We are not sure yet what summer is cancelled but whatever summer is finally safe for us to go out there, we are definitely going out and getting all the fun we can. While we are making all the summer body plans and summer trip plans; we shouldn’t forget one of the essentials – the summer sunglasses and more importantly, the perfect sunglasses for your skin for summer.
Beyond the colours and the shape of the sunglasses which form part of the reasons we choose our sunglasses, there is another factor to consider which we sometimes neglect.
Dr. Chima Lawrence Odoemenam writes on the health benefits of wearing UV-Protective sunglasses.
Sometimes, we purchase sunglasses without consulting an expert because next to buying them to look stylish, we also think that the sole function of the sunglasses is to dim the light from the sun.
That is half true.
Sunglasses should also protect our eyes from harmful UV rays from the sun.
The earth is constantly bombarded by UV-rays which are very harmful to the eyes.
Though sunglasses should block these rays from getting into the eyes, most sunglasses sold by roadside vendors do not serve this function because they are not UV-protective.
Let me give you a brief explanation on how these “non-Uv-protective summer sunglasses” are killing your eyes gradually.
As everyone knows, when it’s really bright and you are out in the sun, you squint – narrowing your palpebral fissure or width of your eye lids – and your pupil constricts too to limit the amount of ambient light and UV rays going into your eyes.
However, when we wear these sunglasses which aren’t UV-Protective, they offer some relief from the ambient light by dimming it, and in doing so, lets the full UV light through and because your pupil is not constricted at the time, you are fully exposed to a surge of these UV rays directly into your eyes.
Sunglasses without the UV protection simply filter out the ambient light (glare), but do not give you any form of protection against UV rays which could predispose you to various eye conditions that can lead to blindness.
To prevent this, you should visit an eye clinic to receive professional guide on purchasing UV-protective sunglasses.
In addition, here are complications that could arise from exposure to UV rays.
(1) Cataract
(2) Macular degeneration
(3) Pterygium
(4) Photokeratitis
(5) Ocular melanoma
NOTE: Kids are most predisposed to exposure to these UV rays because they spend more time outdoors and they have wider pupils. Hence, you also need to purchase UV-protective glasses for them.
