your child is protected right from their school going years. Testing your child’s eye should begin as soon as she turns 1. Thereafter, make sure you take your child for an eye test every two years. Timely detection and remedy can go a long way in ensuring a good vision throughout life.
Crizal Prevencia is the first lens to offer selective protection against harmful blue light and UV rays. Blue light is one of the risk factors in retinal cell degeneration which contributes to the development of cataracts.
Children are more vulnerable to the dangers of light, as their eyes are very transparent and let all visible light and some amount of UV rays pass through to the retina. It is crucial to note that kids’ eyes are exposed three times more to UV radiation.
“Interestingly, parents are used to taking their children to the paediatrician regularly for check-ups but most of them don’t realize that their children should also have regular eye exams – even if the child doesn’t wear glasses. We have seen so many cases where the child has something wrong with their vision but it never gets detected because the child is too scared to tell their parents there is something wrong. However, this is not true. If your child needs vision correction, make sure they get the best vision correction and on time,” says Mr Shivkumar, CEO of Essilor India.
“Today, children’s eyes are exposed to many strains apart from reading. There is constant exposure to television, computers, tabs as well as Smartphones. This is why we believe we need to launch a major campaign across cities to exhort parents to get their children regularly examined for vision disorders. Crizal Prevencia offers holistic protection to the child’s eye. The lens protects against UV radiation and harmful Blue Violet Light and is resistant to scratches which are a major problem in kids,” adds Mr Shivkumar.
UV Light is not only a major risk factor for many skin diseases, but is also a risk factor for eye diseases, including cataract. While Blue-Violet Light is harmful to retinal cells, Blue-Turquoise Light is an essential component that aids in your overall well-being and helps maintain sleep and wake cycles, memory and basic mental functioning. As your lenses block harmful UV radiation, they shall not deprive your eyes of the beneficial Blue Turquoise Light.
Crizal Prevencia is a result of an ambitious four-year research programme conducted in partnership with Paris Vision Institute, one of Europe’s largest eye health integrated research centers, which led to the identification of the portion of the visible light spectrum that is noxious to target retinal cells.
Emitted by the sun and also by artificial light sources such as LEDs and computers or smartphones, blue light – the range of the visible light spectrum with wavelengths between 380-500 nm – plays a beneficial role on health, in particular by regulating the internal biological clock. However, a specific band of this light might have a harmful effect on the eyes. This is what Crizal Prevencia takes care of – of selectively filtering the harmful Blue Violet Light while allowing the beneficial Blue Turquoise to enter your vision.
Crizal Prevencia also gives your child an Eye Sun Protection Factor (ESPF) of 25, protecting from UV radiation as well as reflections that can be uncomfortable to the eyes. The lenses are more resistant to scratches, smudges and dust.
Research suggests that 1 in 4 young children will have vision disorders that can lead to permanent vision impairments, including amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (misaligned eyes), and abnormal refractive errors, such as hyperopia (far sightedness), myopia (near sightedness), etc. A survey conducted in 2001 under an initiative of WHO found prevalence of myopia or near sightedness among 7.45 per cent of Delhi’s children between 5 and 15 years of age.
If these disorders are detected and treated early, preferably before a child reaches age 5, many can be corrected. Early detection and treatment also increases a child’s chances of achieving good treatment outcomes. If corrective measures are taken immediately, children can be saved from further erosion of vision and progression of the disorder.
In fact, it should be mandatory for every parent to make his or her child undergo an eye exam before she joins the school.