Sunwear year-round
Sunwear Year-Round
Fashion aside, sunglasses serve a true function—protecting eyes from the harmful rays produced by the sun. Although sunwear is often associated with warmer weather, the sun shines year-round, making sunwear a necessity even during those cold months of the year.
How does the sun damage the eyes?
The sun emits three types of rays:
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visible, which is what you see as color
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infrared, which is invisible and felt as heat
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ultraviolet (UV), which is invisible and often called the “sunburn rays
The invisible UV rays can damage your eyes. Some of the damage can be immediate, while some occurs over a lifetime of exposure. Chronic exposure to bright sunlight can damage various parts of the eye including the cornea, the lens and the retina.
In the short term, people who spend long hours on the beach or in the snow without adequate eye protection can develop photokeratitis, reversible sunburn of the cornea. This painful condition can result in temporary loss of vision. When sunlight reflects off of snow, sand and water, it further increases exposure to UV radiation.
Everyone is at risk for eye damage from the sun year-round. The risk is greatest from about 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM in the day. Fishermen, farmers, beach-goers and others who spend extended periods outdoors are at greatest risk. Others who are at higher risk of developing problems from UV rays also include those who take certain medications such as tetracycline, sulfa medications, some birth control pills, diuretics and tranquilizers that increase the eye’s sensitivity to light. People who wear contact lenses that offer UV protection should still wear a pair of quality sunglasses.
How can Sunglasses Protect Your Eyes From UV radiation?
Good quality sunglasses help to protect your eyes from harmful UV radiation. When you purchase sunglasses, look for a statement on the amount of UV radiation that is blocked from reaching the eye through the sunglass lens.
The rule of thumb is that the less UV rays that get through, the better. Experts recommend that to protect your eyes from harmful rays, your sunglasses should block 99-100% of both UVA and UVB rays. Since as much as 50% of sunlight comes from overhead and gets by many glasses, a brimmed cap or hat should be worn for maximum sun protection. Eyewear that wraps around the face also helps minimize the amount of harmful light entering the eyes.
Don’t assume that you get more UV protection with pricier sunglasses or glasses with darker tints. Sunglasses should be dark enough to reduce glare, but not enough to distort colors and affect the recognition of traffic signals. Tint is mainly a matter of personal preference. For best color perception, lenses that are a neutral gray, amber, brown or green are best.
Children should also wear a good pair of protective sunglasses. They should not be toy sunglasses, but real sunglasses that indicate the UV protection level, just as on adult sunwear. Polycarbonate lenses are generally recommended for children because they are the most shatter resistant.
Lenses should be inspected for such flaws as scratches, bubbles, and distortions. Poorly made glasses will not damage the structure of your eyes, but may cause your eyes to work harder, resulting in squinting, blinking, tearing and even slight headaches, nausea and dizziness.
Selecting the right sunglasses is an important choice to protect your eyes and safeguard your vision.
