Summer is in full swing and just about everyone is sporting sunscreen out under the hot sun. It’s good to take care of your skin and to protect it from the sun’s harmful rays. But what about taking care of your eyes? While sunscreen seems to be at the top of people’s minds, protecting their eyes from the sun seems to slip between the cracks.
The most damaging part of the sun’s rays come from high-energy photons. These photons can damage the uppermost part of your eyes (the cornea, conjunctiva and crystalline lens). UVA rays are also harmful to the retina. Forgetting to protect your eyes can cause long-term damage and lead to serious eye disorders.
So what can you do to adequately protect yourself from eye damage?
- It’s important to wear quality sunglasses that are certified and safe to wear under the sun’s harmful rays. A good way to ensure that you are buying safe sunglasses is to buy your sunglasses from official optical stores. Brands that specialize in optical lenses are up on the most current safety standards and tend to produce quality lenses that will protect your eyes from the sun.
- Avoid purchasing sunglasses at supermarkets and street stalls. These sunglasses are not made with safety in mind and will not protect you from harmful UVA rays. These sunglasses tend to be designed with fashion only in mind. Find sunglasses for yourself that are fashionable AND safe. You can have both!
- When buying a pair of sunglasses, focus on the quality of the lenses, then on price, aesthetics and brand. Many people forget to focus on the quality. Keep your eyes safe and make quality and certification a priority!
If you’re making an honest effort to protect your skin, then why aren’t you making the same effort to protect your eyes as well? Protecting your eyes from the sun’s rays with a pair of quality sunglasses must become as much of a habit as using sun block on your skin. Paying close attention to the quality of the lenses on a pair of sunglasses is important in making sure that the sunglasses are protecting you.
