Despite the fact that the sun is over 93 million miles away, its rays pose serious dangers to your eyes. The principal one being ultraviolet radiation, or for short, UV radiation. More and more scientific evidence is showing that exposure to both UV-A and UV-B can have damaging long and short term effects on your eyes and vision.
A number of scientific studies and research have shown that exposure to even small amounts of UV-B over a period of many years contributes to the development of cataracts; pterigia (tissue growth on the surface of the eye); skin cancer around the eye; and can cause damage to the retina (macular degeneration), the nerve-rich lining of your eye that is used for seeing. Damage to the retina is usually not reversible.
The longer your eyes are exposed to UV radiation, the greater the risk of developing conditions such as cataracts in later life. That’s why you should always wear quality sunglasses that offer good protection whenever you’re participating in any kind of outdoor activities.
In order for sunglasses to provide adequate protection for your eyes, they should:
- Block out 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation;
- Screen out 75 to 90 percent of visible light;
- Have lenses perfectly matched in color and free of distortion and imperfection;
