Skin care experts regularly advise that protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays is one of the best things you can do to keep your skin healthy. Putting on sunscreen every day can drastically reduce the damage done by UV rays. So if we are advised to take extra care with our skin in the sun, what about our eyes?
When we are out of doors, our eyes are constantly in contact with harmful UV rays. We all know that staring at the sun for an extended period can permanently damage our eyes. However, many of us are unknowingly causing similar damage by not wearing protective eyewear like sunglasses. Protecting your eyes as well as the delicate skin around your eyes is essential. If your eyes are not protected, they become susceptible to problems. Disorders like macular degeneration, an eye disorder that causes the eyes to have difficulty seeing detail, and even cataracts have been traced back to sun exposure. Other problems linked to harmful exposure to sunlight include photokeratitis, snow blindness, and some forms of eye cancer.
Wearing protective eyewear like sunglasses can drastically reduce the exposure of our eyes to ultraviolet rays. But not just any glasses will do. The best protection for your eyesight is a polarized lens or a lens with a UV filter. It is recommended that the best type of lens for eyesight is a lens that filters out 99-100% of UV light. Polarized lenses reduce the glare of sunlight reflected on shiny surfaces. Most sunglasses can also be purchased with a prescription lens for those that require corrective lenses. A good pair of sunglasses is the best way to keep your eyes healthy.