I cannot stress enough about the use of sunglasses for protection for your eyesight. Now and in the future.
You may not think about this or worry about sight problems at all. Won’t even cross your mind. Or think you won’t have problems at any point. Neither did I.
These are some of the problems that can be caused by direct sun damage.
1. Solar Retinopathy: Damage to the retina from looking directly at the sun, causing vision changes and pain.
2. UV Radiation Effects: UV rays can harm the eye’s surface tissues, cornea, and lens, potentially leading to cataracts and other issues.
3. Photokeratitis: A painful condition caused by damage from UV light exposure to the Cornea often described as a sunburn of the eye.
4. Long-term Risks: Prolonged exposure to sunlight can increase the risk of developing serious eye problems, including macular degeneration and skin cancer around the eyes.
5. Pinguecula and pterygia
Pinguecula and pterygia are growths on your sclera (the white of your eye) due to excessive sun exposure.
A pterygium has the potential to spread onto the cornea and negatively impact vision.
To protect your eyes, it’s essential to wear sunglasses that have full protection and block UV rays and also avoid looking directly at the sun.
So is it worth it having those sunglasses that are really cool but offer no protection at all?
100% UV protection or UV400. This indicates they block all harmful UV rays up to 400 nanometers, which covers both UVA and UVB rays.
Polarized lenses aren’t necessarily UV-protective, but they do reduce the glare from reflected light.
An animated baby that looks angry, shakes his fist whilst a thought bubble has pink text stating. People aren’t wearing sunglasses. This changes half way through to pink text of protect your eyes.
One Vision Blog 