Whether you have your air conditioner on high or have surrounded yourself with oscillating fans, it’s official… things are heating up and the sun is shining! By now you have likely smothered your children in sunscreen and packed a few dozen water bottles for hydration. But are you also protecting their eyes?

August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, so now is the perfect time to learn a bit more about how you can make an easy adjustment to your lifestyle to ensure your kids are truly protected.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, “Children are susceptible to a host of vision and eye problems such as injury, infection and increased nearsightedness.”

The Mayo Clinic explains that, “UV radiation from the sun can damage not only the skin of your eyelid but also the cornea, lens and other parts of the eye.” Cumulative exposure may lead to the development of cataracts, growths on the eye, or even macular degeneration.

And, did you know that our eyes can actually experience something much like sunburn  called photokeratis? The American Optometric Association advises that photokeratis can be painful, with symptoms that include “red eyes, a foreign body sensation or gritty feeling in the eyes, extreme sensitivity to light and excessive tearing.”

Now that you know the facts, did you also know that window film can provide protection for your children’s eyes in more ways than one?

UV ray protection at home – Untreated windows only protect you and your children from about 25 percent of UV rays. A professional installation of window film can block up to 99 percent of UV rays from entering your home, which not only cuts glare but actually helps protect your eyes from cumulative exposure. Window film can be installed on nearly any window – no matter the shape or size.

UV ray protection on the road – When you’re in the car, sunglasses are believed to be one of the best ways to protect eyes from sun damage. Unfortunately, not all sunglasses block 100 percent of UV rays. So while purchasing sunglasses for your little ones may make you feel better about their sun exposure when in the car, they are still at risk – especially when you consider how glasses only protect against sun exposure to the front of your eyes. In other words, pesky UV rays can still affect your child’s eyes around the corners of the glasses. Much like the film professionally installed on home windows, automotive window film can block UV rays, reduce sun glare especially side glare which normal sunglasses do not block, and offer a more comfortable experience for your kids in car.

Shatter protection – We’ve all seen a baseball accidentally thrown through the window, or windows that kids protest have “mysteriously” shattered. But like an invisible shield, safety films can offer protection from broken glass when accidents occur at home. When an untreated window breaks, the glass shards can become daggers that can cause serious injury to anyone – especially children. Designed with powerful adhesives, safety films reduce the hazard of broken glass in your home by helping to keep the pieces together and attached to the film upon impact.

As your kids gear up for a new school year, ensure you’re sending them off with the their sights on high achievement (pun intended!). Eye health and eye safety are important for a child’s success, so be sure you’re offering them the care and guidance they need when encountering the sun’s rays.