There is no doubt that cool looking sunglasses can make an otherwise very ordinary looking person look movie star glamorous, but that’s the icing on the cake. The primary reason to wear not only good-looking sunglasses but quality sunglasses is the protection that they afford yours eyes.
GLAUCOMA SUFFERERS BEWARE ….
Some individuals are afflicted with glaucoma, which is an eye condition where the pressure inside the eye is too high. If left untreated, this can lead to blindness. Glaucoma also causes an individual to become much more sensitive to glare and light, which can be further exacerbated by the medicines prescribed for this condition.
Glaucoma is the result of disease of the optic nerve, which is the major nerve of vision. When intraocular pressure or pressure inside the eye remains elevated this damages the optic nerve, although some individuals suffer from glaucoma but do not have high pressure.
Glaucoma results in the loss of peripheral vision, which is side vision, and can ultimately lead to blindness if it is not treated.
Glaucoma sufferers are encouraged to wear sunglasses anytime they are out in the sunlight
When wearing sunglasses you are getting two-for one: A fabulous accessory but, most importantly, critical protection from UV rays, which can permanently damage eyes
THE DAMAGE UV RAYS CAN DO
If you are constantly outside in the bright sunlight, squinting occurs (which causes wrinkles, which is another reason you should wear sunglasses) and ultraviolet rays can harm the internal structure of the eye as well as the surface of the eye.
When this type of damage occurs, it can lead to clouding of the eyes lens because cataracts form.
Another outcome is the development of macular degeneration, which means that the macula has broken down irreparably. The macula is a pigmented spot located close to the center of the retina. The macula is yellow and because of its color it absorbs too much UV light and blue light when these colors come into the eye.
BUY SUNGLASSES THAT PROVIDE UV PROTECTION
You don’t have to spend a king’s ransom on a pair of sunglasses. Just make sure that the glasses you purchase provide protection from UV rays. It should say so on the label. Some sunglasses are designed to absorb UV light and this is achieved by putting a special coating on the lens. This is the kind that you want.
DOES THE LENS COLOR MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
The color of the lens does not determine how much UV protection the glasses have. That is determined by the coating that is put on the lens. Keep in mind that the darkness of the lens as well as the color impacts the amount of visible light but not the amount of UV light that comes through the lens.
PERSONAL PREFERENCE
Some people prefer very dark sunglass lenses while others prefer a lighter shade. If you are playing a sport while wearing sunglasses and, for example, need to catch a ball you may not want to wear dark lenses because the dark lenses can impede your vision.
Under regular conditions, when a person does wear very dark tinted sunglasses there is the possibility that his vision can be impaired when he quickly moves from one light condition to another and it may be impossible to see anything if in the shade, so take this into consideration when choosing the color.
However, if you are hanging out in the swimming pool, doing an occasional lap or two, then, yes, dark lenses suit the bill.
Those who engage in winter activities need to wear sunglasses that are darker than what they would wear on a regular basis because light reflecting off of snow can cause snow blindness.
The medical term for snow blindness is photokeratitis. This condition occurs when the eye it exposed to artificial or natural sources of UV rays. Snow blindness is painful and is comparable to experiencing a sunburned cornea. You do not want to experience this!
HMMM… WHICH COLOR?
Gray is the reigning king when it comes to the top color choice of sunglasses in America. This is probably because gray lenses offer the most normal color vision.
Amber lenses are another choice. Amber sunglasses are sometimes called shooter’s sunglasses or blue blocker lenses because they block out nearly all, if not 100 percent, the blue light, which leads to enhanced contrast.
The reason amber glasses are referred to as shooter’s glasses is because those that engage in hunting often wear them so that they can distinguish been targets or birds that are seen against the backdrop of the blue sky. The disadvantage of amber lenses is that they tend to disfigure colors so they are not good if you need to recognize certain colors.
Brown lenses are nearly as popular as gray because they obstruct an even bigger portion of blue light then a pair of gray sunglasses, and this provides greater contrast.
The style and color of sunglasses that you wear is up to personal choice but heed the warnings of optometrists and ophthalmologists. It is imperative that you provide your eyes protection from bright sunlight and harmful UV rays, particularly if you are already afflicted with an eye condition, such as glaucoma.
You only have one pair of eyes. Protect them vigilantly.
John Sideman is a freelance writer residing Plano, Texas. Most of his writing is centered around optical and sports eyewear products offered by ADSEyewear.
