UAB Briefs: Eye safety tips for viewing the eclipse
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In this weekly online feature, we keep track of interesting people and events on campus.
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Eye safety during solar eclipse
On Monday, Aug. 21, the United States will see its first solar eclipse since 1979, and eye specialists at UAB offer some tips on eye safety during the eclipse.
These tips can help eclipse viewers avoid such symptoms as pain, blurry vision, red or watery eyes and light sensitivity.
“It is never safe to stare directly into the sun, and that includes during the eclipse,” said Dr. Tamara S. Oechslin, assistant professor in the School of Optometry.
Anyone within the so-called path of totality during the event can see a total solar eclipse, and observers outside this path will see a partial solar eclipse.
“It will never be safe to view the eclipse without eye protection unless you are in a zone with complete coverage, and then only during those two minutes of complete coverage, or totality,” Oechslin said.
A partial eclipse should be seen only through solar eclipse glasses, according to Dr. Tyler A. Hall, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Ophthalmology.
Protective eyewear should have an ISO 12312-2 marking on them to be considered safe for looking at the sun.
“The best option to view an eclipse safely is to wear solar eclipse glasses approved by the International Organization for Standardization, which can be purchased from various online merchants,” Hall said.
Standard sunglasses, regardless of ultraviolet markings, including UVA and UVB, will not provide enough protection for eclipse viewing due to the intensity of the rays, experts say.
Oechslin suggests the only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewers. She suggests certain filters to view the solar eclipse, including specialty eclipse glasses or a welder’s helmet shade no. 14 or higher.
Summertime contact lens tips
People who wear soft contact lenses must follow a specified wear schedule — usually daily, biweekly or monthly disposal — and maintain good hand hygiene, especially while inserting and removing contact lenses.
And now UAB experts offer contact lens users some additional tips to help protect your eyes and lenses from heat, sun and water in the summertime.
Contact lens use on the go
“Being prepared when traveling is key to eye safety,” said Dr. Andrew D. Pucker, associate professor in the UAB School of Optometry, in a UAB new release.
Pucker said that contact lens users should remember to take all care devices while traveling, including travel-size care systems and leak-proof contact lens cases. Packing a spare pair of contact lenses and glasses is also important.
Swimming with contact lenses
Pucker highly recommends wearers to remove contact lenses before swimming to avoid potential eye infections. Swimmers should be prescribed daily disposable contact lenses when possible, so they can discard their contaminated contact lenses directly after swimming. Wearers should also use swimming goggles before entering the water.
Protecting your eyes from ultraviolet rays
To avoid possible eye damage due to harmful UV rays, a combination of multiple protective measures should be adopted to protect the eyes. Pucker advises wearing polarized sunglasses, UV protection contact lenses if applicable and a large-brimmed hat.
Fighting to end AIDs
UAB is now partnering with several state agencies and private groups to take part in a global effort to dramatically slow the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2020 and eliminate the spread of AIDS by 2030, according to a UAB news release.
These goals were set out on World AIDS Day 2014 in Paris, France, in the Paris Declaration on Fast-Track Cities Ending AIDS.
Birmingham became one of 13 cities in the United States dedicated to committing local resources to achieving this goals on August 3, when Mayor William Bell signed the Paris Declaration.
70 high-burden cities around the world have since signed the declaration.
The goals of the declaration by 2020 are as follows:
--90 percent of people living with HIV will know their HIV status.
--90 percent of those who know their status will be engaged in care and on antiretroviral therapy (ART).
--90 percent of those on ART achieving full viral suppression.