UVR labelling of spectacles and contact lenses called for (Press Release)

Comprehensive protection of the eyes against ultra violet radiation (UVR) requires not only a block in front of the cornea but also the sides of the eye, in particular the adjacent limbal and conjunctival stem cells of the eye. Thus, according to a new position paper commissioned and published by the European Council of Optometry and Optics (ECOO), UVR-blocking contact lenses that extend over the limbus and palisades of Vogt provide more complete protection. Similarly, sunglasses of a tight fitting wrap-around design, as opposed to small flat lenses mounted off the eye, offer the best protection, providing that they adhere to the highest standard of inherent UVR-blocker in their lens material.