You’ve packed the sunscreen to protect your skin and have already got your sun glasses perched on your head, but have you considered how safe those sun glasses are? Are they just a fashion statement or will they protect your eyes?
OK, so you know that the sun can damage your skin but do you also realise that the sun can also multiply the risk of damaging your eyes as well? It can increase the risk of developing cataracts in the long term and cause a temporary loss of vision under certain exposure. This condition is known as photokeratitis which is a painful but reversible sunburn of the cornea due to an over exposure to UVB rays.
So what should you look for when buying your new sun glasses? Most people are now aware that they need UV protection but just to explain, UV radiation comes in at least two primary forms, UVA and UVB and both carry their own dangers. UVA can lead to premature skin aging while UVB may cause skin cancer. What you need to look for is a 99 - 100% protection against UV, irrespective of the price of your glasses or the darkness of the lens or whether they are cheap or more expensive designer sun glasses.
Really dark lenses may distort colour so try and avoid them as this is a particular problem when driving. To get the best colour perception, the best lenses are amber, brown, green or natural grey.
Taking care of your eyes by wearing the correct sunglasses, whether they are from a High Street store or designer sun glasses can protect your eyes from possible damage. Don’t forget to ensure your children also have sufficient protection, so don’t buy toy glasses and make sure they are shatter-proof!
Remember that even if you wear sun glasses with full UV protection, some light can still enter from the periphery or from the top if the glasses, especially if they are particularly small frames. Also remember that if you engage in certain sports (e.g. surfing, skiing, cycling or mountaineering etc., that you will need more specialist glasses with additional properties.
Fortunately, there is a good range of fashionable sun glasses that will protect your eyes readily available. These need not be designer sun glasses, although these, as well as many lower cost non-branded glasses normally do have full UV protection.
Viewed 101 times by 29 viewers
1 Trackback(s)