Choosing the right sunglasses is vitally important. The damaging rays from the sun can cause many problems for you as you age. Cataracts and macular degeneration are only two of the diseases that result from UV rays penetrating the retina. The proper sunglasses will protect your eyes from these harmful rays.
It is possible to get eye cancer but it is very rare. Most eye cancers occur in people over 50 years old and are usually melanomas.1
The Suns Damaging Rays
The sun’s UV rays damage very sensitive cells in your eyes. The effects of the damage build up over your lifetime and result in debilitating diseases such as cataracts and blindness. Cataracts are a leading cause of reduced vision in the United States in People age 60 or older based on a study by the National Eye Institute.
In addition, some medical studies indicate that spending long hours in the sun may lead to a higher risk of developing eye melanoma. There is still much research to do in this area of cancer.2
Which rays damage your eyes? The sun emits three different rays – UVA, UVC, and UVB. UVC rays are extremely harmful, but they are generally absorbed by the ozone and normally don’t reach our eyes or our bodies.
UVB rays can cause photokeratitis. This resembles a sunburn, but on your cornea. UVB rays can also result in cataracts, pterygium, and more rarely, eye cancer.
UVA rays also have the potential to damage the eyes and increase the risk of intraocular melanoma. Sunlight or lights from tanning beds have the same impact on your eyes.3 These rays can affect the retina. The retina is a light sensitive membrane located at the back of your eye. UVA rays are normally diffused by the time they reach the retina.
Don’t be fooled by cloudy days. Most of us know to wear sunglasses on bright, sunny days. However, it is often just as important to wear them on cloudy days. UV rays can damage your eyes when they reflect off of snow or water. They also reflect off of sand.
You must also take into account the time of day. UV rays are stronger at noon when the UV can be ten times higher than any other time. The danger zone for your eyes is generally considered to be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Protect Your Eyes
Choosing the correct sunglasses to protect your eyes is vitally important. You must consider much more than fashion. Look for sunglasses that block ninety-nine to one hundred percent of all UV rays. You want a large lens to cover the entire eye area. Wraparound sun glasses are the best choice because they will prevent sun from entering the sides of the glasses. Finally, choose glasses that have dark lenses. These dark lenses provide relief from light sensitivity.
It is important to mention that contacts do not offer UV protection. You must choose the correct sunglasses to complement your contact lenses.
Lenses4
Materials that are used to make sunglass lenses can change the weight of the sunglasses. They also make a difference in the cost, clarity, and durability.
Glass lenses give you excellent clarity and good scratch resistance. Unfortunately, they are heavier than other lenses and more costly.
NXT Polyurethane lenses are excellent when it comes to impact resistance and clarity. They are lightweight and flexible. The con? They are expensive.
Polycarbonate lenses give you great impact resistance and good clarity. They are affordable and lightweight. On the down side they are less durable than other lenses and have less clarity.
Acrylic lenses are the most inexpensive. These lenses are a good choice if you will not be using the glasses every day. They are not durable and somewhat distort the image.
Lens Tint
The lens tint helps eye sensitivity to UV rays. The choice of tint will determine the amount of visible light that enters your eyes, how well you see colors, and contrast definition.
Brown, gray, and green tints are considered neutral. These tints limit brightness and do not distort colors. Dark hues of these tints improve glare and lower eyestrain.
Lenses in the yellow family include amber and gold. They do not provide the brightness protection that neutrals do. They are excellent in mid-level UV ray environments. You get good depth perception with yellow lenses and they are the choice of hunters, skiers, and other sportspersons.
The rose family of lenses brightens your world. They improve contrast and are perfect for low light situations. Mirrored lenses involve a applying a film to the lens. This film helps reduce glare but objects will appear darker.
Construction of the Lenses
Sunglass lens are coated for protection. More expensive sunglasses have more coatings than less expensive models. Coatings can range from hydrophobic layers to waterproof the lenses to anti-fog coatings.
Some sunglasses come with lenses that are interchangeable. These sunglasses come with lens in different colors. You can choose your lens color based on your activity and what type of protection you will need.
Polarization
Polarized lenses are very popular. These lenses block the glare created when light reflects off of flat surfaces such as a lake.
A film is applied to polarize inexpensive glasses. For higher-end sunglasses, polarizing filters are layered between the lenses. New technology is allowing the polarizing filter to be added to the lens material while it is still in a liquid state. This gives it polarizing effects.
Photochromic Lenses
Photochromic lenses have the ability to change and adjust to differing light situations. They become darker in brighter situations and keep out more UV rays.
Are you choosing the right sunglasses? Now that you know the basics of sunglasses you can choose the perfect pair. Should you pay big bucks for a high dollar pair of sun glasses? The more durable and protective and comfortable sunglasses are normally the most expensive. For daily wear choose a moderate priced pair of sunglasses. For outdoor activities spend the extra money to protect your eyes.
References
1 Eye Cancer (Melanoma and Lymphoma), (2011) American Cancer Society. Retrieved from: www.cancer.org/Cancer/EyeCancer/DetailedGuide/eye-cancer-key-statistics
2 Eye Melanoma Risk Factors (2011) Mayo Clinic, Retrieved from: www.mayoclinic.com/health/eye-melanoma/DS00707/DSECTION=risk-factors
3 General Information About Intraocular (Eye) Melanoma, (2011) National Cancer Institute, Retrieved from: www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/intraocularmelanoma/patient/
4 Sunglasses & the Health Effects of Solar UV Radiation, (2011) Australian Government – Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, Retrieved from: www.arpansa.gov.au/radiationprotection/factsheets/is_Sunglasses.cfm
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