When many of us first hear about sun-related damage, the first thing that usually comes to our mind is our skin then we start worrying about sunburns. Little do we know that the sunlight can pose a threat to our eyes as well.

When the eyes are left unprotected, many people do not realize that sun rays can have a long-term negative impact on their vision. From cataracts to sunburns, there are several critical health risks that you should be aware of when you are exposed to sunlight.

On sunny days, most of us would put on our eyeglasses just because they look great, but wearing sunglasses is actually important to help protect the eyes from harmful UV rays.

But First, How Does the Sun Damage our Eyes?

If you spend a lot of your time outdoors without proper eye protection, you are at the risk of suffering from potential eye problems. As with skin damage, too much sunlight can damage your eyes. There are three categories of UV radiation, which are UVC, UVB, and UVA. UVC radiation is blocked and filtered out by the earth’s atmosphere, while UVA passes through the cornea to the lens and retina of the eye. On the other hand, UVB rays are absorbed by the cornea and so do not penetrate through to the retina.

UV radiation damage builds up over our lifetime and can have a permanent effect on our vision in the long run. UV radiation has been found to cause the following eye problems:

Macular Degeneration:

One of the leading causes of age-related blindness in people over the age of 60, macular degeneration is caused by UV damage to the central portion of the retina over time.

Cataracts:

The UV radiation can damage proteins in the eye’s lens, which can raise a person’s risk for cataracts. A cataract is when the eye’s natural lens becomes clouded. It is one of the most common causes of vision loss in people over the age of 40, and one of the main reasons for blindness all over the world.

Skin Cancer Around the Eye:

High UV exposure can cause skin cancers to develop around the eyelids. These lesions can be benign tumors that don’t spread or can be malignant (cancerous). 

Photokeratitis:

UV exposure can cause painful burning of the cornea. It is a sunburn-like eye injury, which can cause temporary blindness or blotchy vision. Photokeratitis can be caused by sun reflection from sand, water, ice, and snow. This condition can also affect your eyes if you stare at the sun or watch a solar eclipse without using specialized devices.

Protect Your Eyes From the Sun

The easiest and safest way to protect yourself from the sun, and even look fashionable while doing it, is by always wearing sunglasses when you are exposed to sunlight or whenever you are doing any kind of outdoor activity during the day.

If you are looking for a pair of protective yet fashionable sunglasses, check out the site to learn more about the different kinds of sunglasses that you can buy online in order to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. You will find a variety of shades that will also ensure your eyes are well-protected.

If you are wondering how sunglasses help us in preventing the UV rays from damaging our eyes, here’s how:

Sunglass lenses are made from glass, plastic, or polycarbonate, with a coating that absorbs UV rays. A good pair blocks more than 99% of UV radiation from reaching your eyes. The highest quality sunglasses protect your eyes from sunlight because they’re made up of several elements working seamlessly together. Most typically contain lenses with tinting, polarization, and mirroring, while also being scratch-resistant with an anti-reflective coating.

Polarized Lenses:

Have you ever noticed how your eyes are especially strained when light reflects off certain surfaces, like a body of water or snow? If you have visited a lake or a ski resort, you’ll know what we mean. This is actually called polarized light, and it reduces visibility by causing a glare. Polarized lenses don’t offer a lot of protection from UV rays, but they eliminate the glare from polarized light coming off horizontal surfaces, thereby making outdoor activities easier and safer.

Mirror Coating:

Mirror coating on sunglasses is the first line of defense in protecting your eyeballs from UV light. Tints and mirror coatings reduce the amount of reflected light or glare in bright light conditions.

UV Coating:

UV coating is the main element of this operation and is the most important element of quality sunglasses. A lens with UV coating is infused with dyes and metallic oxide pigments and added to your plastic lenses to prevent damage to your eyes by blocking harmful rays.

Anti-reflective Coating:

AR coating helps reduce back-glare internal reflections off the lenses. This allows for a clearer image because light does not reflect off the back surface of your shades.

Picking the Right Pair of Sunglasses:

Some sunglasses are just much better at protecting your eyes than others, and not every pair out there can do its job in protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays. Here’s what you need to be looking for in your next pair:

The shape of Sunglasses:

Sunglasses must be big enough, wraparound, and closely fit your face. This helps block peripheral UV light that comes in from the edge of the frames.

UV Protection:

As mentioned before, the most important thing you should be looking for is the sunglasses’ UV protection. Always opt for shades which have a 100% or a minimum of 99% UV protection.

Sunglasses’ Color:

Dark sunglasses don’t necessarily have higher UV protection, despite what most people think. UV protection depends on the materials used and not the color. However, gray, green, and brown sunglasses are good colors and provide better protection. 

While we might all think of sunglasses as accessories in our wardrobes, there’s much more to them than merely being a fashion statement. So next time you are buying a new pair, make sure you do your research well beforehand. And don’t forget to pack those cool shades of yours no matter where your summer destination may be, because it will ensure you a hassle-free vacation and long-lasting protection for your eyes.