Sunglasses

unglasses are not only a great fashions accessory, but they also keep you from having to squint when you’re outside on a sunny day and, more importantly, they provide protection for your eyes from the harmful UV rays of the sun.

Too much exposure to UV rays can cause long-term damage to our eyes and is something we want to vigilantly guard against. There are two types of ultraviolet radiation emitted from sunlight – UVA and UVB – and good sunglasses will block both types of rays. This is important since both UVA and UVB radiation are harmful. UVA is the radiation that is not absorbed at all by the Earth’s ozone layer and instead passes through and reaches our skin. Too much exposure to UVA rays can cause premature aging. UVB rays, while absorbed to a great extent by the ozone layer, still do pass through to some extent and can still be very harmful, contributing to skin cancer and cataracts.

As a rule of thumb, sunglasses should be dark enough to reduce the glare of bright light but not so dark as to distort colors in objects or, obviously, to prevent you from seeing altogether. In other words, as long as your sunglasses are properly tinted, your eyes will be protected. There is no need to exaggerate by looking for sunglasses that have such a dark tint that they practically block out the sun itself.

Nor do you have to pay an arm and a leg for sunglasses to get proper protection. Most sunglasses, even those in the five-dollar range and lower, provide the same amount of protection as the more costly varieties. The standard level of protection against UV rays is UV400, which protects the eyes from 98 percent of the sun’s ultraviolet rays, and statistics have shown that most sunglasses meet this standard. Moreover, for prescription sunglasses wearers, the level of protection in prescription sunglasses and store-bought glasses is also the same.

It’s also worth pointing out, for those of you who are looking for more assurance about the efficacy of sunglasses, that sunglass manufacturers have to follow certain FDA regulations if they want to sell to the US market. Such regulations include certain impact requirements (for example, while they don’t have to be completely shatter-proof, they do have to be able to withstand at least moderate impact), labeling regulations and standard UV protection requirements.

In sum, if you want good eye health, purchase a pair of sunglasses.