5 reasons to wear diving goggles: underwater eye protection
Did you know that at 50 cm depth, the sun's rays have the same incidence on the eyes and skin? To protect the eyes also in the water it is essential to use diving goggles. Unlike what we usually think, the diving goggles not only protect the eyes from irritation by the chlorine of swimming pools or sea salt, they are also sunscreens such as sunscreen.
Recent research on melanoma has revealed that 10% of tumors throughout the body occur in the eyelid, so protection of the eye area is essential from six months of age.
And is that although children are already starting to wear sunglasses for protection, thanks to the awareness of parents, rather than out of fashion, there is a certain lack of knowledge about the true usefulness of diving goggles, a very healthy and safe element for children to enjoy their summer under the sun, even in the water.
5 reasons for children to wear diving goggles
To raise awareness among families about the need to use diving goggles to bathe anywhere, experts from the Rementería Clinic They have shared with us the five reasons why diving goggles are useful for much more than playing in the water:
1. The incidence of solar rays under water. Still submerged under water, 50 cm from the surface, the sun's rays are equally intense. If we use water-resistant sunscreens so that the skin of the little ones is well protected, a diving mask will fulfill its protective function of the radiation that is received even though it is submerged.
2. Protection against germs and bacteria. In the water of the seas, rivers, marshes or swimming pools coexist multitude of microorganisms, among them germs and bacteria, that can be harmful for the ocular health, as well as some chemical elements that can affect the eye: chlorine, salt, oils, rests of mosquito repellent or sunscreen. The use of diving goggles, which prevent water from coming into contact with the eye area, ensures protection from the first dip. Dr. Javier Hurtado, Medical Director of Clinic Rementería and responsible for the area of Pediatric Ophthalmology, ensures that "good glasses for water protect the eyes of children in their bathrooms because chlorine is extremely irritating, and can cause keratitis and Irritative conjunctivitis Its use is highly recommended not only in the pool, but also in rivers, beaches or marshes.
3. Anti fogging and quality. As important as checking on the labeling that the glasses have a UV protection system, is that they have an anti-fogging system. In this way we will avoid that every time the children have to remove and put on the glasses to clean them, allowing water to enter or ending up not using them. Three other keys to ensure that they are a quality product is that they have the CE seal and the ISO reference as well as the fact of acquiring them in a trustworthy establishment.
4. Prevention of dry eye syndrome. Interestingly, continued contact with water can cause the mucous membranes to dry out and dry eye symptoms develop, so the most comfortable solution is to use these diving goggles. If necessary, it is recommended to resort to artificial tears to refresh and calm the dry eye.
5. Caution and symptoms. It is advisable to prevent children from sharing their diving goggles because conjunctivitis can be easily spread. "If they complain of pain in the eye, discomfort or spots on their eyelids we should go to the ophthalmologist as soon as possible," concludes Dr. Hurtado, Clinic Rementería.
Ultraviolet exposure is cumulative throughout life and that is why it is important that we take into account that children under 3 years of age should not be exposed to the sun. It is important to try to avoid photoexposure with all the elements within our reach: sunscreen, hat, umbrella ...
Marisol Nuevo Espín
Advice: Dr. Javier Hurtado, Medical Director of Clínica Rementería and responsible for the area of Pediatric Ophthalmology.
