Sunglasses Shield Our Eyes From UV Rays
Your eyes are one of the most important parts of your body. Your vision helps you easily carry out everyday activities like reading and writing, cooking, driving a car, and much more. Many people tend to take their eye health and vision for granted. They do not always take care of their eyes as they should. During the summer months, it is incredibly popular to spend much of your time outside in the sun. However, many people seem to be unaware of the dangers the sun presents to your eyes. For that matter, it is incredibly important to find yourself effective sunglasses to shield your eyes.
Dangers of UV Rays
The sun emits UV radiation in its sunlight. They cannot be seen or felt, but they are surely there. The vitamin D in your body can be boosted if you spend a short period of time in the sun. However, if you become overexposed to the sun and its UV rays, it can cause damage to your skin as well as your eyes.
Without proper eye protection like sunglasses, overexposure to UV rays can lead to dangerous eye conditions such as:
- Macular Degeneration
- Cataract
- Pterygium
- Photokeratitis
- Cancer, and more
What to Look for in Sunglasses
By now, you should know how important it is to own a pair of sunglasses to help protect your eyes from the sun. However, not every pair of sunglasses will necessarily help protect your eyes. Sunglasses have become more of a fashion accessory than they are eye protection, so some manufacturers focus purely on look and style over function and purpose. Here is some information to help you find effective sunglasses:
- Dark lenses do not equal protection: While some sunglasses that have dark lenses may look cool and fashionable, they do not always offer you any protection. Many people seem to think that the lenses filter out the light and UV rays, but your pupil, the part of your eye that controls how much light is received, opens up more. If your dark lenses don’t offer UV protection, your eyes may let even more light hit your eyes.
- Look for 100% UV protection: As previously stated, dark lenses do not mean they offer eye protection. It is important to look for sunglasses that clearly state with a sticker on a lens or some other indicator that they provide 100% UV protection. Unless the sunglasses clearly state this, chances are they don’t. Many people do not take this into consideration when purchasing their sunglasses, but it should become a greater priority.
- Bigger is better: In some fashion circles, sunglasses with smaller frames and lenses have become very popular. However, these do not offer great protection for your eyes. Larger frames offer more coverage for your eyes, preventing more UV rays from hitting your eyes. Oversized glasses or even wraparound glasses will both provide more shielding from UV rays.
- Don’t skimp out on cost: Sunglasses do not have to be extremely expensive to be effective, but that does not mean you should buy cheap sunglasses. While these sunglasses may be cheap, they do not always offer the same protection. If they do offer 100% UV protection, they may not be made from the sturdiest of materials and could break easily. It is best to purchase sunglasses that offer the best protection and will last you a long time. Price shouldn’t play much of a role in this choice.
Many of us know how important shielding our eyes from the sun’s harmful UV rays is. Unfortunately, not all of us are aware of how important it is to take the necessary steps to purchase the right set of sunglasses. If you buy cheap sunglasses without effective protection, you will be putting your eye health and vision at risk. First Eye Care North Arlington offers a whole host of options for our patients when they come in looking for a new pair of efficient sunglasses.