Your eyes are a crucial part of your body. Taking care of them and shielding them from the sun is essential. Poor choice of sunglasses can jeopardize your eye health. It is ideal that you learn more about UV protection sunglasses and why they are crucial.

Reasons to Protect Your Eyes

Your eyes need protection whenever you step outdoors, even on a cloudy day. The ultraviolet rays from the sun are harmful to your eye health. Different types of UV radiation can harm some structures of your eyes. Ideally, protect your eyes from UVA and UVB rays.

UVA rays are more prevalent and penetrating between the two. They can cause harm to your macula, the part of the eye that allows you to see fine details. It is also a part of your retina responsible for sending your brain signals to translate the light entering the eye into images. UVB rays cause skin reddening and sunburn and can harm your cornea. They tend to damage vision more than UVA rays.

Eye Problems Caused by UV Damage

Exposure to UV rays can lead to various eye problems, depending on the intensity and frequency of exposure to the harmful radiation. Also, the methods you use to protect your eyes determine what eye problem you get. Below are some conditions you should shield yourself from:
 

• Cataracts
   

• Macular degeneration
   

• Cancer of the eyelids
   

• Corneal sunburn
   

• Pterygium

UV Protection Sunglasses

Choosing the right sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV protection is essential. Dark sunglasses cannot shield your eyes from the sun. They will only cause your pupils to widen for more light to enter your eyes.

Ideally, get yourself sunglasses with lenses that can block 99 to 100 percent UV radiation from the sun.

Tips to Choose the Best Sunglasses for UV Protection

You are bound to encounter various misconceptions about protecting your eyes from the sun’s rays. Among the right ones are:
 

• Wear sunglasses even if you are under a shade.
   

• Not every pair of sunglasses blocks UV rays completely. It is ideal to ensure the sunglasses have 99 to 100 percent UV protection.
   

• Wear sunglasses during winter. Fresh snow reflects 80 percent of ultraviolet rays, close to the overall UV radiation exposure from the sun.
   

• Wear UV protection sunglasses even if you have contacts that block the sun’s rays. Contact lenses that block UV rays only shield the part of the eye below the lens. Sunglasses help protect the eye and the surrounding skin from UV damage.
   

• Dark eyes are not an exception. The risk of getting UV damage is the same no matter what color of eyes you have.

Risk Factors for UV

Certain factors increase your risk of harming your eyes from UV exposure. It is essential to avoid being outdoors or wear UV protection sunglasses when the sun is at its highest point with its strongest rays in the sky. Between 10 in the morning to two in the afternoon is the harshest for your eyes and skin.

It is also ideal to have ultimate UV protection closer to the equator. You also expose yourself to UV exposure if the setting surrounding you reflects the rays off surfaces like sand and snow.

For more about UV protection sunglasses, visit Bright Eyes Vision at our office in Plymouth, Indiana. You can also call (574) 936-2272 to book an appointment today.