While sunglasses are a popular fashionable accessory, they have a critical role to play when it comes to protecting your eyes from UV radiation. When you are exposed to UV rays, you can be subjected to many eye conditions and some can be irreversible even.
You can purchase sunglasses online as well from sites like Fashemco after browsing their extensive collection. But make sure that you give weight to the importance of protecting from UV rays as well. This is a form of electromagnetic energy that our sun emits and the three types of UV radiation are UVA, UVB, and UVC, The UVC rays will not reach the ground as it is absorbed by our planet’s atmosphere. It is UVA and UVB rays that you need to be concerned about. Majority of radiation reaching the surface of earth is UVA rays. They will penetrate deep into your eyes and skin which can lead to a lot of long term damage and ageing. UVB rays tend to be more intense and this is what causes immediate harm like sunburn. The eyes can be damaged by both of these types so you need to select sunglasses that can protect you against both.
When you are exposed to UV radiation for a long time,
It can have harmful effects on your eye health. A common risk is the development of cataracts. This is when the natural lens of the eyes becomes clouded. This will lead to blurred vision. If this is not treated, it can cause blindness. Some of the cataracts are caused by UV exposure. Macular degeneration is another risk that is associated with UV exposure and this will affect the retina. It is the leading cause of vision loss when it comes to adults. The degeneration of the macula is accelerated by UV rays and it can impair your ability to drive, read and recognise faces. You may have heard of sunburn of the eye which is a painful condition that results from short-term exposure to high UV radiation levels. Some of the symptoms you will experience here are tearing, redness and having a gritty feeling in your eyes. This is temporary, however, but if you have repeated incidents, it can increase your risk of long term damage to the eye.
Sunglasses that have UV protection
Can block harmful UVA and UVB rays reaching your eyes. You have to look for sunglasses that are labelled to have 100% UV protection as these will block a major portion of UVA and UVB rays. The materials that the sunglass lenses are made of will affect their UV protection ability. You will get excellent UV protection with lenses that are made from specific types of high-quality plastic and polycarbonate. You will not need additional coatings for these. There are also lenses that have special UV-blocking coatings. There is a misconception that the darkness of the lenses indicates the level of UV protection provided. You always need to check if there is a UV protection label when purchasing sunglasses.
