Eye Protection

The Health Benefits of Wearing Sunglasses

Wearing sunglasses not only looks cool, but goes a long way toward protecting the health of your eyes. Sunglasses protect the delicate skin in the eye area from premature signs of aging due to UV rays and sun damage.

Just like your skin, the sun can also damage your eyes. However, you can't protect your eyes with sunscreen like you do your skin. Your only defense is to wear protective UV blocking sunglasses.

Eyes regularly exposed to too much sun can develop serious and sometimes permanent damage. Opthomalogists recommend wearing UV blocking sunglasses whenever you are in the sun long enough to get a sunburn or tan in order to avoid age related eye diseases, especially cataracts (cloudy formations on the lens inside the eye), and photokeratitis (sunburn of the cornea, the surface of the eyeball). Too much sun exposure can also cause yellowed areas on the whites of the eye.

Make sure the sunglasses you buy say they protect against UV rays. The lenses in most low priced sunglasses purchased at the drugstore or from a street vendor do not offer sufficient UV protection.

Sunglasses also help keep you safe while driving or playing sports in bright sun. Glare from the sun reflecting off snow, water, or other objects can be blinding and very hazardous while driving. Polarized lenses are best suited for these situations because they reduce reflected glare from the sun.

Aesthetically, large sunglasses that are wraparound shaped may not be the best for your particular face shape or size, but they do offer the most effective protection from UV rays during sun bathing, as they protect more of the eye area and do not allow the light to get around the side of the lens into the eye. Large wraparound sunglasses also help to protect the eyes from the wind, as well as the sand, dirt and pollen sometimes carried by the wind.