Do you know how important it is to protect your eyes? Major campaigns have been launched by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the National Weather Service to make people aware of the dangers of the sun and the effects it can have on the body such as skin cancer and sun burn.
Damaging rays from the sun can severely harm your eyes. Exposure to the sun over a period of time is linked to several debilitating eye conditions. Cataracts, macular degeneration, pingueculae, pterygia, and photokeratitis can all lead to non-permanent loss of vision.1
UV Rays and Your Eyes
Sunglasses are your biggest line of defense in protecting your eyes from the damaging rays of the sun. When choosing the right sunglasses you must choose only sunglasses that completely block one hundred percent of all UV rays plus HEV rays. The best frames mold to you face, therefore look for wraparound styles that keep light from entering through the sides of the glasses.2
Ultraviolet radiation is commonly known as UV light. There are three types of rays that make up UV rays and all are invisible.
- UVC – These rays have the highest energy and offer the greatest potential of damage to your eyes. They are equally as damaging to your skin. The ozone layer protects us from these harmful rays.
- As our ozone layer is depleted it will become more important to protect our eyes from these harsh and damaging rays.
- UVB – These rays do not have the energy that UVC waves have. These rays are normally depleted by the ozone but the ones that get through can damage your skin. When they reach exposed skin they cause pigmentation to produce melanin which results in a tan.3
- UVB rays are blamed for photokeratitis – snow blindness.4 This is very painful and occurs when the cornea begins to swell. It can cause a temporary loss of vision for one to four days. Snow blindness is more prevalent at high altitudes but has the potential to occur anywhere if your eyes are not properly protected.
- UVA – These rays have the lowest energy of the three. However, UVA rays can pass directly through the cornea to the lens and the retina on the inside of the eye.
- If you experience overexposure to UVA rays you are at risk for cataracts and macular degeneration. UVB rays are linked to pingueculae and pterygia –growths that occur on the surface of the eye that not only look unpleasant but can cause corneal problems and distort vision.
- HEV – High Energy Visible Radiation is commonly known as blue light. It is visible and has a very low energy. These rays can penetrate very deep into the eye. This ability to enter the eye leaves the eye vulnerable to severe retinal damage. Studies are also implicating HEV in macular degeneration.5
Assessing Your Risks
What are Your Risks? You must protect your eyes whenever you go outside. The risk from the damage from ultraviolet rays and HEV rays is always changing. There are several factors to consider. 
- Where do you live? Where are you on vacation? UV rays are greater near the equator. If you live farther north, away from the equator, and head to the tropics for a vacation you will need extra eye protection for your vacation.
- UV rays are greater the higher up you are. The intensity of these rays increases with altitude.
- The time of day affects the UV and HEV levels. The greatest danger is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- The environment makes a difference. Confined spaces do not pose the danger to your eyes that open spaces do. Snow and sand or other reflective surfaces will reflect UV rays back into your eyes.
- Medications can change how your body responds to the sun. They can increase how sensitive you are to the sun’s UV rays.
The UV Index6
The UV Index is a measurement of the risk for UV exposure. The index was developed by the National Weather Service and United States Environmental Protection Agency. It gives a daily prediction of UV levels. The index begins at 1-low, and rises to 11plus-very high. The agencies have made suggestions of proper protection for your eyes based on the UV Index.
- 2 or lower – Low Risk – Sunglasses
- 3-5 – Moderate Risk – Sunglasses
- 6-7 – High Risk – Hat and Sunglasses
- 8-10- Very high – Hat and Sunglasses
- 11 plus – Extreme – Hat and Sunglasses
Additional information is provided by the agencies for skin protection based on the UV Index.
As you can see from the UV Index it is important to know how hats help protect your eyes. Worn with sunglasses they add an extra layer of protection from the sun’s rays.
Start Protection Early
As many elderly people will tell you, they wish they had worn sunglasses when they were young. This is because the damage to the eyes from UV rays accumulates over your lifetime. The more time you spend in the sun, the higher your risk.
Because the risk is cumulative, it is very important to ensure children wear sunglasses and protect their eyes from UV rays. Children’s sunglasses must offer 100 percent UV protection.
Protecting your eyes now can mean better vision and fewer problems in the future. Invest in a pair of super-stylish, 100 percent protective sunglasses and wear them whenever you are outdoors. Good quality sunglasses are the number one defense against cataracts and other eye diseases caused by the sun.
References
1 Health Effects of Overexposure to the Sun. (2010, July 1). US Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved From: www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvandhealth.html
2 Protecting Your Eyes from the Sun. (n.d.). United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved from: Low Vision.org: www.epa.gov/sunwise/doc/eyedamage.pdf
3 Ibid
4 Prevent Eye Damage. (2010, August). United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved from: www.epa.gov/sunwise/doc/eyedamage.pdf
5 Ibid
6 UV Index. (n.d.). EPA: www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html
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