Nike Valiant Radiation Glasses

With June being Cataract Awareness Month, we felt it was important to talk about the dangers of radiation to the eye and the risk of Cataracts. There are currently more than 24 million Americans aged 40 or older who have cataracts; the leading cause of blindness in the United States. There has been a lot of research over the years in the understanding of how radiation exposure can directly affect the eye. The first radiation-induced cataracts were reported in 1949 and by the 1960s, several hundred cases were reported. The severity of the biologic effects from radiation exposure is based on the absorbed dose and the extent of the area exposed. The potential to develop a cataract depends on the absorbed dose and rate of dose accumulation.   

Radiation exposure can result in many health issues, including radiation burns, birth defects, cancers and yes even cataracts. Although the understanding of radiation safety and radiobiology has greatly increased over the last ten years, radiation exposure still remains a risk to patients and radiology professionals. A thorough understanding of radiation safety, including the principles of time, distance, shielding, and technique, is essential. It’s important to learn more about radiation exposure to the eyes and what kind of Radiation Glasses you can wear to protect yourself.

How does Radiation Increase Risk for Cataracts?

Investigators in the Radiation Epidemiology Branch (REB) have identified a significant exposure-response between low-dose cumulative occupational radiation exposure to the eye lens and the risk of cataracts. These findings were published online in 2018 in the European Journal of Epidemiology. Prior to this study, it was known that relatively high-dose exposure to ionizing radiation (greater than 0.5 Gy) could induce cataracts, but there was no evidence for risk at low doses under 100 mGy.  REB investigators evaluated cataract and cataract surgeries reported by participants from Radiologic Technologists in the USA. Over 12,000 eligible technologists reported a history of diagnosis of cataracts and over 5,500 reported undergoing cataract surgery.  Cumulative occupational radiation dose to the eye lens was associated with increased risk of cataract even at low doses less than 100 mGy. This finding challenged the threshold dose for cataract formation, and further changed the recommended dose threshold levels for the eye.

Eyes Are More Sensitive Than Previously Believed

The International Commission on Radiological Protection reduced the radiation dose threshold from 5.0 Gy to 0.5 Gy for the eye and the yearly dosage threshold was reduced from 150 mSv (sievert) to 20 mSv, averaged over 5 years. This came after studies showed that radiology professionals who worked around radiation had a much higher rate of developing cataracts than those who did not. Furthermore, the risk of developing cataracts increased with the length of time spent around radiation and frequency of exposure to radiation. 

Cataract Risk in a Cohort of U.S. Radiologic Technologists Performing Nuclear Medicine Procedures | Radiology (rsna.org)

How Can You Decrease Your Risk?

It’s important to decrease any radiation exposure to the eye. Neglecting to properly shield your eyes from radiation exposure is a risk for cataract development. A person’s height, the length and time spent in procedures such as fluoroscopy, the number of procedures performed, # of years in the radiology field, and the angle at which radiation hits the eye lens, are all risk factors that need to be taken into consideration when evaluating a person’s overall risk for cataract development.  The wearing of Lead Glasses has shown a reduction in the amount of radiation exposure to a user's eyes from 0% to 97%. Wearing Radiation Protective Lead Glasses is important for x-ray technologists and other radiology healthcare professionals. Lead Glasses can be manufactured with and without prescription lens including single vision and bifocal glasses. We also sell Fit-Over Radiation Glasses that fit easily over your existing glasses for the same level of protection.  Wearing lead glasses can significantly reduce the amount of scatter radiation that reaches the lens of the eye.

Z&Z Medical Solutions for Eye Protection

Z&Z Medical supplies a wide variety of lead glasses for all size faces making shopping easy online at www.zzmedical.com   It’s so important for radiology technologist and other healthcare professionals to equip themselves with high quality dependable lead glasses to protect eyes and lower your risk. To learn more about cataract treatment as part of Cataract awareness month, visit www.preventblindness.org

One topic that is important to our customers and to Z&Z Medical is the protection of an x-ray technologist's and a radiologist’s eyes. More than ever, our industry is acknowledging the extreme sensitivity of the human eye to radiation. After the Internal Commission of Radiological Protection announced that the threshold of acceptable radiation exposure to the eye was much lower than was previously suggested, radiology imaging professionals have expressed a greater level of concern when it comes to shielding of their eyes. Z&Z Medical provides a wide range of current up to-date glasses that are not only superior in protection but that also provide a greater level of comfort compared to older styles of the past.  

Safety is Paramount!

The very reason you're putting on radiation protection glasses is to protect your eyes from the dangers of scatter radiation and minimizing your risk for cataract development. The risk of early cataract development is a real concern for anyone working in the medical imaging environment. With our protective eyewear, you can be sure you're getting the shielding you need to be safe.  

Comfort is Key!

Z&Z Medical offers a wide array of protective glasses that are lightweight and designed to put less pressure on the bridge of the nose and on the back of the ears. A lot has changed over the years and comfort is one of them!  The glasses that are available now are very comfortable and don’t create a burden to wear them.

Got to have Style!

No more worries about glasses that look like the older outdated protective eyewear from years past. Today’s x-ray protective glasses not only give you the protection you need and the comfort you desire, but they also give you a choice of style. Sporty, smart, sleek - whatever look you desire, you can find them with Z&Z Medical.

Since the standards for eye protection has changed over the years, so too has the advancement of radiology protective eyewear . Maximum protection and comfort are right at your fingertips. If you haven’t upgraded your radiation glasses, wait no longer. Come check out Z&Z Medical’s lead glass offerings today. www.zzmedical.com